‘Stuff’ yourself with a Chinese holiday feast

Takeout Thanksgiving dinner: (clockwise) 10 to 12-pound (cooked weight) roast turkey, custard pie (Lee’s Bakery & Kitchen), gon lo mein, crispy gau gee and honey-glazed dinner rolls ($138; vegetable dish included but not shown)

For the first time, Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown is offering a special Thanksgiving dinner to-go to help make your holiday more relaxing and enjoyable.

“I was looking at what other places are offering, and it’s typical turkey, stuffing and gravy — you don’t get that much other food with those Thanksgiving dinners,” says Gary Lam, the restaurant’s general manager. “That’s why we figured with our menu, you get your turkey, your pupu (crispy gau gee), you got your starch (gon lo mein), your veggies (stir-fried vegetables), and our baked honey glaze dinner rolls that we make in-house.

“And the best part is, I see people in line for Lee’s pies (next door) every year, and now you can save time cooking and cut out the waiting-in-line part because it comes with your choice of custard pie, pumpkin custard or pumpkin pie from Lee’s Bakery & Kitchen.”

Gon lo mein ($138; part of takeout Thanksgiving dinner)

Golden Palace’s take-out Thanksgiving dinner is priced at $138 and serves 10-12 people. It comes with Chinese-style roast turkey and gravy, 12 pieces of crispy gau gee, gon lo mein, stir-fried vegetables, 12 baked dinner rolls and a Lee’s Bakery pie.

Pre-orders are being accepted now through Nov. 22.

“The way Chinese roast turkey is, there’s no stuffing,” explains Lam. “We marinate the turkey with an original in-house sauce, and season the inside with Chinese herbs and spices. Then, we hang it in the oven to roast for a few hours (similar to roast duck), compared to Western style, where they put it in the baking oven in a pan. This way, the meat stays tender and moist, and the skin is crispy.

“The dinner rolls is pretty much like our baked manapua but without the char siu, and it has that sweet honey glaze over it,” Lam says.

You also can enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner at the restaurant, as it will be open during regular hours on Thanksgiving Day.

Golden Palace also is offering to roast your turkey for you. Simply bring your own turkey (minimum three days notice required, call for pricing), and the eatery will cook it so all you have to do is pick it up and serve.

“Some people want to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of cooking the turkey,” explains Lam.

Since opening in 2001, Golden Palace has built a growing loyal following of customers, including many regulars who stop in daily or on the weekends with their families. The restaurant opens early at 7 a.m. daily, and is known for its Hong Kong-style cuisine, including dim sum.