Your Family-Friendly Turkey-day Planner

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American Thanksgiving is almost here. Postcard images of giant happy families all cooking in the kitchen aside, not all of us celebrate the holiday season the same way. Coming from a small single-parent Chinese-American family, we didn’t have any turkey roasting traditions growing up. For us, Thanksgiving was about going out to eat or arranging caterers on the off chance that my mom wanted to have guests over.

After moving out to Beijing, the lack of an open kitchen makes home parties a bit challenging for those of us living in apartments, which means that for the past few years my friends and family have taken on the tradition of dining out for Thanksgiving.

This year’s American Thanksgiving is on November 28, but restaurants in Beijing are pretty flexible when it comes to holidays to keep the celebration convenient so there will be options all week long. So, keeping up with the tradition of dining out and leaving the tidying up for others, here’s a few of this year’s kid-friendly Thanksgiving dining options for groups large or small.

Domain

Domain is an all-day dining restaurant but they have a series of children’s cooking classes especially around the holidays. While you can’t get a classic Thanksgiving meal here, it is a parents’ favorite when it comes to classes to keep the kids happy and entertained. This year’s Little Chefs class at Domain will feature mini apple pies for the kids to make themselves.

REC

November 16 and 23 starting from 2pm.
RMB 188 including 1 complimentary glass of juice per child.

2/F, EAST Beijing, 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区酒仙桥路22号东隅北京酒店2层. 8414 9830

Home Plate BBQ

American Thanksgiving with a Southern twist. This is a buffet for the carnivores. Home Plate BBQ is making another one of their signature whole party hogs with all the fixins’. Instead of a classic roast turkey, they’re smoking their turkey the way they smoke their succulent BBQ.

November 28 from 8-9pm
RMB 388 including free-flow house wine, Tsingtao beer, mixed drinks, iced tea, and coffee. RMB 288 for kids 12 and under.

35 Xiaoyun Lu courtyard (from Dongsanhuan Beilu, head 20m north of Xiaoyun Lu intersection and take the first right), 霄云路35号院（东三环北路,过霄云路路口,往北走20米,到第一个路口右转), 5128 5584

Feast (Food by EAST)

Feast is a family favorite especially when you’ve got a group who like to drink and kids who are old enough to play on their own. Their Thanksgiving full buffet will feature some American holiday classics like turkey and honey-glazed ham along with the hotel buffet must-haves – seafood, cheese, and a ton of desserts to choose from.

November 28 from 5.30–9pm
RMB 348 per adult, includes free-flow soft drinks, beer, and house wine. Free for kids 6 and under, half price for kids ages 7-12.

2/F, EAST Beijing, 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区酒仙桥路22号东隅北京酒店2层. 8414 9820

N'Joy

Nuo Hotel’s N’Joy is known for its over-the-top brunch buffets and family-like friendly service. For Thanksgiving, they’re adding some more classic American holiday favorites along with a carving station for their fresh-out-of-the-oven turkeys. While Nuo is a pricier hotel option, they do have multiple food stations with cuisine from around the world, as well as numerous cook-to-order stations so you’ll never get a piece of dry steak that’s been sitting out under the heat lamps.

November 28 from 5.30-10pm.
RMB 488 per adult with unlimited wine and beer. Free for kids 6 and under. Half price for kids 6-12.

2A Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区将台路甲2号. 5926 8888

Lily's American Diner

For those looking for a more low-key option, every LAD location around the city will be offering their Thanksgiving set menu all day, every day, from November 28 – December 1. You get a choice of a garden salad or soup, roast turkey with homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato, mixed vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Then your choice of either their homemade pumpkin pie, apple pie, or chocolate brownie.

November 28 – December 1 from 11am-10pm
RMB 219 per adult and RMB 179 per child.

Visit www.LilysAmericanDiner.com for more details and locations.

Photos: provided by organizers, unsplash

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