No turkey, no stuffing, no oven? No problem

For an American abroad, traditional homeland holidays can be extremely depressing affairs.
Ingrained memories of the annual rituals ― fireworks on the Fourth of July, the neighborhood bar on St. Patrick’s Day, the backyard Labor Day barbecue ― remind us of what we’ve left behind. There’s another big celebration approaching this week ― Thanksgiving.
But if you managed to survive Halloween without trick or treat, there’s no need to give up the grotesquely satisfying gluttony that makes this holiday worthy of a four-day weekend.
There are plenty of places here in Seoul that will prepare a turkey with all the trimmings. If money’s no object, hotels are offering delectable holiday menus. The Grand Hyatt’s Paris Grill offers a full-course dinner for 85,000 won, and its deli features precooked take-home sets right up until Nov. 24. Call (02) 799-8167.
The Delica-Hans at the Lotte Hotel is offering a turkey gift set, which includes a bird stuffed with black rice, chestnuts, carrots and celery accompanied by giblet gravy made with foie gras. The 200,000 won set serves 8 to 10. Though intended for Thanksgiving, it’s available until Dec. 31. Make reservations at (02) 317-7148.
The InterContinental Seoul’s two branches each house a deli offering pre-packaged feasts that can be ordered one day in advance. Call (02) 3430-8660 for the COEX branch restaurant, Delibonbons, and (02) 559-7653 for the Gangnam branch deli, Grand Kitchen Deli.
For a more affordable option, try the Hannam Supermarket, which sells frozen turkeys for 40,000 won to 50,000 won. The market is located in Hannam-dong near exit 5 of Hangangjin station. The nearby Haddon House Supermarket, also offers birds of various sizes from 22,000 won to 90,000 won.
The U.S. Embassy will be closed on Thursday for the holiday.

by Ben Applegate