NYC's Hutong Restaurant Is Serving Flaming Peking Turkey For Thanksgiving

New Yorkers are in for something special this holiday with one of their finest Chinese restaurants, Hutong, offering a limited-edition Flaming Peking Turkey for Thanksgiving. To find out what's so unique about this holiday special and how the restaurant prepares such an elevated dish, Tasting Table spoke to Hutong's Head of Barbecue, Chef Martin Mak. "Peking Duck is a quintessential dish in Chinese cuisine." The chef and his team introduced the classic version of dish at Hutong in 2021 and "this year, for Thanksgiving, we decided to take it a step further and introduce Flaming Peking Turkey, putting our one-of-a-kind spin on the beloved turkey dinner." 

If you're looking to mix up your holiday routine, having your turkey set aflame next to the table is sure to hit the mark. Make sure you show up hungry, though — the Flaming Peking Turkey serves four to six people and is available by reservation only. The turkey serves the whole table "with traditional handmade steamed pancakes alongside traditional cucumber and spring onion" and comes in at a reasonable price tag of $200.

A lot of time, effort, and care goes into making this show-stopping creation for the restaurant. Mak told Tasting Table, "Hutong Peking Turkey is air-dried for 36 hours and infused with Sichuan green chilies, star anise, ground black pepper and Hutong's homemade chili paste." After that, he adds, "the turkey is roasted for 40 minutes before the chef lights it in flames tableside with Chinese rose wine & rum." Mak says the idea to flame the turkey tableside was his idea, calling it a unique "to ensure [crispy skin on the duck]" as well as make the entire dining experience more exciting by "changing the way this dish is traditionally prepared."

Food innovation is always something to celebrate and the lucky diners who get to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime eating opportunity are sure to create a Thanksgiving to remember. It's a dine-in-only option, so don't plan on taking the turkey to go. This is the first year Hutong is offering this feast, with no guarantees that they'll bring it back next year, so don't pass the opportunity up. With only 12 Flaming Peking Turkeys on the menu, they may end up selling out sooner than you think.