5 Favorite Restaurants Open for a Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Meal

By Laura Hahnefeld Tue., Nov. 20 2012 at 8:00 AM

Categories: Top Lists

Laura Hahnefeld

Fish rolls at New Hong Kong (Ask for these, they're not on the menu.)

Some folks can't wait to dig into a home-style Thanksgiving Day dinner. Others, well, not so much.

So if you're sans Turkey Day plans or just want to try something off the traditional path, here's a few tasty and affordable favorites that will be open (and not serving turkey) on Thanksgiving.

New Hong Kong

Turkey with stuffing? How 'bout fish rolls stuffed with Chinese sausage and onion? Chef Jian Yu and his family serve up authentic and flavorful Cantonese fare at this hidden-in-plain-sight gem in Central Phoenix. Ask for the Chinese menu and look for stellar dishes such as tender black pepper beef filet, curry powder covered Singapore rice noodles, or Yu's specialty: the clay pot. Where anything that comes out of it -- from beef brisket and daikon, to mutton and bean curd, to curly strands of pork stomach -- is truly something to be thankful for.

Laura Hahnefeld

Haemul soon du bu at Café Ga Hyang.

Café Ga Hyang

For a Thanksgiving feast with a lot of Seoul (sorry) you could do worse then spend some time at this spot of flavorful Korean cuisine in Glendale. Let owners and chefs Nick Rocha and Sun Johnson serve you and yours traditional favorites such as seafood pancakes, Korean fried chicken, jap chae, or a variety of soups and stews like the spicy and seafood-heavy cham pong, Korean stew with tofu called haemul soon du bu, or the refreshingly cold noodle dish naeng myun.