Vancouver Chinatown has BBQ turkeys – only for Thanksgiving or Christmas

I had only recently discovered that you could buy bbq turkeys in Chinatown.  Usually I purchase BBQ Duck or BBQ pork.  Sometimes I pick up some roast pork because I love to chew on the crispy skin.  My friend Jim Wong-Chu has been purchasing turkeys in Chinatown for years.  My mother told me that many years ago she used to take a turkey to the Dollar Meat store in Chinatown and they would bbq it for you for only $10.

BBQ Turkey at the Dollar Meat Store in Vancouver Chinatown – The butcher is cutting the turkey in half – photo Todd Wong

I solved the problem of cooking a messy turkey, and having too much leftovers.  On Sunday, I went down to the Dollar Meat Store on Pender St. in Vancouver Chinatown and purchased a 1/4 Turkey.  I watched the butcher take the fresh cooked turkey and cut it expertly in half.  He then placed each half on hooks in the window, and let the juice drain into the pan.  I debated buying a half turkey, because it looked so good.  Instead I chose the 1/4 with the large drumstick, because I am partial to dark meat.  It included a good size of breast meat too.  When I took it to my car, I quickly opened the box and ate some small pieces.  Yum!  Very tender and moist.

1/4 BBQ Turkey.  You can take it home whole, or they will expertly cut it into easy serving slices for you.  Chop! Chop! Chop! and the turkey was quickly put into two take out containers, each containing delicious turkey gravy.  The gravy is flavored with Chinese 5-spice, which is also used for the BBQ Duck.  mmmm…. yum! – photo T.Wong

Here's the view from inside the shop window.  You can see the hanging roast pig, half bbq turkey, whole bbq duck and chinese sausages. – photo Todd Wong

It was a non-traditional – but typically West Coast Canadian Thanksgiving dinner in our house tonight.  Chinese BBQ turkey, broiled salmon, yams, mashed potatoes, stir fried carrots and snow peas, lentil salad. Darn but we forgot to make the stove top stuffing!  For dessert, I couldn't find a pumpkin pie at the store this afternoon, so it was blueberry pie with coffee ice cream.