So the turkey season has ended and those lucky enough to have had one are probably still reaping the benefits of leftover meat, sandwiches galore, stuffed stomachs and tryptamine hangovers.

Me, I was lucky enough to have two turkeys this holiday season (turkey rich!) and last night I spent a few hours huddled over the stove, making the most fantastic of turkey stocks. Seriously, if you have some extra bones left over, get over to your kitchen and get on some soup post haste. Nothing says winter like a warm cup of turkey broth!

What I'm most interested in though, after running about the city trying to order one last week, is finding out which restaurant caters the best of the best. For Christmas Eve dinner over at my dear friend Robert's house, we ordered a 16 pounder from Grandma's Kitchen. Ordered three days in advance, the turkey arrived right on time in plastic and paper bags. Obviously lacking an oven, keeping the damn thing warm posed some problems, and Robert, who is a marketing executive over at Nike and famed for his innovation, made do with keeping it wrapped up in blankets, nestled in his bed like a warm puppy with a cold. The turkey, which cost 680rmb and ordered two days in advance was impressive to look at, though it was rather dry and not nearly as succulent or tasty as the turkeys back home - over half of it was still left for the pickings by the end of the night. Thankfully, some other guests thoughtfully provided all the fixings and equiptment necessary for Raclette, and so we also chowed down on this excellent Swiss tradition.

On Christmas Day, however, it was a totally different story. Collin, who is Mr. City Weekend himself and reputable host of awesome parties, threw a fantastic Wii-Christmas celebration, complete with Dance Dance Revolution, lots of alcohol, a hysterically psychotic cat (who scratched me on the frigging face!!), a VERY rowdy championship boxing match, and so much food you felt like you wouldn't have to eat for the rest of the month. This is how a turkey should be!

Ordered from Chef Too, also two days in advance, this was a set meal that would satisfy even the most elite of turkey connoisseurs. The turkey was smaller than that of Grandma's Kitchen (12 pounds), but the meat was juicy and fell away from the bone with minimal effort. Collin, ever the big man, took control of carving duties and painstakingly explained to me in detail the art of carving a turkey. Explained it, that is, until I was chased out of the kitchen for stealing bits of meat!

At 1270rmb, this is a fair bit pricier than what you're getting at other restaurants, but the value is truly excellent - the turkey came with two huge bowls of mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, yam potato mash, broccoli cream and cheese casserole, THREE kinds of pie (apple, sweet potato and the traditional pumpkin), generous portions of gravy and even cranberry sauce for those who think cranberry sauce has any place on a turkey. On top of this, the entire package came in a huge styrofoam packing case, and the turkey was generously laid out on a serving platter.

What did you have for Christmas dinner? What was your favorites? Watch this space for more turkey reviews, and be sure to put forward what you think is best. In this cold & smoggy land, for even the most die-hard atheists and agnostics, a fabulously traditional Christmas dinner is still not to be missed.