Traditional turkey and stuffing is paired up with lobsters and mille-feuille for festive celebration

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many Americans will be thinking hard about the best place to celebrate the holiday with family, friends and loved ones.

Raffles Beijing Hotel, with its two fabulous restaurants - East 33 and Jaan - might be one destination worth checking out.

East 33 features an eclectic blend of modern contemporary seating with a few antique Chinese chairs to create an East-West harmony.

Old and new eras are carefully interwoven, with one obvious example being antique doors into the modern restaurant. These full-length carved Chinese doors are joined in presence with antique oil lamps, pickle and vinegar jars, all carefully selected from flea markets in the capital.

The experience of celebrating Thanksgiving here will be unique. Soft gray hutong stone walls are paired up with Italian marble floors, warm hard wood timber slats and Red Alicante marble mosaic inlays.

Ambience isn't everything though; it is the spectacular buffet spread that will attract festive seekers to East 33.

The restaurant boasts a traditional thanksgiving buffet with roast turkey and trimmings that include stuffing, glazed chestnuts, cranberry relish and pumpkin pie.

"It takes at least two and a half hours of slow roasting at 180 C to make a golden, delicious turkey," said Malaysian executive chef Andy Cheah.

"You can't rush it because a high temperature will burn the skin without cooking through properly."

Cheah said it is well worth the money to have a turkey cooked at restaurant than go through the hassle of doing it at home.

"It saves time and will not leave an oily smell in your home," he said.

The stuffing, a favorite part for many, is sublime. Cheah mixes together breadcrumbs, liver, chestnuts, salt, pepper and cream to create a mouth-watering concoction. Additional ingredients include carrot, spring onion, apple, celery and coriander.

Something he doesn't add is pork lard, so that the meal can be enjoyed by Muslim guests too.

One big difference of spending Thanksgiving at Raffles is that the buffet includes East 33's signature seafood selection: fresh oysters, Boston lobsters, Alaskan king crabs, Norwegian salmon and a famous dessert buffet that includes Pineapple Surprise and Mocha Mille-feuille.

Hungry people should note that the East 33 meal will run from 6 pm to 10 pm on Nov 25. The price is 368 yuan per person, which includes a free flow of local beer, soft drinks and house wine.

A take-away service is also on offer, provided you book with the restaurant 24 hours in advance.

For a more intimate dinner experience this Thanksgiving, Jaan, a French fine food restaurant located at the Raffles lobby, is perhaps a better choice.

Jaan returns diners to the glamorous 1920s, in a style similar to the Grand Hotel de Pekin when it was known as "the No 1 Hotel in the Far East". Jaan offers a memorable gourmet set menu with French flair and a refined service.

Although prices are higher, the food and drink is splendid. Make sure to try the truffled terrine of foie gras, roast turkey with chestnuts and cranberry sauce, and Valrhona chocolate and grand Marnier mille-feuille.