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Earlier this month, I was invited down to Chinatown in Los Angeles for a media-comped meal at the Plum Tree Inn. The purpose of the dinner was to introduce a dining alternative to the usual turkey and stuffing offerings found on most Thanksgiving tables. As such, if you’re looking for something new and untraditional (or better yet — you just don’t want to slave away in the kitchen), take a look at what the Plum Tree Inn has on deck for Turkey Day.

Pics after the jump…

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The Plum Tree Inn has a decidedly ’80s look about it: pastel lighting, touches of neon, a glass block wall. It sort of made me feel like I was in Miami Vice, which I kind of dug.

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Some of the appetizers: shrimp toast and steak on a stick.

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Instead of turkey, how about Peking Duck? This is probably one of my very favorite Chinese dishes, and I would not complain if it became a Thanksgiving standard.

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without a bevy of side dishes. The following are all items that we were served:

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Minced chicken in lettuce cups.

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“Lion’s Head.” No actual lion meat is involved. It’s more like Chinese meatballs (swimming in a sea of cabbage and sauce).

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More Lion’s Head. I wouldn’t classify this as my favorite dish of the night.

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Shrimp, two-ways: “sautéed sweet and pungent.” Advantage: the red side.

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Crispy beef.

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Duck soup (made from the remains of the Peking Duck).

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“Kon Pao Three Delicacies” — shrimp, fish, and scallops.

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Asparagus and mushrooms.

If these dishes excite you, feel free to head over to Plum Tree Inn, located in scenic Chinatown.

Plum Tree Inn
913 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-1819
www.plumtreeinn.com