SINGAPORE – Pleasing the parents at Christmas is near impossible. Dad wants ham. Mum wants Asian comfort food. I want turkey. They do not. The meat is too dry, they say every year.

What is a dutiful daughter to do?

The solution for 2025 is Goodwood Park Hotel’s Steam-Baked Turkey ($260, serves eight to 12). I am sure the only complaint they will have is that there are just four of us and one big bird to finish.

But it ticks all the boxes. The bird is steam baked, which results in the breast still being juicy. I kid you not. I have always thought life is too short to eat chicken (or indeed, turkey) breast, but this one I’ll happily eat.

There is ham too, in the generous stuffing of braised chestnuts, ham, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms and spring onions. Yes, it is very indulgent, but come on, it’s Christmas.

Best of all is the yam rice that comes with the turkey. It is studded with soft chunks of yam and aromatic with shallot oil. Plus, you get a jar of tangy chilli dip. Even picky mothers will love these.

The hotel has offered some spectacular Asian-style turkeys in the past. Turducken stuffed with glutinous rice, turkey briyani, turkey poached in soya sauce and boneless turkey stuffed with Shanghai noodles, among others. Over the years, it has found ways to turn out juicy, interesting birds.

For Christmas or Boxing Day brunch in 2025, the hotel has a little Turkey Pot Pie ($60, serves four) that is good for small families. Chunks of turkey breast, bacon, onions, cranberries, butternut squash and brussels sprouts are napped in a creamy Gruyere cheese sauce and topped with puff pastry. I could eat the entire pie, it is so savoury and comforting.

Now bringing anything with puff pastry back to crispy life is a tall order. I deconstructed my pie. Right out of the fridge, I carefully detached the puff pastry and stuck it in the toaster oven until it crisped back up. The filling I reheated in the microwave. Then, I placed the pastry on top and it was ready to serve.