When Happy Dragon—a beloved family-run Cantonese restaurant previously located in Independence, Oregon—moved to NE 82nd Avenue in October, it brought along one the city’s best future holiday traditions: the Feng clan’s Peking duck. Patriarch Linan Feng preps 10–20 each night, roasting the hoisin sauce–brushed birds the next morning to achieve a perfect ratio of rich, juicy meat and crisp skin that cracks like crème brûlée. Each two-course order feeds three or four, so reserve some birds and get feasting. Tuck thin slices of that miraculous meat into sweet steamed buns while the kitchen stir-fries the rest of the duck to order with a garlicky confetti of peppers, water chestnuts, and Chinese sausage for lettuce wraps. This bird’s so good it qualifies as an actual gift.

707 NE 82nd Ave, 503-256-3828. Call ahead to reserve Peking ducks.