The Bureau capitata is also good in containers, but the spread of the canopy and size even while young will look best in larger sized pots, At least a half oak wine barrel or larger still. Transplanting a palm out of a container that has been growing for years is also a bit of work. Often easiest if you are willing to simply break the pot to liberate it. At a minimum, make sure the pot's opening is not less wide than the pot, or you'll likely not get it out without breaking the pot. Almost all of these palms are a bit thorny to prune/transplant, but for their beauty, can't hold that against them. Arenga engleri is another slow growing clumping palm good for containers with no thorns and interesting silver color on the Lear's reverse, but you need to be careful of the ripening seeds, they are a skin irritant, and the blooming portion of the palm does die after it blooms. Very slow to bulk up in SF East Bay Area conditions without benefit of reflected heat, which actually can be an advantage for a long term container plant.

*chuckles* I have pondered that same question with some palms I have seen and came up with the probably far-fetched idea of filling the cavity with some kind of material that adheres well to the palm trunk, is rigid enough to provide additional support while it's soft enough to withstand normal environmental stresses, and can be made to simulate the palm's trunk color and texture.

Are you looking at growing in a pot or in the ground? You have more choice if it's in a pot as you can move it any time the weather isn't suitable. I'd agree, Chamaedorea are probably your best bet. C. seifrizii is another good clumping one, often called Bamboo Palm. It's the most cold tolerant of the "bamboo" type Chamaedoreas and can take a bit of sun once they get a bit larger. You could also try Linospadix monostachya or L. minor. They're single stemmed and slow growers. But they like high humidity and don't like direct sun.

Some genetics involved, but mostly a watering issue... queens that get tons of water get a whole lot fatter than those kept on a lean watering schedule. They also grow a whole lot faster, too.