Like most holidays, for those who celebrate, Christmas is considered one of the greatest food days of the year.
Between piles of turkey, ham, roast beef, or whatever else, by the time evening comes around, revelers are probably going to need to pass out from a food coma.
That being said, not everyone celebrates the holiday, and those who don't have devised their own traditions along the way.
Over the past century, Jews have flocked to Chinese restaurants on Christmas Day -- most other restaurants shuttered their doors for the holiday.
While Christmas dining options have expanded exponentially over the years, you can't mess with tradition. Here's our list of Chinese restaurants to visit on Christmas Day.
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This busy Sunrise dim sum spot draws a strong local crowd for its weekend brunch. Christmas is no different. Guests can snack on the full array of buns, dumplings, and fried classic from the restaurant's checklist -- not a steamed pushcart. It's received numerous New Times "Best of" awards for dim sum and takeout. Eat-in and delivery are offered for the holiday.
It may not be the fanciest restaurant you'll ever visit, but the food at this Hong Kong and Cantonese style spot will brighten your day -- it has won New Times Best Of awards for Best Chinese Restaurant and Best Dim Sum. It'll be open for eat-in and takeout.
Known for its traditional dim sum offering, like baked barbecue pork buns, pork dumplings, congee with preserved egg and pork, chicken feet, and fried turnip cake, this spot is actually frequented by South Florida's Chinese community -- that's exactly why it got our pick for Best Chinese Restaurant 2013. While you can't go wrong with anything, its seafood options are hard to beat. The restaurant is open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery on Christmas Day.
2. Christina Wan's Mandarin House
Winner of New Times' Best Chinese Restaurant 2008 and this year's recipient for Readers' Choice, this long-running Fort Lauderdale spot specializes in Mandarin, Szechuan, and Cantonese specialties like orange beef made with candied tangerine peel, shrimp foo yong with bacon, and a selection of first-rate homemade potstickers and dumplings.
1. Silver Pond
Winner of New Times' Best Chinese Restaurant in 2012, this 441 strip-mall spot serves some of the best Cantonese fare that can be found in South Florida. The menu features interesting seafood, ranging from sea cucumber and abalone to conch and lobster to traditional meat dishes like Hong Kong chicken and Peking duck and everything in between.
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