Chinese Eve

In the 1983 film A Christmas Story, the holiday dinner is ruined by a pack of dogs, and the family winds up eating a lonely Christmas dinner in a Chinese restaurant. Traditionally, however, Chinese restaurants have been the staple for lively Christmas Eve meals — the sweet, spicy and sexy cuisine offers a culinary counterpoint to the less exotic roast-turkey-and-dressing feast planned for the following day. The six area Bo Lings restaurants serve from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. today, including new, holiday-inspired dishes such as jasmine-tea-smoked duck breast, dressed with sweet hoisin sauce and puffy steamed buns. Other popular Chinese restaurants that are open the night before Christmas include Andy’s Wok in Leawood (6357 West 119th Street, 913-469-6788) and Po’s Dumpling Bar (1715 West 39th Street, 816-931-5991). If you prefer doing the Chinese buffet thing — sinful gluttony is part of the winter holiday ritual — the Northland’s Mama Buffet (6000 Northeast Antioch Road, 816-452-6110) offers General Tso’s chicken, jalapeño chicken and bacon-fried rice until 10 p.m. And if you just can’t get enough maternal love on the anniversary of Jesus’ birth, there’s also the buffet at Raytown’s Ma Ma China (6623 Raytown Road, 816-358-5999), where patrons can load up at the food bar or order one of the family-style dinners to go.

Thu., Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., 2009