Chinese food is a holiday tradition for some in Indianapolis INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Many restaurants are closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but Indianapolis staple Asian Harbor has been in the city for 10 years, serving hungry customers during the holidays. The restaurant was packed Wed nesday night for Christmas Eve. The takeout line was no different. One customer after another poured in. General Manager Tim Bay said, “I think it’s almost like an unwritten tradition to have Chinese (food) on Christmas Day. Believe it or not, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are our busiest days.” Bay said they fill 150 orders each on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. His uncle, who was dressed Wednesday in a red hoodie, owns the restaurant. Both he and Bay are immigrants from Mongolia and they now call Indianapolis home. Bay said, “It’s like a blank slate, and we are adding our own culture to make it even richer.” The back kitchen is where the magic happens. Cooks boiled noodles and vegetables, and fried up the crab rangoon. Tim said Mongolian food has Chinese influences, and they’re leaning heavily toward that. Monica Morrison picked up food for her grandma and herself, a tradition every Christmas Eve. “There’s nothing specific that we get, but we always have to get the crab rangoon. That’s the top thing. But we just try different dishes, different combos.” Greg Moser on Wednesday brought his entire family, all three generations. He said its tradition that’s been passed down from Grandma. “The holidays can all be stressful, but when we can all come down and sit on a table it’s a sigh of relief. This is the last meal before the craziness of tomorrow morning when suddenly we’re opening all the presents and going to different places all at once. And we can sit down here, relax and have a meal together.” A sticker on the front door reads “Proud Asian Owned.” Tim and his uncle also are proud Asian Americans giving back to their community. Bay said Indianapolis helped them reach their American dream. “You just have to give us a chance to prove that we’re all here for the American dream, we’re also American. We’re working toward one goal: to enrich this beautiful country to carry on and give more opportunity to the less fortunate.” ...read more read less