Food and Restaurants

Harbin’s fare is suited to the people who live there: simple, solid and warming. There are plenty of meat-sticks-on-(rou chuan肉串 restaurants, as well as Mongolian lamb hotpo (huoguo) from their northwestern- neighbors. Dumplings(jidozi) are also hugely popular and there are a number of chains around the city serving them up with countless imaginative fillings. But unique to China, it’s the foreign cuisine that’s best sampled in Harbin. Russian and Russian influenced Western restaurants will lead you to the most surprising tastes. A side of European-style smoked pork sausages (roulian hongchang ) washed down with Harbin Beer(ha”er bin pijiu or hapi) or even some chilled vodka is a great way to fill up and keep warm. For beer enthusiasts, there’s qiulin damianbao, gigantic circular bread baked with crispy crust. It uses beer yeast, which gives it a slight beer flavor. The number of lanterns outside restaurants

RESTAURANTS

Dafengshou

283 Yiman Jie, Nangang District

Daquan BBQ

Jiaoyuyuan Xiaoqu, Caoshi Jie, Daowai District

Huamei Xi Canting

Established in 1925, it’s the most famous Russian-influenced Western restaurant in the

city. Its signature fish dish is kao naizhi guiyu

112 Zhongyang Dajie

 11am to 9pm

 Lao Duyichu

Established in 1929, specializes in dumplings, and has over 26 kinds of fillings on offer.

25 Xi Shisandao Jie, Daoli District

10am to 9pm

Maomao Chunbing

161 Guogeli Dajie, Nangang District

Poterman Western Restaurant

12 Xidazhi Jie, Nangang District

Who cares if it’s-22F (-30C).

Xiangcun Dayuan

Specializes in northern farm style dishes such as a fish-head dish called jinguo yutou and spareribs called fengshou paigu

13 Dashun Jie, Nangang District

 9am to 12pm

qingquang

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