Food and Restaurants

Harbin's fare is suited to the people who live there: simple, solid and warming. There are plenty of meat-on-sticks restaurants, as well as Mongolian lamb hotpot from their northwestern neighbors. Dumplings 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 washed down with Harbin Beer or even some chilled vodka is a great way to fill up and keep warm. For beer enthusiasts, there's a gigantic circular bread baked with a crispy crust. It uses beer yeast, which gives it a slight beer flavor. The number of lanterns outside restaurants indicates quality – the more the better. Blue lanterns indicate Muslim food.

Harbin Restaurants:

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 (烤奶汁桂鱼).
Address: 112 Zhongyang Dajie

Lao Duyichu
Established in 1929, specializes in dumplings, has over 26 kinds of fillings on offer.
Address: 25 Xi Shisandao Jie, Daoli District

Xiangcun Dayuan
Specializes in northern farm style dishes such as a fish-head dish called jinguo yutou (金锅鱼头) and spareribs called fengshou paigu(丰收排骨).
Address: 13 Dashun Jie, Nangang District