371: Northeast Trip

The windows were covered with red paper cutouts of the character "Fu." The atmosphere was thick with tradition.

Waiters scurried about wearing traditional Northeastern large floral cotton jackets. The lobby was also very lively, as it turned out Errenzhuan performers were putting on a show.

The private room was also very distinctive; on one side was a kang, and in front of it was a wood-burning stove on an iron frame. Corn, peppers, and other items hung from the windowsills and doorframes.

Along both sides of the stove were wooden kang boxes used for seating. A bundle of firewood lay beneath the stove, presumably used for cooking the dishes.

Yang Limin and Zheng Jin were invited by Zhang Li and the others to sit on the kang.

Soon, a young waitress in a large floral jacket came over with a menu.

Zhang Li knew a bit about Yang Qi's appetite, so she ordered the largest portion of the stewed goose. She let the Southerners order the rest of the dishes.

Yang Qi and the others didn't stand on ceremony and ordered several well-known Northeastern dishes: Chicken Stew with Mushrooms, Guobaorou, fried potato, eggplant, and bell pepper stir-fry, northeast dish, Pork Stew with Vermicelli, White Pork with Blood Sausage, and Fried Pork Segments.

Among them, Chicken Stew with Mushrooms is the highest level of hospitality in the Northeast, as reflected in the saying, "When the son-in-law comes through the door, the chicken loses its soul."

It uses free-range Native Chicken slow-stewed with wild hazel mushrooms from Changbai Mountain. The chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone, the mushrooms are aromatic and rich, the broth is thick, and the vermicelli soaks up all the flavor, making it a perfect nourishing dish for winter.

Guobaorou is the "diplomatic calling card" of Northeastern cuisine. It originated in Harbin during the late Qing Dynasty, created by chef Zheng Xingwen to cater to Russian tastes; its original name was "Guobaorou."

It uses sliced pork tenderloin coated in starch batter and fried until golden and crispy, then drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce. It's crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly balanced in flavor.

fried potato, eggplant, and bell pepper stir-fry, northeast dish is known as the "rice-killer" of vegetarian dishes. It's made by frying and then sautéing three common ingredients: potatoes, eggplants, and green peppers. Its crispy-yet-tender texture and rich aroma reflect the culinary wisdom of Northeasterners in turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

"Bosses, you must be from the South! I can tell you don't know our Northeastern cuisine. You've ordered too much; you won't be able to finish all this."

The waitress in the floral jacket said with a smile.

"Our Northeastern dishes come in very large portions. It's not like Southern food. If you can't finish it, it'll be a waste—both of money and food."

"Miss, there are eight of us! We only ordered seven dishes, how could that be enough? I was even thinking of ordering a few more. Why are you turning away business?"

Yang Qi asked curiously.

"What do you mean, seven dishes? The Iron Pot Stewed Goose alone comes with six or seven vegetable sides. It's a set meal that includes vegetables."

The waitress explained with a smile; it seemed she often encountered Southern guests who didn't understand the portion sizes in the Northeast.

"I see! In that case, let's remove the Pork Stew with Vermicelli for now. If it's not enough, we'll add more later."

After what she said, Yang Qi wasn't so sure anymore. As the hosts, Zhang Li and her group couldn't very well stop a guest from ordering, so they didn't say much—what if Yang Qi's appetite really was that big?

"What would you bosses like to drink?"

"How about we just have a little beer since it's midday?"

Yang Qi suggested.

"Sounds good to me, let's have beer! Since we're in Harbin, we have to drink Harbin Beer!"

Yang Limin also nodded.

"Then, Miss, please bring us a dozen Harbin Beers. Since it's so cold, we'll take them at room temperature!"

Yang Qi said to the waitress.

"Really? In this cold weather, are you sure you want room-temperature beer?"

The waitress asked with a smile.

"I'm sure. It's so cold, who could stomach chilled beer?"

Yang Qi said with absolute certainty.

"Tell you what, waitress—bring him a dozen at room temperature, and bring us two dozen chilled ones. Hehehe."

Zhang Li said with a grin.

Before long, two male waiters wearing red tunics and Landlord Hats entered. One carried a large basin of meat, while the other pushed a service cart.

One of them squatted down, took some firewood, and used a blowtorch to start the fire.

The other began putting pork belly into the large iron pot while arranging six or seven plates of vegetables from the cart onto the table.

Once the pork belly was fragrant from the high heat, he added various spices to the oil, then poured in half a basin of goose meat to stir-fry.

Then he added potatoes, tofu, bean curd skin, Chinese cabbage, and so on.

He added seasonings and water, slapped a ring of corn cakes around the edge of the pot, and finally covered it. It was all done in one smooth motion.

"It'll be ready in thirty minutes. Enjoy your meal, bosses!"

"This is the complete Iron Pot Stewed Goose dish."

Zhang Li explained.

"Isn't this just a hotpot medley? How is this just one dish? The stuff in this pot alone would be enough for four or five normal people."

Zheng Jin chuckled, covering her mouth. She thought to herself, Thankfully, my son and daughter-in-law are such big eaters, so we won't end up wasting food.

"Giggle, I also thought Iron Pot Stewed Goose was just a single stewed dish."

Bai Xue also started laughing.

While waiting for the food, there were sunflower seeds, several cold dishes, small pickles, and more.

"Bosses, your drinks are here!"

With a shout from the waiter in the Landlord Hat, three dozen beers were placed on the table.

"This... why did you bring these up? They're frozen solid! We can't drink this! Did you bring the wrong ones?"

Yang Qi pointed at one of the dozens, which was already frozen into ice.

"That's right, this is the beer you asked for!"

The waiter looked at the order slip and said in surprise.

"I asked for room temperature, but this is frozen."

Yang Qi looked at the waiter with an "I may be uneducated, but don't try to fool me" expression.

"This is room temperature!"

The waiter looked completely innocent.

"Hahaha, Xiao Qi, look where you are! This is the Great Northeast! It's minus thirty-five degrees outside; of course the beer freezes if it's left out there!"

Zhang Li, having enjoyed the spectacle enough, finally laughed and explained.

"The beer we drink in the winter here is kept in the fridge. It's much colder outside than it is in the fridge! Hahaha."

"So you're saying in the Northeast winter, if you want beer, you have to drink it chilled! Hahaha, why didn't I think of that?"

Yang Qi suddenly realized he had made a common-sense error. He laughed so hard he almost cried.

"Sorry, please help me swap this for a dozen chilled beers."

The regional difference between the North and South was just too great; Yang Qi couldn't wrap his head around it for a moment.

Just like Bai Xue, a true Southerner; she was in her twenties and had never worn a down jacket until she specifically bought one for this trip to the Northeast.

Soon, the stir-fried dishes they ordered were served one after another.

"Mom, Dad, Hubby, this Guobaorou is delicious—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and sweet and sour. I've heard of this dish for a long time, and it definitely lives up to its reputation! But isn't the portion size a bit much?"

Bai Xue couldn't wait to pick up a piece of Guobaorou and taste it.

"I think this fried potato, eggplant, and bell pepper stir-fry, northeast dish is also great. It must have been fried to be this crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with such a rich aroma. I should learn how to make these dishes and cook them for your mother when we get home."

Mother Yang, Zheng Jin, took a bite of the fried potato, eggplant, and bell pepper stir-fry, northeast dish and nodded repeatedly.