Russian cuisine, Haerbin, China

As Haerbin's relatively close to Russia, it's no surprise that Haerbin has a heavy Russian influence. It's relatively easy to locate a russian restaurant in the city centre and we went to a couple during our stay in Haerbin..

The first was Hua Mei western restaurant, an extremely popular place for locals and tourists alike- patrons were willing to queue even though the weather was freezing. Obviously we had to see what the fuss was about right?

Started off with some soup and russian caviar..

They called this red caviar which was actually salmon roe..served with butter cups and diced onions. The combo was artery clogging material and it tasted oily and fishy. I didnt like it. Alfred said it tasted like a huge, oily spoon of cod liver oil. I figured the people here liked greasy, fatty stuff to keep their bodies warm in winter.

Ordered a mixture of stuff to share..

The russian ham was a tad salty but tasted like any other ham. The meatballs were oozing with juice and was meltingly tender. Pretty good. The brocolli was bad as they scattered some deep fried crumbs which made the dish freakingly oily. The waitress recommended the pan fried mahi fish- again came out oily. The flesh of the fish was fragrant, slightly salty but coarse. Was a decent dish.

Since it's winter during my visit to Haerbin, I thought hotpots sounded scrumptious..

We ordered the lamb and beef hot pot. Looks the same? :p Left's the lamb and right's the beef. Both were lovely- ultra soft, moist meat served piping hot and warmed our tummies immediately. If I had to choose, I'd go for the lamb with those strong, tasty, gamey flavours.

Our greed got into us when we saw next table having a baked dish..we decided to order it too :p

It was baked cod fish in potato and cream sauce. Yes, by now, we've come to realise that most of the food was fatty, oily or sinful..hehe. I could only take 3 spoonfuls of this- the cod was coarse, dry- i believe it's the treated salted cod fish (bacalhau). The sauce was very creamy, cheesy and having it with thick, mash potatoes was just, well, too much for me to stomach.

We took a break from russian food for a few days and finally ate at Madieer restaurant before we left Haerbin..

Madieer serves Russian, French and Chinese cuisine and was a poshier place compared to Hua Mei. The price surprisingly, was just slightly higher compared to Hua Mei's.

Madieer has a richer history, as it's also a hotel which has been in operation for almost a century. During it's heydays, Madieer's patrons includes Sun Yat Sen and Pu Yi (China's last emperor).

Since Madieer boasts that it serves 'modern' coffee, we decided to try some..

Alfred had the expresso, I had the hazel coffee and Irene had this coffee liquer drink that came in burning blueish flame. The coffee was pretty decent, but not fantastic. We felt rather like a tzar royalty having our drinks served in the eleborate cup and saucer though..hehe

Started off with some salad..

The asparagus salad was fresh, the vegetables retained the crisp and its sweetness. The dressing had this yellow tinge after we tossed it.. I had a strange feeling that it was tumeric..

I cant recalled the name of this dish, but it was beef stew with onions, potatoes and peas..

A comfort food, the beef slices was ultra tender and smooth, while the thick onion ring cuts gave sweetness to the thickish tomato broth.

The grilled chicken hot place came in a miserly size..

The chicken was rather dry, the garlic bits scattered all over the chicken was yummy though.

Alfred had a sudden craving for fried rice and well, he got what he wished for..

Most unfortunately, it didnt taste that good as it had a weird combo of ingredients in it..but he gobbled it down nonetheless..

My fave dish?

Shrimps in hotpot. Very delicious, fat prawns served piping hot in tomato based sauce. Excellent dish.

Hua Mei western restaurant is located at 112, Zhong Yang Street, Daoli District, Haerbin, China.

Madieer Modern coffee and restaurant is located at 89, Zhong Yang Street, Daoli District, Haerbin, China.

Heavenly Haerbin, China

When I saw Alfred's pictures of Haerbin last year, I was mesmerised. The snow and ice sculptures were breathtaking, and it certainly looks fun. I asked him loads of questions, as his trip pique my interest on Haerbin :)

And a year later, I managed to make a trip to Haerbin- which was a truly unforgettable experience.

My main visit was obviously for Haerbin's famed annual Ice and Snow Festival and we went early this year. The first question when I returned from this trip was the same.. Was it really as cold as it looks?

Yes, it was- but it's still bearable if you walk really, really fast :p

First day in Haerbin was a whirlwind- we flew in from Shanghai- met our local driver and rushed off for some shopping (to buy snow boots), checking in into our hotel, dinner and then to the Ice Festival.

It was a long queue driving into the Ice Festival as everyone was there in the evening to enjoy the scenery at night..

Entrance fee was RM100, and the moment I entered, I was amazed at the sheer size of the Ice World..

I simply cannot imagine the number of months the local master carvers took to construct the Ice World...

Their skills were incredible.

The theme was famous monuments/ landmarks around the world, all lighted bright with neon lights within the ice cubes. We only lasted about 2 hours in there, the cold was unbearable as the temperature dips further later at night.

We went for the Snow World the next day, just before sunset. Entrance fee was RM75.

Complex snow carvings were featured here, we were impressed with their immaculate, detailed carvings- obviously plenty of care and attention was placed into each piece.

When night falls, the carvings were illuminated with coloured lights, giving each artwork a different look compared to day time..

The coverage area was even larger than the Ice World, I dont think I manage to see all of the carvings :(. It was just freezing cold by night. I was ready to surrender when we reached the largest of the display..So grand, but my camera decided to give up on me when we reached. This was the only shot I got before my camera kaputed..

Haerbin town exuded a totally different atmosphere compared to other China towns..

Their architecture skewed towards European, especially Russia. In winter, the age old buildings looks very elegant, walking around town was a pleasure.

A Russian Church now converted into a museum

Haerbin Railway Station

We had quite a lot of coffee stops in town- a place to seek warmth before we continued strolling to our next destination..

One famous extreme activity for the locals (and the daring tourists) during winter was to swim in the Songhua river..What gave them the guts to do that beats me (it was -28 degrees and snowing when I was taking this shot), but I sure salute them! Brrrrr!

We took an overnight trip to Snow Village, a 5 hours drive from Haerbin to experience a short stay up in the snow mountains..

The trip up the mountains for the sunset took my breath away..

The pristine, soft snow that stretched for miles, the sunset's colours on the landscape and the calmness I felt was unforgettable.

Worth freezing my @$$ up there :p

The Snow Village town was very charming..

Lively during the day and tranquil at night. But the food was less comforting (especially for Alfred :p), that will be in another post altogether..

Although I've heard so much about the low hygiene level and rudeness of the locals, I actually didnt find it that bad and had a fantatstic time in Haerbin and Snow Village. It was good fun, with great company and amazing landscape for all of us to keep in our memories for a long, long time.