Lao Chu Jia
A dish called Guo Bao Rou has been made for nearly a century. Guo Bao Rou is very famous in Harbin, and it was born in this ice city a hundred years ago. The owner of Lao Chu Jia is Zheng Shuguo, and this dish was invented by his great-grandfather Zheng Xingwen. Zheng Shuguo told reporters that his family has been in the culinary business for four generations. His great-grandfather Zheng Xingwen was the head chef of the Binjiang Customs Office (Harbin Daotai Mansion) during the Guangxu period. At that time, the office often hosted foreign guests, and Zheng Xingwen learned that foreign guests liked sweet and sour flavors. He improved the taste based on fried meat slices and replaced ingredients like green onions and ginger with fruits. He named the dish Guo Bao Rou based on its cooking method. Due to the foreigners' mispronunciation, it became known as 'Guo Bao Rou' over time. The traditional craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, the two branches of Lao Chu Jia always have long queues of people waiting to eat Guo Bao Rou.
Chunbing Snack
Food lovers in Harbin love to go to Daowai to hunt for delicacies. If you ask which restaurant serves the best Guobaorou (sweet and sour pork), many restaurants might share the honor. But if you ask which place serves the most unique Guobaorou, food lovers will unanimously agree: Chunbing Snack on Qiantang Street. Why unique? Because whether the restaurant is full and there's a queue, or there's only one table dining, the restaurant will calmly prepare each dish one by one and serve them in the order they were ordered. Therefore, the Guobaorou made here is completely different from the taste of dishes made in bulk; the outer layer is crispier and the coating is more even. It's worth noting that the name of this small restaurant is also quite unique: although it is called Chunbing Snack, it no longer sells Chunbing (spring pancakes).
Lao Ren Yi
Lao Ren Yi Restaurant is almost a household name. Located in Harbin, it is a century-old establishment founded in 1912. Here, you can taste the sweet and sour beef buns. Initially, Ren Yi Restaurant did not have the dish Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork). In the 1990s, almost every restaurant in Harbin offered Guo Bao Rou. Therefore, the chefs at Lao Ren Yi followed the traditional method, slicing the beef thinly, seasoning it with sweet and sour sauce, and pairing it with cilantro, shredded green onions, ginger, and carrots, creating a delicious dish called Guo Bao Beef. Although Lao Ren Yi's Guo Bao Beef has only been around for over 20 years, it has captured the taste buds of many diners and has become one of the must-try delicacies here.
Flavor Baozi King
On Fujin Street in Daowai District, there is a small snack shop called 'Xiang Bao Wang'. Despite its small size with only five tables, the food inside is quite unique. This snack shop offers only two types of baozi, both made with fried mushrooms, and another dish which is the shop's specialty, Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork). Every day, many people come to eat at this small shop. Not only do they have to share tables, but they also have to wait in line. Guo Bao Rou is a must-order dish on the table. Although the appearance of Guo Bao Rou is ordinary, its taste is extraordinary, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If you plan to dine there, you should go early, as the shop closes after 12 PM. To ensure the quality of ingredients, the shop limits its daily purchases and sales.
Qizai Guobao Chicken Fillet
Just walk to the Shida Night Market, and you can smell a sweet and sour aroma from afar. Following the scent, you will soon find a stall called Qizai Guobao Chicken Fillet. This stall has a queue no matter what time of night it is. Why are there so many people? The reason is simple: the taste is good, and the price is affordable, only 10 yuan per serving. The owner of the small shop is Zhao Yong, who started selling fried chicken fillets at the Shida Night Market in 2005. Due to the fierce market competition here, Zhao Yong began to think about improving the taste of fried chicken fillets to attract customers. Zhao Yong was inspired by Guobao Pork: 'Since people in Harbin like to eat Guobao Pork, chicken fillets with the flavor of Guobao Pork should be very popular.' Soon, Zhao Yong's Guobao Chicken quickly rose to prominence, almost 'defeating' all his peers in three years, becoming a golden signboard at the Shida Night Market. At that time, Zhao Yong's stall had no name, and various goods could only be found by following the sweet and sour aroma in the air. After a while, because he placed 'Qizai' dolls sold by his friends in front of his stall, a batch of customers came, and the stall was full of 'Qizai Chicken Fillet.'
