Dong Bei Si Fang Cai
After so much looking for a good Chinese restaurant of northern cuisine, I finally discovered Dong Bei Si Fang Cai, located in Dergano and Maciachini area.
From the outside, the place looks anonymous, you will hardly notice it when passing in front of it. The same goes for the interior, which is simple and rustic. Yet trust me, this restaurant is a hidden gem!
Here you can try the home cooking of Dongbei, a region located in the north-east of China. It is a vast area characterized by extremely cold temperatures which in winter even reach -20 ° C. The gastronomic tradition of this area, often referred to as Manchuria, reflects Mongolian and Russian influences: a very large quantity of meat (especially beef, lamb and pork), vegetables and a little rice.
Thus, in this restaurant you will discover certainly new recipes, tasty, spicy but not too much - unlike the Hunan and Sichuan ones that season almost everything with pepper and chilli.
What is striking about this place is the incredible abundance of portions: I confess that I have never seen such large dishes! Better if you come in groups of friends, it will be almost impossible to finish everything.
The menu is quite vast, all photographed, and features many very special and inviting specialties. I got advice from the girl who manages the room, who offered me only traditional and authentic dishes.
The cold appetizer consisted of very long chewy noodles accompanied by mushrooms, cucumbers, shredded beef, carrots, omelette cut into strips, coriander and a sesame-based sauce: everything was mixed and eaten together, fresh and delicious.
Excellent boiled dumplings were then served, among the best of this type eaten in Milan: in northern China they are made with a slightly thick dough and a meat-based filling. Here they are served with soy sauce and vinegar with the option of adding a fresh chili paste. The main course consisted of very thin slices of pork, fried in a very crispy batter and garnished with sweet and sour sauce. As an accompaniment, slightly spicy green peppers with minced meat. To drink, the inevitable soy milk.
What can I say, if not that I was positively impressed by this cuisine? I was only sorry not to have tried one of the most characteristic dishes of the house (the pork bones with stewed meat, perfect for gnawing) but the whole was so abundant that it would have been impossible to order even that! The final price is just ridiculous. In short, this winter you know where to eat!
📍 Via Carlo Imbonati 56, Milan
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