A hungry traveler visits Northeast China in winter and orders Dongbei dumplings and braised bone soup at a local restaurant, discovering the region’s famously warming food.
东北饭馆的一顿饭
我是一个爱旅游的人，去年冬天，我一个人去了中国的东北。那里的天气特别冷，可是我很想去看看，也想尝尝那里有名的东北菜。到了饭馆，我又饿又冷，坐下以后马上就想点菜吃饭。
服务员走过来问我，你们这有什么好吃的？他笑着说，来点东北饺子吧，我们这儿的饺子特别有名。我说好，那就来一份饺子。我又问，有没有大骨棒？他说有，也挺好吃的，很多人都喜欢点这个菜。
我想了想，觉得饺子和大骨棒已经够吃了，我一个人吃不了太多。所以我跟服务员说，就这些吧，我一个人够了，不用再点别的菜了。服务员点点头，说好的，马上就给你上菜。
过了一会儿，服务员又问我，要不要点一点白酒？在东北，很多人吃饭的时候都喜欢喝一点白酒，特别是天气冷的时候。可是我不能喝酒，所以我说不行，我不能喝，谢谢你。服务员说没问题，那我给你拿一杯热水吧。
吃饭的时候，我觉得东北饺子真的很好吃，大骨棒也做得特别好，肉又香又软。吃完以后，我觉得又暖和又满足。我想，虽然东北的天气很冷，可是东北的菜让人觉得特别温暖。以后有机会，我还想再来这里，尝尝更多好吃的东北菜。
Dōngběi Fànguǎn de Yí Dùn Fàn
Wǒ shì yí ge ài lǚyóu de rén, qùnián dōngtiān, wǒ yí ge rén qù le Zhōngguó de Dōngběi. Nàli de tiānqì tèbié lěng, kěshì wǒ hěn xiǎng qù kànkan, yě xiǎng chángchang nàli yǒumíng de Dōngběi cài. Dào le fànguǎn, wǒ yòu è yòu lěng, zuò xià yǐhòu mǎshàng jiù xiǎng diǎn cài chī fàn.
Fúwùyuán zǒu guòlái wèn wǒ, nǐmen zhè yǒu shénme hǎochī de? Tā xiào zhe shuō, lái diǎn Dōngběi jiǎozi ba, wǒmen zhèr de jiǎozi tèbié yǒumíng. Wǒ shuō hǎo, nà jiù lái yí fèn jiǎozi. Wǒ yòu wèn, yǒu méiyǒu dà gǔbàng? Tā shuō yǒu, yě tǐng hǎochī de, hěn duō rén dōu xǐhuan diǎn zhège cài.
Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, juéde jiǎozi hé dà gǔbàng yǐjīng gòu chī le, wǒ yí ge rén chī bù liǎo tài duō. Suǒyǐ wǒ gēn fúwùyuán shuō, jiù zhèxiē ba, wǒ yí ge rén gòu le, búyòng zài diǎn bié de cài le. Fúwùyuán diǎndiǎn tóu, shuō hǎo de, mǎshàng jiù gěi nǐ shàng cài.
Guò le yíhuìr, fúwùyuán yòu wèn wǒ, yào bu yào diǎn yìdiǎn báijiǔ? Zài Dōngběi, hěn duō rén chī fàn de shíhou dōu xǐhuan hē yìdiǎn báijiǔ, tèbié shì tiānqì lěng de shíhou. Kěshì wǒ bù néng hē jiǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ shuō bù xíng, wǒ bù néng hē, xièxie nǐ. Fúwùyuán shuō méi wèntí, nà wǒ gěi nǐ ná yì bēi rè shuǐ ba.
Chī fàn de shíhou, wǒ juéde Dōngběi jiǎozi zhēnde hěn hǎochī, dà gǔbàng yě zuò de tèbié hǎo, ròu yòu xiāng yòu ruǎn. Chī wán yǐhòu, wǒ juéde yòu nuǎnhuo yòu mǎnzú. Wǒ xiǎng, suīrán Dōngběi de tiānqì hěn lěng, kěshì Dōngběi de cài ràng rén juéde tèbié wēnnuǎn. Yǐhòu yǒu jīhuì, wǒ hái xiǎng zài lái zhèlǐ, chángchang gèng duō hǎochī de Dōngběi cài.
A Meal at a Dongbei Restaurant
I’m someone who loves to travel. Last winter, I went to Northeast China (Dongbei) by myself. The weather there was especially cold, but I really wanted to go see it, and I also wanted to try the famous Dongbei dishes there. When I got to the restaurant, I was both hungry and cold, and as soon as I sat down I wanted to order food right away.
The waiter came over and asked me, what’s good to eat here? He smiled and said, how about some Northeastern dumplings, our dumplings here are especially famous. I said okay, then bring me a portion of dumplings. I also asked, do you have big bone sticks? He said yes, and it’s quite tasty too, a lot of people like to order this dish.
I thought about it and felt that the dumplings and the bone sticks were already enough to eat, since I alone couldn’t eat too much. So I told the waiter, that’s it then, that’s enough for me alone, no need to order anything else. The waiter nodded and said okay, I’ll bring the food out right away.
After a while, the waiter asked me again, would you like to order some baijiu? In Dongbei, a lot of people like to drink a little baijiu with their meal, especially when the weather is cold. But I can’t drink alcohol, so I said no, I can’t drink, thank you. The waiter said no problem, then I’ll bring you a cup of hot water instead.
While eating, I felt that the Northeastern dumplings were really delicious, and the bone sticks were also made especially well, the meat was both fragrant and tender. After finishing the meal, I felt both warm and satisfied. I thought, even though the weather in Dongbei is very cold, the food there makes people feel especially warm. If I have the chance in the future, I’d like to come back here again and try even more delicious Dongbei dishes.
音频
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| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 点菜 | diǎn cài | to order dishes |
| 好吃 | hǎochī | tasty |
| 东北饺子 | Dōngběi jiǎozi | Northeastern dumplings |
| 够 | gòu | enough |
| 白酒 | báijiǔ | Chinese grain alcohol |
| 不行 | bù xíng | not okay / no |
| 不能 | bù néng | to be unable |
| 喝 | hē | to drink |
又…又… (yòu…yòu…) — both…and…
This pattern combines two adjectives or states to describe something as having both qualities at once.
我又饿又冷。
够 (gòu) — enough
够 expresses sufficiency, often placed after a quantity or alone as a response meaning “that’s enough.”
我一个人够了。
不能 vs 不行 (bù néng vs bù xíng) — cannot / not okay
不能 expresses inability to do something (often due to a rule or physical limit), while 不行 is a general refusal or “that won’t work.”
我不能喝酒。
No idiomatic expressions in this story.
Dongbei (Northeastern) Cuisine
东北菜 (Dōngběi cài) refers to the hearty cuisine of Northeast China, known for large portions, dumplings (饺子), braised meats, and stewed dishes designed to warm people through the region’s cold winters. 白酒 (báijiǔ), a strong grain alcohol, is a common accompaniment to meals in this region, especially in colder months.
