Literally a hole in the wall restaurant in an old neighborhood of Harbin. The entrepreneurs claim to have been making baozi for more than a hundred years, and I'd believe it! The baozi skin is thin, and the insides amazingly flavorful.

The baozi on the left have minced meat and veggies. The skin on these is a little thicker, and it really compliments the firm texture of the finely-ground meat and veggies inside.

These baozi are beef and red onion. The skin is just the slightest big chewy, so it doesn't fall apart in your mouth (or on your chopsticks). Inside, the beef hunks are about as big as the first joint of your thumb. Some chunks of meat still have bones, but they're big enough to find and spit easily. The chunks of red onion are roughly the same length as the meat. Together they're amazing--just a little wet and super-fragrant. Neither aroma is too strong, and the beef isn't at all gamy.

My favorite way to eat baozi is to dip it in a plate full of dark vinegar, a little bit of soy sauce, and a lot of hot pepper flakes.