A testament to citizens living in China's northernmost province Heilongjiang's capital city Harbin, the Madieer Hotel is a time-honored brand boasting a long history and rich culture. It was established by a Russian Jew named Joseph Kaisp, and is reputed to be the largest and most luxurious hotel in East Asia, likened as Asia's "Versailles Palace."

In the early 20th century, alongside the completion of the Chinese Eastern Railway, immigrants from Russia, France, Italy and other European nations traveled from faraway countries and converged around Harbin's Zhongyang (Central) Avenue. The Madieer Hotel thus built its European-style restaurant, offering traditional Russian dishes, as well as English and French delicacies, cooked from authentic ingredients with exotic flavors. Cafés and bars were also added as services.

Madieer has strict criteria in terms of European-style cooking techniques and table-setting services. Only if a dish strictly followed its exacting standards was it served at their tables. The cold dishes in summer had to be always kept ice-cold; while the hot dishes in winter had to be served hot from the fire. All waiters and waitresses had to place white towels underneath plates. Records recall that a large number of dignitaries appreciated its culinary arts and delicious foods, from the last Emperor of China, Pu Yi, and the "Mother of Modern China" Madame Soong Ching Ling to U.S. journalist Edgar Snow, from Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang to the great literary figure Guo Moruo, as well as master artist Xu Beihong.

Nowadays, Madieer boasts both European and Chinese style restaurants, the latter being famous for Shandong cuisine - a major branch of the traditional eight Chinese culinary schools. Prestigious chef Qu Tongxiang once recorded over 420 dishes in his "Chinese Cookbook," among which the Fish Casserole was the most famous.

Liu Ruiqiang is the 25th general manager of Madieer Restaurant. As soon as he took the post, he invited 80-year-old chef Zhang Lezhu, who once worked at the Madieer in 1952, together with his two generations of apprentices, to again present the long-lost original 40 Russian dishes to clientele.

Elderly Zhang now takes a one-hour bus ride to Madieer each day to preside over the culinary process. The Borscht, or Russian Pottage Soup, has preserved a centenary of historic cuisine, different from all the other European-style restaurants in Harbin, with a more sophisticated process and richer fragrance.

In early 2016, Madieer's Craft Beer House was opened to the public on the first floor of its hotel. Winemakers and top chefs are invited from Europe to offer a bounty of experience in vintage production and culinary skills. The setting of the bar catches the eye: the fresh red cloakroom and dark green leather seats midst wooden pillars, raw brick and stone. While savoring fashionable craft beer in various flavors, one is sure to indulge in a perfect blend of the culture of both a modern and historic Madieer.

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