Restaurants in Manzhouli

The local specialty is shuan yangrou, a form of mutton hot pot that uses plain boiling water instead of broth. The best is found at Mengxiangyuan Huoguo (tel. 0470/622-0989; 10am-5am; meal for two ¥30-¥50), an unassuming restaurant on Wu Daojie. They're famous for their fresh lamb but do offer a vegetarian option (qingshui guodi).

The city's busiest Russian restaurants are Xinmanyuan Xicanting, San Daojie 38 (tel. 0470/622-2008; 7am-1am; meal for two ¥30-¥50), and Beijiaerhu Xicanting, Zhongsu Jie 23 (tel. 0470/623-4689; 7am until late; meal for two ¥40-¥70), a strange and raucous eatery-cum-nightclub located behind the International Hotel (look for the white-and-green awning). Best are the bowls of hearty suba tang (beef, potato, and carrot in tomato broth).

There is a KFC at Beifang Shichang, on Wu Daojie.

For a lunch or dinner in the middle of the grasslands, head to Dongfang Han holiday restaurant. Located 20 minutes south of downtown, a taxi ride will cost ¥40. You can order a whole lamb and eat in a yurt, a traditional Mongolian felt tent. Other activities include horseback riding and Mongolian dancing.