Rural Restaurant is one of four Dongbei restaurants in Flushing. Squeezed between North Korea and Russia in far northeastern China, Dongbei (pronounced "Dong-bay") was once known as Manchuria. The food shows Korean, Mongolian, and Russian influences; incorporates elements of Japanese, Beijing, and Tianjin cuisines; and adds Silk Road and Sichuan cooking to a complex and pleasing mix. At Rural, anyone accustomed to only eating Cantonese food will have a jaw-dropping experience. The premise is small, boxy, and well-lit. Tables of sometimes boisterous diners chattering in the Dalian dialect—which one linguist has likened to speaking Mandarin with rocks in your mouth—knock back beers and nurse bottles of rice-wine liquor as they dig into giant platters of meat, seafood, and... More >>>