STORY: Pakistani restaurant gains popularity in China's Harbin
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 24, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 2, 2023
LENGTH: 00:00:54
LOCATION: HARBIN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the restaurant
2. various of Muhammad Usama
3. SOUNDBITE (English): MUHAMMAD USAMA, Manager of the restaurant
4. various of the restaurant and customers

STORYLINE:

In an inconspicuous street in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, there is a Pakistani restaurant that stands out from the surrounding eateries.

Upon entering the restaurant, customers can see the rich Pakistani-themed decorations. Although the space is not large, it gives a warm and tidy feeling.

"This is the only Pakistani restaurant in Harbin." Muhammad Usama, the manager of the restaurant, spoke fluent Chinese as he introduced dishes to Chinese guests. "You can try the chicken curry and traditional milk tea."

The restaurant was opened in 2019 by Muhammad Atif who just graduated with a doctorate degree in China at that time.

"In 2013, I came to Harbin from Pakistan to study for my doctorate. After graduation, I decided to stay in China. At that time, there was no Pakistani restaurant in Harbin, so I decided to open one to let Chinese friends taste authentic Pakistani flavors," said Atif.

For this purpose, Atif hired chefs and a manager from Pakistan, including Usama, who was working as a chef at a five-star hotel in Pakistan at the time.

"We want the dishes to have an authentic Pakistani taste, so the chefs are Pakistanis, and most of the ingredients are imported from Pakistan," Usama said.

SOUNDBITE (English): MUHAMMAD USAMA, Manager of the restaurant
"Our special spices. These are from Pakistan all the way. We imported (these) from Pakistan, especially for this restaurant, for special cuisines."

Currently, the restaurant has two Chinese waitstaff and four Pakistani employees working in the kitchen. Due to its authentic taste, the majority of the restaurant's customers are Chinese, including many foreign students.

Since 2019, although the restaurant has faced difficult times, Atif and his colleagues have chosen to persevere.

"For the past few years, I have hardly returned to my hometown. I have been in Harbin all this time. Although there are sometimes very few customers in the restaurant, we never give up," Usama said.

From being unknown at the beginning, this Pakistani restaurant often sees a long queue of eager customers on weekends. Atif and Usama also share dishes and customer feedback on short video platforms to attract more attention.

"Some customers come all the way from Daqing, Qiqihar, and other cities to Harbin just to taste Pakistani cuisine," Usama said.

In Atif's view, cuisine is also a medium for communication between China and Pakistan. "I hope to let people from both countries learn more about each other through food," Atif said.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Harbin, China.
(XHTV)