Instead of the classic General Tso’s chicken and lo mein, Squirrel Hill’s Northeastern Kitchen stays true to the cuisine from the region where it gets its name. The menu is anything but typical. For those who aren’t familiar with traditional Chinese cuisine, the menu at Northeastern Kitchen can feel overwhelming. Chicken gizzards, cutlassfish and sliced kidney are sure to raise some eyebrows. In conjunction with Pitt’s Year of Global, two reporters from The Pitt News — Ben Spock and Levko Karmazyn — visited the restaurant and got a taste of dongbeicai (东北菜).

Northeastern Kitchen is easy to miss. The Chinese restaurant sits in a basement on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill with its narrow storefront nestled between a bank and a consignment store. Inside, it’s...