Melbourne Chinese barbecue restaurant Wang Wang BBQ showcases the food of Qiqihar in Malvern

There are many differences between running a dog grooming business and a Chinese barbecue restaurant, but former canine groomer James Wang is fine with his transition from trim, clip and pet to chop, toss and pour.

Wang Wang BBQ, a collaboration with chef Rex Wang, no relation, opened in December to showcase food from the Qiqihar region, where both men were born. Qiqihar is a large city in Heilongjiang, the huge northeastern Chinese province bordering Inner Mongolia and Russia, near North Korea.

Charcoal barbecuing has been a common way to gather and eat in homes for centuries, but is now becoming increasingly popular in restaurants, there and elsewhere.

The city's commerce bureau said last year that there are 21,000 Qiqihar barbecue restaurants across China. I only know a couple in Melbourne, but with Korean BBQ being so popular as a nice dining option, it seems like a good time to introduce the general population to something a little different.

Wang Wang is an elegant restaurant located in an attractive Victorian corner building, with exposed brick walls and terrazzo floors softened by box lanterns and the warmth emanating from domed tabletop barbecues.

Exhaust vents hang from the ceiling like hungry snakes – doing a great job of soaking up stray steaks so you come home steeped in the delights of the experience rather than the smoke that's the key.

The menu directs diners toward sets of wagyu food (starting at $119 for two). They're fine if you want a meat feast, but I think it's better to order a la carte so you can balance your grill with other dishes.

But you will. The key meat dish is the “Traditional Qiqihar BBQ” ($28), a roll bowl of cubed Angus beef, a reasonably thin cut that's sliced ​​very thinly and briefly tossed in oil, chilli, onion and herbs. It's served raw like all the barbecue meat here: you cook it yourself in a minute or two, then dip it in various seasonings.

A chili garlic soy sauce is Rex Wang's family recipe. There's also a trio of sesame flavors: sesame oil, sweet and sour sesame paste and a crumble of roasted seeds, crushed peanuts and cumin, plus other secret ingredients suggested by Xiaomei, James Wang's mother.

Other cuts of beef include juicy chunks of wagyu intercostal (between the ribs, $29), stringy, thick tongue ($29) and melt-in-the-mouth fat-threaded karubi ($28), a Japanese-style rib that is cooked in seconds

I loved the pork belly ($26), carefully chosen for its neat layers of fat, thickly cut and hung on little hooks to look like a pork clothesline. Let it cook on one side, turn it over to crisp it up a bit, then cut it into sweet pieces with the scissors provided.

Wang Wang doesn't aim to be traditional. Offal is a big part of Qiqihar's menus, but there are no hearts, lungs or intestines on offer at Malvern, which is probably wise.

There are some dishes from other parts of northern China, added simply because they are favorites. The delicious chicken ($16.80) is a cold starter of juicy, boneless thigh marinated in sleepy Sichuan pepper.

A gizzard starter ($12.80) is about as cheeky as the stuff gets: the sliced ​​chicken organ is chewy (it's supposed to be) and served with a carrot salad.

With Korean BBQ popular as a nice dining option, it seems like a good time to introduce Melbourne to something a little different.

Must-see Qiqihar-meets-Melbourne dishes include bam fan ($16.80), medium-grain rice mixed with garlic oil, diced wagyu and diced ham, plus a semi-fried egg that brings a yolk creaminess. It's a beauty, similar to Korean bibimbap, but also showing a heavy focus on rice that reflects Rex Wang's training as a sushi chef.

Gada Soup ($16.80) is a hangover cure at Qiqihar, but I'd eat this for lunch, dinner and in my dreams. (The most sensible way to have it here is after the barbecue.) Made with tomato, egg, and a chicken stock base, it's finished with tiny dollops of batter—you feel close to Russia in this hearty, comforting soup. and shareable.

Qiqihar is very cold in winter and households tend to store food, including fruit, outdoors to preserve it. The pear is denatured by freezing, slightly thawing, and refreezing so that it becomes almost sorbet-like—it's a refreshing end to a meal, especially if you've had a fatty wagyu.

This is the Wangs' first restaurant and you can feel a bit of inexperience in the service. The concept is strong though, the excitement palpable and the food great. There may be more shaggy dogs in Melbourne with one less groomer on duty, but the canine world's loss is definitely Wang Wang's gain.

This review was originally published on Have a great weekend magazine