Melbourne Chinese BBQ restaurant Wang Wang BBQ showcases Qiqihar cuisine in Malvern

There are a lot of differences between running a dog grooming shop and a Chinese barbecue restaurant, but former dog barber James Wang has done well in making the transition from clipping, trimming and patting to chopping, tossing and pouring.

Wang Wang BBQ, a partnership between Mr. Wang and chef Rex Wang (no relation), opened in December and focuses on cuisine from the Qiqihar region, where both were born. Qiqihar is a large city in Heilongjiang, a northeastern province in China bordering Inner Mongolia and Russia, and close to North Korea.

Charcoal grilling has been a common way for local family gatherings and meals for centuries, but now it is becoming increasingly popular in restaurants there and elsewhere.

Last year, the city’s commerce bureau said there were 21,000 Qiqihar barbecue restaurants across China. I only know of a few in Melbourne, but with Korean barbecue so popular as a convivial dining option, now seems like a good time to introduce some different flavours to the general public.

Wang Wang is a sophisticated restaurant housed in a handsome Victorian corner building, with exposed brick walls and terrazzo floors softened by the warm glow of box lanterns and a domed tabletop grill.

Exhaust vents hang from the ceiling like hungry snakes: they’re great at gobbling up stray fumes, so you come home to a pleasant experience, not fumes.

The menu recommends the wagyu set (starting at $119 for two). If you want meat, the wagyu set is fine, but I think it’s better to order it a la carte so you can balance the grill with other dishes.

But barbecue is your thing. The meat of choice is the “Qiqihar Traditional Barbecue” ($28), a bowl of Angus beef rolls, fairly lean, thinly sliced ​​and briefly stir-fried in oil, chilies, onions and herbs. Like all barbecue here, it’s served raw: You grill it yourself in a minute or two, then dip it in a variety of condiments.

The soy sauce, chili and garlic dipping sauce is Rex Wang’s family recipe. There are also three sesame seasonings: sesame oil, sweet and sour sesame paste and toasted seeds, crushed peanuts and cumin, and other secret ingredients suggested by James Wang’s mother, Xiaomei.

Other cuts of beef include juicy wagyu rib-on-rib chunks (between the ribs, $29), fibrous thick-cut tongue ($29) and melt-in-your-mouth fatty strands of karubi ($28), a Japanese-style rib cut that cooks in seconds.

I was fascinated by the pork belly ($26), which was carefully selected with neat layers of fat, cut thick and hung on small hooks that looked like a pig’s clothesline. It was seared on one side, then turned over and fried until slightly crispy, then cut into small pieces with the provided scissors.

Wang Wang doesn’t pretend to be traditional. Offal is a big part of the Qiqihar menu, but the Malvern restaurant doesn’t serve hearts, lungs or intestines, which is perhaps wise.

There are also dishes from other parts of northern China, just because they are popular. The mouth-watering chicken ($16.80) is a cold dish made of juicy boneless chicken thighs marinated in spicy Sichuan peppercorns.

The chicken gizzard appetizer ($12.80) is a true offal dish: the slices are chewy (as they should be) and served with a flavorful carrot salad.

Korean BBQ is a popular convivial dining option and now seemed like a good time to introduce something a little different to Melbourne.

Not-to-miss Qiqihar-Melbourne fusion dishes include bam fan ($16.80), a medium-grain rice dish mixed with garlic oil, wagyu cubes and diced ham, topped with a half-fried egg that has a creamy yolk. It’s a delicious dish, similar to Korean bibimbap, but also shows an emphasis on rice that reflects Rex Wang’s training as a sushi chef.

Gada soup ($16.80) is Qiqihar’s hangover cure, but I’ll eat it for lunch, dinner, and in my dreams. (Here, the smartest way to eat it is after a barbecue.) It has a base of tomato, egg, and chicken broth, finished with little dough balls: You’ll feel as close to Russia as you can get in this sturdy, comforting, shareable bowl of soup.

Winters in Qiqihar are so cold that people tend to store food (including fruit) outside to preserve it. Pears go bad when frozen, so thaw them slightly and then freeze them again so that it becomes almost like sorbet: a refreshing end to a meal, especially if you’ve had too much fatty wagyu beef.

This was the Wang family’s first restaurant and you could sense some inexperience in the service. However, the concept was strong, the excitement among the patrons was palpable and the food was excellent. Melbourne may have more furry dogs with one less shearer, but the dog world’s loss is definitely the Wang family’s gain.

This review was originally published on have a good weekend Magazine