People have been gathering to eat barbecue for centuries in Qiqihar, a large city in northeastern China. But it’s only recently become popular in restaurants, there and elsewhere.

In an attractive Victorian corner building, warmth emanates from Wang Wang’s domed tabletop barbecues. Exhaust vents hang from above like hungry snakes, slurping up stray wisps so you leave infused with the fun of grilling rather than the smoke that’s key to it.

All the meat arrives raw: juicy wagyu chunks, thick-cut tongue, pork belly, or Angus beef sliced thin and tumbled in chilli and herbs. Grill it yourself before dipping in a sauce of soy, chilli and garlic that’s a family recipe.

The one-page wine list jumps from white to red and back again but there’s decent drinking on it, and cocktails have on-theme flavours such as jasmine and lychee.

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