Tuning into surf and turf

While Beijing has a long tradition of jazz restaurants and bars, it is still rare to see a blues counterpart. According to Wang, blues is supposed to be more casual and dynamic than jazz, which seems to be of the same strain as the American cuisine it serves, which is best known for its unruly and generous style.

"We now have seven groups of performers coming to do live shows every night, each bringing a different kind of the blues to the audience," says Wang.

At the same time, BBQueen also attaches a great deal of importance to healthy dining by combining American flavors with Chinese ingredients and cooking techniques.

Take its feature dish, golden crab meat hotpot, as an example. The soup base is made with the essence of fresh seafood ingredients such as lobster and crab shells, with no artificial additives.

While its marinated pork ribs may readily remind you of tough old Uncle Sam, there's no need to declare war on it with your knife and fork - the dish is totally deboned, making it easy to share.