Tuning into surf and turf

BBQueen's founder, Wang Duolun, is an accomplished musician. Since a young age he studied saxophone under the guidance of Liu Yuan, one of China's most significant jazz musicians and a founding member of legendary rocker Cui Jian's backing band Ado.

The former teacher-student duo founded the East Shore Live Jazz Cafe together in 2006, a famous jazz bar located near Beijing's Houhai Lake. But now, Wang is putting his knowledge of music and food to good use with the opening of BBQueen.

"I was quite young when I helped to found East Shore. But now with my passion for both blues and food, I wanted to open my own restaurant to combine them both," says the 30-year-old.

BBQueen is turning into a new gathering spot for Beijing-based musicians, just like East Shore, where the eatery is becoming the venue for a cluster of live bands. Sometimes musicians will even improvise a song or two when in high spirits, and if you get real lucky, you might even encounter Cui Jian, Liu Yuan and other legendary musicians like the Hanggai Band in the audience.