Soon to be grilling in the capital is Famous Dave’s, the Wisconsin-based barbecue restaurant founded in 1994 that currently has 200 branches across the US.

Known for its selection of grilled specialities, the restaurant is expected to open in 2016 at Abu Dhabi Mall.

Manning the kitchen is executive chef Charlie Torgerson, who recently visited Abu Dhabi to sample the city’s vibrant dining scene. We caught up with the barbecue veteran to find out what makes the perfect grilling experience…

When did your flame fetish begin?

Way back in 87; my first piece of real barbecue was in Boston, Massachusetts at a place called Red Bones. I fell in love with it and I’ve been smoking meat ever since.

What is it about barbecuing that you like?

It’s an art form and it’s been around forever. It takes patience. It’s about developing the smoke, the grill, the rocks that you put in there and the sauce to finish it. I love it and never get tired of it!

How do you innovate the barbecue experience?

We don’t just talk about meat being grilled. We smoke it for hours and hours – taking a piece of meat, tossing it and really putting some love on it. Smoking it for 12 or 14 hours, that’s how we do the innovation. It’s all about patience.

What makes Famous Dave’s famous?

We obviously adapted our Texas style for Abu Dhabi. We’re bringing a real live smoker from the US, which nobody has in this country. We’re gonna do barbecue the right way, and not just throw a brisket and smoke it off.