"I enjoy solving them."

Juqi's founder, Beijing native Han Tong, presents these riddles for Liu. Han is a fan of Deyunshe's xiangsheng and is familiar with his food jokes. The restaurant's name comes from a word in the Beijing dialect that means someone who follows the rules.

"Juqi means to always think of others, even at your own expense. To call someone juqi is a compliment. This spirit is vanishing. I hope my restaurants and I can sustain this traditional ethos."

Juqi's 20 branches in Beijing have served over 30 million people since its founding in 2014, the company claims.

The cooperation with Deyunshe is Han's first experiment in combining traditional cultural elements.

He's also planning on working with more Beijing cultural symbols, such as the Palace Museum and Beijing Guoan Football club.

"Cultural crossovers are trending," Han says.

"We want to do more to promote Beijing's culture and incorporate different elements into new dishes."

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn