It is hard to believe that the quiet woman standing in front of me has a daughter and successful restaurant business to her name. She seems younger than her 41 years would suggest.

But behind her mild manner lies a sharp business brain.

Wang Ye, a Wuxi-born entrepreneur, is the proud owner of N51 –– a German-themed restaurant with a spectacular outdoor terrace in the city’s Binhu district.

Wang, or Winnie as she is known to her foreign clientele, has left no stone unturned in making sure her restaurant is as authentic as possible.

From the carefully crafted menu featuring traditional German favorites such as pork knuckle and sausages, to the European-style bar area –– N51 is faithful to its German theme. There is even a small family touch with her daughter’s pet finch and Mexican walking fish inhabiting respective domains near the front entrance.

But the restaurant’s true pièce de résistance is the beer-brewing equipment behind the bar area, where Wang and her team brew all the restaurant’s German-style beers. At present, she brews five different styles, including a dark-style beer which is popular in Germany.

Indeed, despite never having previously run a restaurant, the Wuxi entrepreneur has brought a high level of authenticity to her establishment.

And, while Wuxi has a growing expat population, Wang claims that most of her customers are Chinese foodies curious to try the German dishes she and her chef have devised for the restaurant’s menu.

But success has not come easily, and her work in the restaurant initially meant that Wang had little time for anything else, including her daughter.

When I first decided to do this, it was really hard to find a local chef who could cook authentic-tasting German food; and developing a menu that was simple enough to prepare every day proved just as difficult, she says.

And sourcing all the right cooking tools and ingredients also proved a struggle, especially getting the equipment to brew beer, adds Wang.

However, she persevered and was soon able to start getting some feedback on her dishes by inviting small groups of friends to come and try them.

Since then, she has spent the last three years building N51 into the thriving restaurant that it is today, offering a unique experience to customers looking for a taste of European cuisine.

But Wang isn’t resting on her laurels.

She has big plans for the brewing side of the business, and aims to brew new styles of beer to offer her customers.

Well, we can all drink to that.