I arrived at Hengshan Hui at 6pm. I was early. It was time for the staff’s routine menu-knowledge drill. All the waiters and waitresses were lined up facing a young supervisor. Each member of staff had to recite the price of every permanent dish on the thick menu, as well as the cost of each seasonal offering. I was really surprised by how good the staff’s memories were – almost everyone answered correctly.

The star of the menu here is the scallop grilled with butter sauce (RMB 90) – meaty and fresh, smooth and scrumptious. “Chocolate burger meat” (RMB 45) may sound like a dessert al carne; actually, these are creative croquettes, stuffed with unsweetened dark chocolate sauce.

Food explorers will be excited at the rarity and variety of live freshwater fish maintained in tanks – regional specialties from Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Tibet. Any of these can be on your table within moments, if you have the necessary means.

Run by Kiichiro Asano, the Japanese restaurateur responsible for bringing the Inagiku brand to China, this modern, two-story Japanese restaurant features seasonal kaiseki sets (RMB 98-288 for lunch, RMB 450-3,000 for dinner) and tempura. As with many other high-profile fine dining places in town, a 10 percent service fee is charged.

Claudio Sadler, the two-Michelin-starred chef and owner of Sadler Ristorante, was in Beijing recently on one of his twice-yearly visits to check in on his Ch’ien Men 23 project. We caught up with him to talk about the lengths he’d go for a great meal, the burden a Michelin star brings, and why he’s got more chance of achieving the elusive third star in Beijing than in Milan.

Hot on the heels of chef Rene Meillieur, whose cuisine we featured yesterday, masterful Michelin-starred Italian chef Igor Macchia is back in Beijing. I met him on his last visit to the capital eight months ago, and had the chance to catch up with him again as he launched his week-long stint at China World Hotel’s Aria.

So what’s new with chef Macchia? Well, he’s still from Piedmont, but he’s got some great facial hair this time, and he’s bringing some fresh, colorful regional Italian cuisine on the set menu he’s prepared for Aria (available until June 30). Here are a few highlights.

Rene Meilleur, the brains behind the two Michelin-starred restaurant La Bouitte, located in the French Alps, is in Beijing, cooking at the Sofitel’s Le Pre Lenotre restaurant until tomorrow (June 29). He’s prepared two set menus for his stint at the French fine dining restaurant, each featuring his signature dishes – with only one day to go, you’d best get on the phone and book a table if you’re keen to test out what Meilleur has to offer.

I sampled three of the featured dishes, all of which perfectly reflect Meilleur’s cooking philosophy: to maximize the virtue of each ingredient. The subtle sweetness of a potato, the rare tenderness of sea bass, the mild herby flavor of basil – all are delivered with the simple application of a few complementary ingredients.

Good news for cacao and coffee bean lovers: Black Koko has finally filled the gap for a specialty store specializing in both these types of divine essence. Australian-Chinese owner Kelvin Meng considers chocolate and coffee as his greatest passions, and after a global search for the perfect chocolates and espresso beans, he’s created a sleek space consisting of display counters and cupboards, all in black, featuring a wise selection of self-branded chocolates and handcrafted coffees.

This neat, peaceful café offers an alternative to nearby Panino Teca for embassy staff and health freaks. Every item reflects the health-conscious philosophy of the Chinese owner, who studied nutrition in Canada for six years.

A trio of Spanish guest chefs will present a special dinner at Migas this Saturday (8pm, June 18). For RMB 400, you’ll get five starters, three mains, one dessert and wines, all themed around the Val D’Aran region in the Pyrenees. Take note: This dinner is available for one night only. We strongly recommend you splash out and give it a try.