Three bar masters. Three “secret” ingredients. One judge. Would Beijing’s cocksure mixologists fumble when faced with an unusual condiment or unfamiliar fruit? Or can they concoct a drink to impress one tough taster? In the spirit of Iron Chef, we put our bartenders to the test by announcing a secret ingredient, giving them ten minutes to conceive of and create a mix, and finding out just how creative a cocktail can get.

THE CONTESTANTS

The origins of the Napoleon, or mille-feuille, are shrouded in mystery, with most accounts placing the earliest records to around the mid-17th century, with the great Marie-Antoine Carême taking the recipe and improving on it in the 19th century. There is little evidence to link the pastry with the diminutive emperor with which it shares its name. Why then, we might ask, is it so enduringly popular, and increasingly so in China?

Bottega is the latest eatery to enter the fray that is Beijing's crowded pizza market. Specializing in Neapolitan style pizzas (think a thinner, chewier base, cooked quickly at a high temperature with fewer toppings), in the kitchen are brothers Daniele and Paulo Salvo (the "Fratelli Salvo"), who have previously worked with La Pizza and Matta. 

Crusty British punks The Boys have had to cancel their January 24 show at School Bar as well as their other eight China dates after the Chinese Ministry of Culture ruled that they posed a safety hazard, apparently another casualty of the Shanghai New Year’s Eve stampede, which killed 36.

Got kids? If you do, then you probably have schooling on your mind. And the Beijinger's sister mags beijingkids (English) and JingKids (Chinese) have just the ticket: their annual international schools fair, which gathers the cream of the crop of international schooling options under one roof.

For this month's A Drink With we chat with comedian David Fertitta as he doles out some valuable drunken advice about where to go, and what you should probably not do whilst under the influence.

In and Out has two branches in Sanlitun: Sanlitun Beixiaojie and Gongti. We visited the first location during the lively lunch rush. The wait staff dress in colorful Yunnan minority clothes and the restaurant is full of artifacts and scented aromas from the region. Spanning three floors, it has a number of private rooms, which would make a good venue for a party. The staff are friendly and efficient, and the restaurant is nicely done out with very comfy seating. As soon as we were shown to our table, we were given water and a big bowl of delicious rice crackers.

Sure, hunting down what you hope will be a hip, hush-hush bar in Beijing seems fabulous, that is, until you’re wandering the labyrinth-like residential Yongli International Center at 10pm in the cold. Doormen who weren’t in on The Secret took me on a wild goose chase, leaving me to wonder if Ounce, hidden behind a café wall in Taipei, or The Hideout, hidden inside a bar in San Francisco’s Mission District aren’t entirely more favorable because you can at least drink while you look for them.

This article originally appeared in the January 2016 issue of the Beijinger as part of our series profiling the inaugural class of the Beijinger's Dining Hall of Fame Venues, selected by a group of industry insiders at the 2015