With two million requests for reservations every year and seats for only 8,000 guests, the likelihood that I (or anyone) will ever have the opportunity to eat at the famed elBulli in Spain is slim. So when I heard that elBulli’s ideologist Albert Adria is coming to Beijing for three days at the end of October, I knew that the food gods were smiling on our fair city. Combined with the opening of Capital M and a four-chef Hats Off extravaganza event at the Westin Financial Street, it’s clear that Beijing has become an international dining hotspot.

Chef Brian McKenna is the mastermind behind the Oct. 28-30 elBulli event, and when speaking to him about it, it’s easy to hear his enthusiasm. “These people have changed the way we eat,” he raves. “This is an opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest scientists, greatest innovators at work.” A master class with one of the world’s foremost dining minds is perfect for anyone “with a massive interest in food,” he adds.

Another sign of Beijing’s culinary ascension is the Hats Off dinner on November 5. Featuring two-star Michelin Chef Alvin Leung, Australian 2009 Chef of the Year Mark Best, Chef Peter Kurivita of Sydney’s much-lauded Flying Fish and the Westin’s own Stephane Tremblay, this eight-course menu is any gourmand’s dream come true.

Finally, the much-awaited arrival of Capital M signals that Beijing is (at least!) on culinary par with Shanghai (M on the Bund) and Hong Kong (M at the Fringe).

Despite a former lack of international renown, “Beijing has long been a destination for Chinese-food foodies,” says Capital M’s General Manager Espen Harbitz. Now an international city with a well-traveled local citizenry, Beijing deserves to be seen on par with other cuisine capitals and attract the same level of tourists and industry experts.

As to what will keep fueling Beijing’s reputation as a dining destination, McKenna lays the onus of improvement on the mid-tier restaurants. “We need the middle restaurants to raise their level and profile, to really put pressure on the fine dining places and let the cream rise to the top.”