I had a dinner date with my friend Natsuko last night at 7 PM. I was a bit late and found her standing in front of… a large pile of rubble. The building that housed our restaurant had been inexplicably razed. Only in Beijing, I thought. We strolled, stunned, down the alley to Purple Haze where we had some mediocre Thai food and reminisced about our old friend, Transit.

From Fodor’s:

Transit, 1 Xingfu Yicun, Sanlitun, Beijing, China

This little hideaway is a lovely retreat, both quiet and intimate. Come with a date, or book the private room for a small group of friends. The kitchen serves refined versions of fiery Sichuan classics. Traditional-style wooden furniture is complemented by bright, modern murals. This is a good place to unwind and have a long, leisurely dinner followed by a round (or two) of drinks. To get here, go down the alley across the street from the north gate of Worker’s Stadium, turn right at the first intersection, and continue about 10 yards. The restaurant is on your left. No credit cards.

The restaurant was on your left. -sigh-