LAST November I was crestfallen. I had been talking up -- and most effusively, I must add - this incredible Shanxi restaurant to a colleague, and the time had come to lead her there. As we turned right from Shennan Thoroughfare into Bading Road, my eyes began to scan the area for the restaurant's sign. To my utter disappointment, the restaurant seemed to have completely vanished. Ah well, we'll just have to eat somewhere else, said my colleague, but I was dejected. Was my relationship with Shanxi Hanji suddenly over? And without even a goodbye?
It was a relationship that dated back to the sticky summer of 2006. I had been invited to participate in an English corner in Litchee Park, an otherwise unmemorable event which I can still recollect because of> It was also my first encounter with the famous Shanxi roujiamo, which has since then become> Repeated visited to Shanxi Hanji confirmed> To continue with the story: After the November setback, I had no choice but to shrug my shoulders, cross the restaurant of my rotation list, and move> To my absolute delight, I found that the restaurant was open, and had merely closed for renovation a few months earlier. Gone were the rickety wooden stools and the long benches; in their place were proper tables , fancier decor and even air-conditioning. Suddenly Shanxi Hanji had become a place to take your parents, or perhaps even a date to. I cheered, for quality roujiamo was back in my life.
The moral of this story? All's well that end's well, I guess. And also, never lose faith in a good roujiamo.