Pass on By the Pass-By Bar

As Beijing razes entire neighborhoods to make way for Olympic construction, most of the storied old hutongs (lanes) are getting renovated and drained of character. One supposed exception is South Gong and Drum Lane, profiled approvingly in the New York Times. A noted favorite in this "bit of authentic bohemia" is the Pass-By Bar, which sounds totally copacetic, until you encounter a two-year-old but still caustic review from an apparently Beijing website called gou-rou.com:

One for the visiting idiots, this. Located conveniently near a whole load of backpacker hostels, this is a great place to enjoy some food and drink whilst inflicting your ill-considered opinions on Chinese culture and South-East Asia on the locals by talking in an overly loud fashion to your suitably wowed fellow travelling simpletons. The oh-so-authentic decor should be right up your alley, you mollycoddled Trustafarian waste of space. If the Pass By Bar also sold ethnic minority musical instruments and batik, you'd never leave. Luckily for the rest of us, they don't.

Back-Street Beijing [NYT]
Beijing Bars: a guide for idiots [gou-rou.com]

-- Chris Mohney