Hello to Curry Lounge and farewell to Guy!

The OCC Shanghai branch headed over to Curry Lounge for their October meet. After voting and confirming the venue, we saw an advert that Curry Lounge was running for 99rmb, an all-you-can-eat special. Could this be true?!

Just when we thought our darkest days were behind us. Just when we thought we were going to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just when we felt a 99rmb meal deal would be something positive that we needed. The bad news hit us. As the recently departed former US Secretary of State Colin Powell once said, 

“Bad news isn’t wine. It doesn’t improve with age.” 

Well, in our case, it was Guy’s official last meet with the Shanghai OCC. And unlike Powell, it was baijiu that was poured, not wine.

Guy was a busy man that Friday. He finished his work, packed up his apartment for the move, and invited members over for pre-meet drinks (thanks again, Kam, for the organization). This was all before the meet! At Curry Lounge, Guy was wearing many hats as he was the honorary Shot Master, the honorary Punisher, and he was in charge of ordering. If only he could help with the backlog of reviews! As noted in a recent comment on our chili fine video, Hot Guy was a busy Guy this meet.

With the food and beverage deal in place, and some extensive swiping on the ordering iPad, Guy was well on his way for the ordering. As we waited for the starters to come out, one member had to make sure he got his tea. The starters included: pani puri, roasted papad, lamb samosa, hara bhara kabab, gobi manchurian, and lamb seekh kebab.

As the members make quick work of the starters, they waited patiently for the curries. This was a sticking point for many members as the service was relatively slow. During the wait, heartful speeches were shared of Guy’s time with the club, memories of the BBQs that were promised, and the hope that he will be able to join another OCC branch as we have been rapidly expanding (keep an eye out for a future article).

Numerous curries off the meal deal were ordered, although the portion size was left to be desired. The rice was also a late addition to the table as the curries were wrapping up. The curries that were ordered were: chicken vindaloo, lamb rogan josh, paneer kadai with the additional, off-menu lamb pepper masala.

It was refreshing to see Curry Lounge, located in the former Mumbai Darbar, doing well with so many locals and foreign expats. With our thinning ranks, this could have been an ideal time for recruitment. The honorary shot master had other plans as we toasted to his wonderful memories in Shanghai.

All in all, the OCC enjoyed themselves at Curry Lounge. With a pleasant staff, this larger venue located in the Xingfanhui Plaza can fit a considerable amount of people. If you are in the area or hunting for a curry deal, Curry Lounge is worth a visit.