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Indian, Chinese and boys’ nights out

Something I’ve noticed amongst the whole break-up scenario is that somehow – consciously or sub-consciously – people seem to assume that you hate the entire male species, and that the only way to make you feel better is to invite you on endless girls’ nights out. Don’t get me wrong – I love a good girls’ night out. But I’m a flirt. There’s only so many girls’ nights out I can stand before I start to get itchy. I need that hit of sweat that smells like cumin and musk. I need testosterone-fuelled competitiveness and innuendo-style banter. I need boys’ nights out too.

And what’s more boys-y than watching rugby and drinking beer in an Irish pub, followed by a good old curry? Memories of India is actually quite a classy Indian, as these things go. The décor only scores about 4 out of 10 on the kitsch scale of Indian restaurants, although the waiters somewhat make up for it with their camp cheekiness.

Having played Musical Tables no less than three times (we arrived late, and caused all kinds of logistical issues) we tucked into the poppadums like the beer monkeys that we were. Next up, we ordered a lamb gosht, chicken balti, prawn biryani, palak paneer (Indian cheese in a spinach sauce) and a couple of assorted naans. I was a big fan of the biryani and the palak paneer, in particular, but the meat dishes were good too.

After all that boys-iness, I made them accompany me to Feijoa for a cocktail. And then I had a feminist row with one of them. Ok, so there’s a limit to my laddishness.

Duck special from New King

The week before, I went to Mandarin restaurant New King with another male friend. It didn’t exactly count as a boys’ night out (there was only one of him) but neither was it a date. I’m not sure whether New King takes bookings, but I don’t think it would have made much difference if we’d had one. The queue was out the door, and there seemed to be only one waiter with any power over the reservations book.

Much queue-jostling and attention-attracting later, we finally scored a table and ordered some sake to celebrate. It was so revolting, I took two sips and gave up, asking for a glass of wine instead. It was just as bad. Still, when I travelled round China in my student youth I barely drank a drop (and this from the Amsterdam Drinker) so dreadful was the alcohol. So I decided to cut my losses and press on with the food.

Stuffed aubergine

We ordered some dim sum to start (I have a new-found respect for dim sum ever since I learnt – or rather, attempted to learn – how to make it myself. It took a good three hours) followed by the house special: duck. The duck meat seemed to have been poached in a stock made from star anise and pak choi, while the skin had been roasted so crisp it could have given you a paper cut. We also ate aubergine stuffed with minced pork, in some kind of spicy, black-beany sauce. It was as sumptuous as the service was shoddy.

Afterwards, we hired a scooter and rode it around a skate park like we were 16-year olds with nowhere to go. I’m almost surprised we didn’t smoke illegal cigarettes and kiss behind the bike sheds.

all the info

Memories of India (Indian)
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New King (Chinese)
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