Ganges In Haidian

Wednesday night, we went to Ganges, a small Indian restaurant in Haidian. ( ??????160? or go to the south entrance of Qing Hua University) They were full when we arrived but managed to seat us pretty quickly. While we were waiting, I got my second glass of Coke. I don’t like Coke, but it’s hardly the worst American stereotype I’ve encountered.

The menus were trilingual, and one of the staff spoke English. He was really helpful with us, especially with Christina. She remembered that she liked a curry. It was orange. Maybe it had chicken in it? He went through the extensive menu with her until she found what she wanted. (I’m not kidding)

The Chinese-speaking waitstaff were also very helpful, and accustomed to hearing second-language Chinese from customers. One of the best things about being in the city — well, besides the access to better food — is that more people have heard second-language Chinese before meeting me. They’re more likely to say “What did you say?” instead of “Yes,” which really makes all the difference.

The food was great. I actually had a culinary plan B, in case the menus were in Hindi and Chinese or in case Chinese Indian food wasn’t, uh, what we expected, but we didn’t need it. We ordered way too much delicious food, which tasted exactly like Northampton or Montclair Indian fare. Amazing. It’s not only the British who get homesick for curry.