We came. We ate. We protested

On Bridge Rd in Melbourne’s inner east suburb of Richmond, The Curry Club Cafe, trading for over a decade, is something of a landmark in a very busy dining scene.  Last night they were at their busiest.

I was there for Vindaloo Against Violence, the protest against racially motivated violence in Melbourne that was initiated by Mia Northrop originally for 100 of her friends on Facebook.  But from little things, big things grow.  It went viral and it went global.  In the weeks leading up to tonight’s protest the campaign gathered a momentum that surprised and touched many.

Newspapers all over Australia have run articles, food bloggers have rallied behind the cause, there have been tweets aplenty on Twitter and good old fashioned word of mouth has been strong.  As a result more than 17,000 people registered their participation in a clever but simple idea, dine out at your local Indian restaurant to show support for the Indian community and tell the world that we will not ignore violence in our city.

According to some press reports, over 400 Indian restaurants in Melbourne, and across Australia have acknowledged the occasion and many have been booked out well in advance.  The Vindaloo Against Violence website today asked protesters to understand that restaurants are likely to be very busy and to “go with good grace on what is a night of peace respect and solidarity”.

And peace respect and solidarity is exactly what I saw.

From the moment we arrived at The Curry Club, proudly announcing the protest on their board outside on the pavement, you could tell it was going to be a big night.  Every table was set and had a reserved sign.  A small army of staff were at the ready.

We settled in and began the night with a Kingfisher, an Indian beer, and nibbled on the provided pappadams.

The restaurant was steadily filling and the floor staff were bustling between tables and across different dining rooms.  Always with a smile.

Time to eat!  The menu is mainly classics – vindaloos, saags and meat from the tandoor.  All very Western friendly and doubtless part of the reason why they are so popular.
For Appetisers we ordered Vegetable Pakoras $7.00 – seasonal vegetables sipped in spicy batter and deep fried

And Tandoori Mushrooms $8.50 – marinated in thick yoghurt and spices

Moving on to mains, and in deference to the name of the protest we decided to have Beef Vindaloo $18.50, the fiery hot dish from Goa that was originally introduced by the Portugese, and Lamb Saag $18.50 – creamy pureed spinach cooked with whole and ground spices.

From the Tandoor selection we also order a Fish Tikka $21.50. It came served with salad, Dal Maharani and a Naan bread.

Some Saffron Rice $4.00, more Naan Bread $3.50 and Cucumber Raita $3.50 as side dishes and we were set for a feast.

The restaurant is full now and its buzzing with energy.  Everyone is there for the protest and it creates a sense of companionship and unity.  From our table in the centre of the room with a clear view of the door we can see them piling in.  The look on their faces tells us immediately if their name is on the now well worn clipboard and have a booking or if they are going to try their luck.  Without a booking the wait is at least half an hour.  This is too long for some people, and they leave with a look back over their shoulder as if they know what they are missing.

Following our meal I spoke with Rakesh Goel, Director of The Curry Club Cafe.  He had been frantic all night but was still smiling and more than happy to stop and share with me his thoughts on the night.   A normal Wednesday might see them doing between 30 and 50 people.  Tonight they had over 200 booked.  They were using every available bit of space.  From the function room upstairs to the extra tables on the pavement, anywhere they could fit diners they did.

After settling the bill and thanking Rakesh he presented me with a bottle of wine and a thank you card.

A touching gesture.  It has meant a lot to them, this night of peaceful protest.
The many staff at The Curry Club Cafe will no doubt have gone home exhausted, but I think they will be happy too.  Happy that the city they have chosen as their home supports them and that everyday Australians do not accept racially motivated violence and racism.

The Curry Club Cafe
394-396 Bridge Road, Richmond VICTORIA 3121
Tel: 03 9428 6455
Fax: 03 9428 0522
Email: info@curryclubcafe.com.au

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