When I first heard about the 2022 Beijing Curry Run last week, my initial thought was one of severe discomfort. Though decidedly delicious, curries aren’t necessarily known for being light on the tummy, and the prospect of running from one restaurant to the next while devouring all manner of spice, cream, and meat made me particularly worried for any public restroom custodian unlucky enough to work on that fateful day.
So you can imagine my relief when Tom van Dillen, co-organizer of the Curry Run, informed me that it would actually be a year-long project to eat at as many Indian and Pakistani restaurants in the capital as possible.
Having lived in Mainland China since 1999, van Dillen has seen the country's curry industry grow exponentially, all while doing his best to keep pace with each new establishment in turn. Now, however, he’s making a concerted effort to check just about every restaurant off the list.
Essentially, that means a cohort of curry enthusiasts will be gathering to eat a different curry roughly every other week – generally on Wednesdays, if your curiosity is piqued and you want to get involved. What’s more, he’s even devised an “ultra-scientific” method of rating them, with the aim of compiling a list of the Top Three Recommended Curry Houses by year’s end.
With the 2022 Beijing Curry Run officially kicking off tomorrow, Jan 19, at a new joint in Sanlitun SOHO called Dastaan, we spoke to van Dillen about his ambitious goals and general love for this unique dish.
First and foremost, please introduce yourself.
My name is Tom van Dillen, I own and run a management consultancy called Greenkern. I’ve lived in Mainland China since mid-1999.
So the 2022 Beijing Curry Run, huh? What inspired this?
While everyone was dusting off their recycled, unachieved, healthy, and arguably boring New Year’s resolutions, I was having a chat with my mate Gareth and we thought: Why not try to visit all Indian/Pakistani restaurants in Beijing this year? We will probably be stuck in Beijing again for most of 2022, and there are 20-plus restaurants to check out…it felt like it made a lot of sense.
And why curry? What do you love about it?
Curry, more than any other dish, has an incredible power over me. Just about anything (I mean anything: music, a chat with someone, a smell) can trigger the "I want a curry" switch – and then there's no way around it, I need to find a curry that day. Once I'm eating it – the richness and complexities of the tastes always captivate me, and it's hard to stop eating and ordering! Curries truly make me smile.
I believe the question on everyone’s mind is… will there be any actual running involved, or is it a “Curry Run” in name only?
Zero running. Let me reiterate: zero running! The run name might or might not be based on how it morphs its meaning when you had an ’s’.
Will this be a global affair that covers curries from India to Thailand, Japan to Jamaica, and all the rest?
That would make it too complicated. We found on Dianping that if we were to go to the Indian/Pakistani curry houses, we’d probably be able to visit them all in a year if we visit one every other week. Nevertheless, we do love Japanese and Jamaican curries too!
Following up on that, what is your favorite curry variety? And your favorite curry in Beijing? Prior to the run, how many curries have you had in the capital?
I’m a sucker for a good Rogan Josh and Gareth swears by the simplicity and convenience of the legendary Chana Masala (his words). How many curries in Beijing? Wow…well, I guess I probably visited a curry house about five times a year on average: so, more than a hundred, probably?
Can you give us a brief overview of the Curry Run route and itinerary?
There is no defined routing at this point – although we’ve decided to start at a restaurant that is about to open, called Dastaan. It’s in Sanlitun SOHO – I found out about it by coincidence in the New Restaurants in Beijing WeChat group.
I’m assuming everyone is responsible for purchasing their own curry dish at each stop? Or have you struck a partnership with any of the participating restaurants?
Zero partnerships: zero complications. We’re basically two guys that love curry. That’s it! And yes, buy your own curry – otherwise, everything gets complicated again. We’re trying to keep things as simple as possible.
And lastly, how can folks get involved?
They can get into the Beijing 2022 Curry Run WeChat group.
Anything else I might’ve missed that’s worth mentioning?
We’ve created a simple “four senses” survey form that we will be using in each restaurant to rate three mainstay dishes (yes, including the Rogan Josh!). This hopefully means that, at the end of the year, we can have a Top 3 of ultra-unscientifically recommended curry houses. I guess that’s all we’ll have given back to society. We also have a small idea about how we could celebrate die-hard Curry Runners that stick along for the ride.
To join the 2022 Beijing Curry Run WeChat group, scan the QR code above before Jan 24. Unfortunately, if it happens to expire, you’ll simply have to canvas your contacts to get in touch with van Dillen or another Curry Runner.
READ: A Taste of Home: Revisiting My Mom's Recipe for Warming Chicken Curry
Images: Kalyani Akella (via Unsplash), Tom van Dillen, Andy Hay (via Unsplash)