Punjabi Indian Cuisine Shanghai Review — Cool Curries #02

There are curry nights, and then there are curry sightings from the other side of the world.

For the second entry in Cool Curries, Curry Bible member Jack sent word from Shanghai, China, where he and his partner Devon found themselves doing what any sensible traveller should do when abroad:

Checking whether the local Indian restaurant can still put up a fight.

The destination was Punjabi Indian Cuisine, seemingly the Shuicheng Road branch in Shanghai’s Changning District. Public listings for Punjabi on Shuicheng Lu place it at Peace Square, 12–20 Shuicheng Lu, near Hongqiao Lu, and describe it as a budget-friendly Indian restaurant with lunch and dinner set options.

This was not a full Curry Bible team outing, so it does not receive an official Curry Bible score.

No spreadsheet.

No leaderboard movement.

No five-category interrogation from a table full of men treating naan like parliamentary evidence.

Just Jack, Devon, Shanghai and a very unexpected tikka masala.

Quick Facts

Jack’s Field Report

Jack’s direct verdict was simple:

“It was a classic tikka masala as I was amazed to see an Indian dish invented in the UK being served in China. And the poppadoms come fully loaded.”

That is the kind of sentence Curry Bible was built for.

A British curry-house staple, eaten in Shanghai, by a Curry Bible member on holiday.

Ridiculous.

Beautiful.

Important.

The Tikka Masala Situation

The dish itself was a classic chicken tikka masala, which makes the whole thing even better.

A curry strongly associated with British Indian restaurant culture, being eaten in China, while Jack and Devon were on holiday. That is exactly the sort of global curry weirdness that belongs in Cool Curries.

Chicken tikka masala’s origin is famously debated. Britannica notes one popular story placing its invention in 1970s Glasgow, while also pointing out that it may have developed from North Indian butter chicken. Either way, it has become one of the great British curry-house staples.

So yes, Jack was right to clock the strange beauty of it:

A British curry-house legend turning up in China.

The tikka masala looked exactly how a tikka masala should look: bright, creamy, orange, smooth and unapologetically familiar. This was not the dish to order if you wanted danger, fire or regret.

This was the comfort order.

The “I’m in Shanghai but I still know who I am” order.

A safe classic, yes.

But sometimes the safe classic is exactly the point.

The Fully Loaded Poppadoms

Now, the poppadoms deserve their own section.

Because apparently Punjabi Indian Cuisine does not believe in sending out a sad, dry poppadom with one lonely thimble of mango chutney.

From Jack’s report and photos, these arrived properly loaded: chopped tomato, red onion, herbs, sauces and enough colour to suggest somebody in the kitchen had actually bothered.

That matters.

A fully loaded poppadom is a statement.

It says, “No, this is not just a crunchy plate filler. This is part of the event.”

For a Curry Bible traveller abroad, that is a strong start.

The Curry Bible Verdict

From the photos and Jack’s report, the table looked like a proper spread rather than a sad token attempt at curry.

There were bowls of rice, a rich orange tikka masala sauce, another green-looking curry or side dish, chutneys, drinks and the standout poppadoms.

This did not look like a luxury curry temple. It looked like a proper, slightly casual city curry stop where you can sit down, order something familiar and get a table full of food.

There is nothing wrong with that.

In fact, Curry Bible respects that.

SmartShanghai’s description also fits the general picture: not necessarily the most elite Indian food in Shanghai, but a reliable value-focused option with set meals and an authentic-feeling interior.

Would this survive a full scored Curry Bible team visit?

Who knows.

Would it beat the best UK Curry Bible entries?

Probably not.

But did Jack manage to find a classic tikka masala in Shanghai, with Devon alongside him, and poppadoms arriving fully dressed like they were ready for a night out?

Yes.

Yes he did.

And for Cool Curries, that is more than enough.

Why This Belongs in Cool Curries

This is exactly what Cool Curries is for.

Not every curry needs a full table, a formal score and seven people arguing about value for money.

Sometimes curry appears in unexpected places. Sometimes one of the Curry Bible faithful finds it, photographs it, eats it and reports back like a spice-soaked field correspondent.

Punjabi Indian Cuisine earns its place here because it captures something brilliant:

Curry culture travelling.

A British curry-house classic appearing in China.

A fully loaded poppadom situation.

Jack and Devon finding home-style curry energy thousands of miles from home.

That is Cool Curries in one plate.

Final Thoughts

Punjabi Indian Cuisine in Shanghai earns its place in Cool Curries #02 not because we can give it a proper Curry Bible score, but because it represents exactly what this section is for.

Curry appearing in unexpected places.

A British curry-house classic turning up on the other side of the world.

A familiar tikka masala in unfamiliar surroundings.

The table looked generous. The tikka masala looked safe, creamy and familiar. The poppadoms looked genuinely interesting. And the whole thing had that beautiful Curry Bible weirdness of finding curry-house comfort in Shanghai.

No official Curry Bible score.

No leaderboard movement.

No full-team judgement.

Just Jack, Devon, China, tikka masala and poppadoms that came dressed for the occasion.

Visit Punjabi Indian Cuisine Shanghai

Branch: Punjabi / Punjabi Indian Cuisine, Shuicheng Lu
Address listed by SmartShanghai: Peace Square, 12–20 Shuicheng Lu, near Hongqiao Lu, Changning District, Shanghai
Phone listed by SmartShanghai: 6278 8626
SmartShanghai listing: Punjabi (Shuicheng Lu).