The Punchline in Punchline

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Shenzhen is a wacky city. Perhaps that's why The Punchline Comedy Club found one more place to stop by when they tour through Asia. However, the experience wasn't just about the jokes; food and alcohol definitely helped. I don't know about others, but back home, buffets are not all that great. The desserts are dry, the food overcooked, and buffet tables looked like they were ravaged by savages. When I realized we were first going to a buffet, I have to admit I snacked a bit before I got there.  What horrible, horrible decision.

Flavorz is western-style restaurant located on the second floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Futian. With a splendid view and classy decorations and food cooked by top chef from Michigan, USA - Steve Grein - the experience couldn't get better than that. I was prepared to leave the restaurant after 30 minutes but I ended up leaving at the last second right before the show as about to start because I couldn't give up the opportunity for real food.

They had a grill section for steak, chicken, and lamb chops along with Chinese barbecue. They had the Chinese food section along with the make-your-own Chinese noodle soup right in the center. To its right, they had the foreign foods sections that included duck, chicken, roasted potatoes, fish, pizza and best of all you can make your own pasta! I had a feast eating real salads, trying interesting tapas, tasty lobsters, and even sushi. I thought I had it all until I finally set my eyes on the desserts bar. Nirvana is the only way to describe it. With a great selection of interesting tasters made of real chocolate mousse and selected fresh fruit assortments, and cakes, the experience couldn't get any better. The fresh made Belgium waffles were to die for and to top it with their homemade ice cream, I found a little heaven right there. Overall it was definitely not bad for the cheap cheap price of 144/person (288nett/2 people)  including one coffee (sorry guys and dolls, alcohol not included).

By the time I reached the third floor, I looked like I was about to have triplets. However, that did not deter me from trying out the Strongbow cider and wine.

Right after I got my drink, I went in for the show and what a show! Mandy came out with terrific jokes about sex and, well sex; half were about Billy a front row sucker... I mean audience member. I probably won't forget what he looks like for a while. I had a feeling he was being compared to steak even while Mandy was jesting. Karl Spain had heartily spoke about Ireland and what his crazy life is like. Advice: don't ever be his friend. You never want to be THE idiot. Carey Marx was even crazier. He dished out many funny lines, but nothing compared to what he did to that poor teddy bear on stage. It's still much too fresh and painful to talk about it.

Overall, I had a terrific night and forgot that I was actually in Shenzhen. Then the show was over and realized Shenzhen was not a dream, but the night was. I really recommend people to go when the next show comes to town. I'll definitely be there, but probably from a safe distance away from the comedians. There is only so much one can take.

Here is an excerpt from the original article. For the full article, check out this link: Stand-Up Comedy Show:

 ....Asked by the Shenzhen Daily what makes a good comedian, Mandy
Knight retorted, “Very bad childhood, bad parents, no education and a
lot of alcohol.”    Asked if she was serious with her answers, Knight said with a smile: “No. Comedy comes only partially from the truth... Comedy is not only about language but also about culture,” Knight
said. “For people whose first language is English, what makes Americans
giggle sometimes is different what makes an English person laugh. And
Germans usually don’t laugh!”

Comments

I was at the Punchline Comedy

Submitted by Adrienne on September 26, 2009 - 18:46.

I was at the Punchline
Comedy night last Tuesday too, and also had dinner at Flavorz beforehand.
 The comedy was great - Karl Spain was a good first act, and then Carey
Marx-- I thought he started off slow and I didn't know what to expect, but by
the end I was laughing uncontrollably.  I really don't think I've laughed
so hard in my life.  So I thought the comedy was great. 

 

I have to say, dinner was
not what I expected from the Ritz Carlton. When we got there, we were told that
we couldn't sit in the main Flavorz dining room because the seats were reserved
for "regular guests" so they seated us by ourselves in the far end of
the Italian restaurant.  That's fine, I know it was busier than usual for
them that night (maybe too busy?).  But no one ever offered us water, or
asked if we wanted to order a drink. Meanwhile, by that time there were guests
of the Italian restaurant being seated, and they were met with very attentive
service. I guess because we were only paying 144RMB each and not the Italian restaurant
prices, it wasn't important to fill our water glasses too. Again, fine, but we
didn't ask to be seated there, and at any other restaurant (no matter what
we're paying) they would offer us water before we had to ask. Besides, who's to
say we wouldn't be back to eat in the Italian restaurant. 

 

I was looking forward to the buffet. I had dreams of the Shangri la Luohu weekend buffet I used to love going to. But aside from the desserts, which were
fantastic, particularly the banana cake, the rest of the buffet left me cold.
 There was nothing I thought was particularly great.  The grill
station could have been good, but the steak was not a very high quality
(basically hamburger meat), and it was like pulling teeth to get a few of the
grilled vegetables. I was not into the lamb and cuttle fish carving station.
 I think prime rib would be a better
choice, and shouldn't be any more expensive.  The
highlight for me was the focaccia bread twists. I do like my carbs, but when
the highlight of a buffet is the bread, well, that’s saying something. My
friends and I couldn’t really put our finger on it, but we all said it was a
pretty mediocre experience.  I’m
not sure if the Shangri La still does the coffee garden buffet on the weekends,
but it’s much better and, from what I remember, no more expensive than this
144RMB “special offer.” 

My last complaint would be when we asked for the bill at the end. We had
to ask three times, and still, no bill. The Italian restaurant diners were
getting their bills! By that time it was 8:30, and I was getting nervous that
we would be late for the comedy and have to sit in the front row (and we know
what happened to those poor front row people).  So we finally got up and started walking out to pay our bill
at the front. Of course then the English-speaking manager (to whom we asked
twice for the bill), came over and said “oh, should the food be on me tonight?”  As if we were planning to walk out of
the restaurant without paying! 
That was a bit insulting, as we had already tried to pay 3 times.  In any other situation we would have
been fine to wait longer, but they knew that we were trying to get upstairs for
8:30. 

Overall, I thought the dinner was no deal for the food and service we received,
and I left with a mediocre impression of the Ritz Carlton. However, most of
that was forgotten (at least for the time being) when we got to the comedy part
and I laughed till my sides hurt. All in all, it’s nice to have these
entertainment opportunities available in Shenzhen. Thanks to everyone who
organized.

 

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