Lacha Paratha goodness at Dakshin!
In what felt like ages, 41 days for those counting at home, the OCC was back in action for their September meet. Fellow curry enthusiasts and OCC fans alike will be wondering where the August KLAY review is, to what we have to say:
"To lose patience is to lose the battle."
- Mahatma Gandhi
"You can't rush perfection. Rome wasn't built in 64(ish) days!"
- Kev
The club was eager and excited for the meet as they embraced each other for pre-drinks next door when suddenly we were met with some somber news.
To lighten the mood. The club ordered a round of drinks and waited for three members to arrive that surely knew how to mitigate the tension. Barney entered, gobsmacked with the news, with Kam closely in tow. The man of the meet, many voted, and the person we all had been waiting for... Sammy, the new legitimate business owner. Now, Sammy’s father had done extensive charity work to raise money for prostate cancer back in the UK. Sammy vowed to the group that for every 100rmb the OCC donated, he would eat chili
Sammy agreed to consume twenty-three chilies due to the OCC’s fundraising efforts. Stand-in Punisher Dave made sure he had the chilies ready and a little game to help out Sammy. This game would surely come in handy as consuming twenty-three chilies certainly would lead to a chili cardiac arrest. Right?
Newest member and new father Chris was on the ordering duty as we started with another round of drinks and some delightful starters. These starters included: masala papad, vegetable samosa, pani puri, onion pakora, seekh kebab, and angara chicken kebab.
As the meet progressed, acting punisher Dave rolled out his club-famous pigs. This was to help alleviate the number of chilies Sammy could take. Members took their turns facing off against Sam, who ended up consuming 15 chilies! After throwing in the proverbial towel, he then had eight more left to consume that some brave club members offered to eat on his behalf. All in the name of charity
With the number of chilies going around, it is suffice to say the amount of mango lassis that were ordered would eclipse the number of total dishes ordered. Judging from the bill, it was damn near close!
The club members took a break from the chili action to dig into some curries. New dad Chris ordered the lot, which included: dal tadka, channa masala, chicken tikka masala, lamb chetinadu, and a kerala fish curry.
The chicken tikka masala, always staple at the OCC, was great. The channa masala was one that received one of the higher phases some members give after copious drinks, “mmmm, that’s quite good that” as they continued to shovel spoonful's onto their plates. These curries were lapped up with various starches that Dakshin had to offer. The kashmiri naan paired with the jeera pulao was just what was needed to tame the spice from the curries and chilies. The lacha paratha, in particular, impressed everybody and was a welcomed change from our usual naan order.
It has to be mentioned that the staff, though not busy with too many customers in on a Friday night, was led by the owner, Simon. He was very attentive, helping us with more drinks and more mango lassis for our chili consuming club numbers. He was busy running back and forth from the kitchen, serving us as fast as he could. After speaking with Simon, he said that Dakshin surprisingly survived COVID, and they do the majority of their business through takeaway orders and delivery. Located in an office park, this restaurant can be seen during lunchtime being quite busy from the nearby office goers. By looking at their Waimai, Dakshin offers a range of set meals and specials to choose from.
The September OCC meet had now come to a close. Its members, one ‘young,’ some attractive, others older, but all curry lovers... eating chilies to help Sammy finish off his chili quota. The dark cloud that shrouded the meet at the start was eventually lifted with a moment of silence and a celebration of life.