Cougars and Curry

Indian Zaika recently moved to a bigger premise just a couple doors up Papanui Road so it would have been rude not to check out. It had been less than a year since our previous visitation, but a new premise counts as a new curryhouse according to the Maharajah, so off we went. There was much schoolboy level chatter about the pre-dinner drinks venue. According to scribbled notes on the back of the bogs at the RCCC clubhouse, many a hungry cougar was known to stalk the hallways of the booze-soaked den of iniquity that is No.4 Bar. Giddy at the prospect, a sizeable contingent of chaps skipped on down to Merivale, ready for a mauling.

Once firmly ensconced at Indian Zaika with a cold Kingfisher in hand, we could admire the uprated furnishings and spacious surroundings of the new place. The menu didn’t appear to have changed, which is good because it was pretty good last time. The prawn saagwala was a popular choice with EK and his merry band of converts. Are the Saag Bros the new Banquet Bros? There was also the Carlos naan topped with enough garlic to kill a vampire at 10 paces and in general the spice level was found to be as advertised. Service was a wee bit slow, no doubt due to the extra surveillance certain members warranted – see below.

KS was duly awarded the FOMO trophy for his many dine and dash sins which he confessed to on the night. The staff were quite correctly watching him like a hawk after that. Despite best attempts to appeal to the apex predators at No.4, all the members made it safely home – perhaps the beer and curry soaked flesh wasn’t that appealing. The CoTM trophy is still MIA and everyone to a man swore on his RCCC blazer that they didn’t possess it, so its mysterious disappearance continues. The Raj is getting a twitchy trigger finger so expect a blowout and purge of the ranks when he gets back from his Calimunching tour…

Service: 3.6/5

Curry: 4.2/5

Total: 7.8/10

Indian Zaika, 231 Papanui Rd