My son had locked himself in the toilet, I was trying to get him out of there and the little three-year-old was sitting at the table and had dhal all over her face.
Tonight's Indian theme sees mountains of chicken curry, dhal, raita and rice being dished out of huge vats, and it's surprisingly good considering the numbers they're catering for.
Glorious because that is the name of the restaurant where we lunch on rice, dhal, omelette and vegetables (about £3 for three people).
Even so, when the evening air is thick as dhal, the open prow is the only place to be.
We decide to share a couple of starters – masala dosai and vegetable somosa – and, for our mains, I opt for chicken masala while Caroline has cabbage-carrot thoran, dhal spinach and some chana masala.
Will others have beaten you to all the onion soup at Eat? Is Tossed serving its lentil dhal?
Now I will go home and take little dhal and puri and curd, that is all".
Then more lids up and down, "Mung dhal.
The second, dhal vade, a thin lentil patty that has a nutty flavor and is served alongside a small mound of dry coconut-green chili chutney, rivals any snack food in its ability to afford maximum bliss via the fat-sugar-salt equation.
Split peas will give a slightly smoother dhal.
More than any other single dish, dhal pulls off the culinary hat- trick of being healthy, delicious and fantastically cheap.
