Actually the servers were the ones who started the panic in the first place lol. They saw the dad's plate and just assumed the food was bad, so they started warning other tables before the kitchen could even explain. By the time we got the mush version out, half the room thought there was a real problem with the dish. Total mess.

I called it a gimmick until I melted my third putty knife.

Right? @sandragonzalez, it's the best part! My buddy looked at me like I had two heads for toasting whole cumin seeds before grinding them. The smell alone is half the meal! People miss how those quiet steps build the flavor. They just want the quick powder from a jar, but that fresh crackle changes everything.