Looking for a refreshing change for your palate? Make a reservation at Indigo in Mumbai. Yes, right now, while their new menu lasts.
In a quiet lane in Colaba stands a fine-dine legacy called Indigo. With not too much to justify its relationship with the colour indigo, gourmands have loved the restaurant for more than its name. A place personifying pure passion for food, it has been a treat to the palate and continues to please. Since opening its doors in April 1999, there’s been a new menu introduced nearly every year at Indigo. September saw another much-awaited new menu with excitement, and unfortunately, a little regret, as we see our favourites take their final bow. After successfully locating the place, you will see that the new menu has been advertised outside the restaurant. While the menu items have changed, what hasn’t is the intention, which has been to offer guests delicious, creative, contemporary fare made using the highest quality ingredients.
According to Chef and owner of Indigo, Mr Rahul Akerkar, some of the dishes that gourmands can look forward to in this new menu are Cauliflower and Green Garlic Veloute; Baby Beets with Horseradish Pana Cotta; Pulled Duck Tortellini; 64°C Truffled Chicken Breast; Ravioli of Mud Crab; Sous Vide Pork Belly; Lemongrass Risotto; Pressed Watermelon with Chilli Vodka and Whipped Feta; Atlantic Scallops with Confit Lamb; Macchiato Brulee; Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Rosemary Ice Cream; Chocolate Truffle with Chevre Mousse & Sour Cherry. While their two signature dishes, ‘Indigo Lobster Bisque’ and ‘Broiled Lobster Tail with Indigo’s Lobster Risotto’, will continue to be seen on the menu, their plating and flavour profiles have become different.
A new chapter
The idea behind the new menu has been to apply modern techniques while using familiar ingredients to create a cerebral dining experience – one that not only stimulates the palate but also encourages the diner to engage the mind. “We try and introduce a new menu every year at Indigo so as to keep up with global trends in the culinary world and to ensure that the menu is at its freshest and seasonal best. Contemporary presentation and cooking techniques as well as more complex flavour profiles should sum up and characterise the new menu at Indigo,” said Mr Akerkar.
Arriving at the restaurant on a Saturday night, the place was abuzz with the chatter and clink of wine glasses – a usual sight for the restaurant that is popular and loved by many. The new menu is softly bound with cardboard covers, but if you have visited Indigo before, you will look forward to the personalization on the daily special menu. Maybe it’s just my luck, but the restaurant thought I was suffering from a split personality, because I was greeted and handed a menu with different names.
With an expansively exciting bar menu it only seemed befitting that our hands adorned one of the fancy drinks. Having always loved their cocktails, many will find it fortunate that the drinks menu remains the same. The Belvedere Luxury Cosmopolitan (Belevedere Vodka, Grand Marnier, Cranberry Juice and Lime Juice) was quite potent and guaranteed high spirits before the glass was over! The Espresso Martini (Vodka, Espresso and Vanilla Syrup) was a surprise package as caffeine and alcohol are not usual companions at the bar, but turned out be a drink with an exciting punch! Garnished with coffee beans with just the right hint of coffee flavour and surprisingly not too bitter, this drink is highly recommended for coffee connoisseurs. A definite must have is the Double Fudge Martini (Vodka, Coffee Liquor and Coco Liquor) that is bursting with cocoa flavour and matches the excitement that the innovative drink suggests upon first reading. Try mixing it with Belvedere or Absolut to get a smoother blend.
Satiating the appetite
The drinks are accompanied with warm breads paired with herb and normal butter. The foccacia though, is supposed to be crisp (as explained by the server), but fell short. The Tomato and Jasmine Tea Consommé with petit vegetables and basil immediately made up for the bread and was an immediate burst of flavour on the palate. Skeptical at first, it is perfectly tangy and consistent, and leaves you wanting for more!
Moving on to the first course, the tartare of vine ripened tomato with green beans, buffalo mozzarella and balsamic gastric comes highly suggested. It has three variants of feta cheese (fried, wet drizzle and regular) which makes the salad taste different with every bite. Another surprise package for me was the Pressed watermelon salad with chilli vodka, whipped feta, fennel and pumpkin seeds which literally caused me to shut my eyes so I could take in all the flavors and mull them over the tongue. Delicious and spicy at the right moments, the balance of flavours will overwhelm and excite.
The Chicken And Ricotta Boudin Blanc with baby greens, hazelnuts, prune chutney and chive dressing was savoury, zestful and luckily soft to avoid the extra chewing. The Ravioli Of Mud Crab with Red Pepper Coulis, leeks and chili aioli was pungent and aromatic, but unfortunately the flour coating was chewy. Vegetarians can sigh in excitement as the second course has a wide range of vegetarian options to choose from. The Potato and roasted ricotta cappelletti (cappelletti means ‘little hat’, and is stuffed with your choice of vegetables or meat) with grilled artichoke and pink peppercorn dressing is quite filling, so ensure that you order accordingly. The risotto of roasted onions, thyme and garlic is a little bland, so stock up on some herbs and peppers to bring out the perfect taste. Non-vegetarians should not miss the Pan roasted red snapper with crab dumpling, curried spinach and coconut lime sauce. It was perfectly cooked and it was a joy to savour the juices and flavours around the palate while the gravy, though experimental, was a perfect concoction of lime and coconut.
A sweet pathway
After all of this, it would be a wonder if there was any place left for dessert. But until something sweet hasn’t been stuffed into the stomach, neither my companion nor I could be satiated. The Molten Chocolate Cake with Walnut Caramel Biscuit, Hazelnut Ice Cream and Bourbon Sauce, though highly recommended, was a bit too sweet (that’s saying something because I have a very sweet tooth) and needs to be balanced out with some plain vanilla ice cream. The Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownie on the daily menu sounded appealing and tasted even more delectable than it sounded. The orange marmalade that it was paired with, though, was a mismatch, but the smooth and creamy texture of the dessert completely made up for it.
Luckily for the duo (Malini and Rahul Akerkar), diners seem to be welcoming the new menu with open arms. “Dining is a subjective experience and it’s nearly impossible to appeal to everyone’s palates, but that’s what makes it challenging and interesting too – to be able to conceptualise a menu that has the right mixture of tastes, flavours and can eventually appeal to the majority without losing the plot and creativity. Going by the raving food reviews we’ve received, Indigo’s new menu is going to be appreciated by just about everyone,” said Mr Akerkar. Shaking our head in approval, this new menu is one to watch out for as diners flock in numbers to beat their blues (whether indigo or any other shade!).
Coordinates: 4 Mandlik Road, Colaba, Mumbai
Ph: +91-22-66368981/80/99
