indigo deli

The Mumbai legend is in Delhi, and oh boy is it thriving!! What Indigo definitely has going for it is the serenity of the place- the art with which it has been done up. A combination of elegance and comfort, beauty and flavors, art and food, such is the outcome of Mr. Rahul Akerkar’s imagination in the form of Indigo. Once you‘ve reached the single-storey edifice, an elegant bungalow with a terrace, you are transported into a smart, sophisticated world with alfresco seating and Deli run by Indigo. Open and breezy, with huge wooden doors, Indigo stretches out over to two expansive seating areas-one indoors, behind glass windows; the other, outdoors, on a slightly raised platform or patio. The latter is also strategically placed next to a line of bubbling water fountains. Wood and glass are the architectural strengths and one almost does a double take when one hears the sounds of birds chirping nearby drifting to one’s ears as one sits outside.
Down to the culinary business then, Indigo is known for its inspired play of ingredients and tastes put together to create absolute magic. As we sat and browsed through the delicately crafted menu, we were presented the scrumptious bread basket, the breads were fresh, crispy and perfectly baked, and the three different variety of utter complimented them very well. Next on the table came the amuse bouche in a very cute little plate, goat’s cheese with wafer and raspberry compote, appealing to both the eyes and the palate. To start off our culinary journey we ordered the Grilled Artichokes, Heart of Palm, Seared Mushrooms salad with young greens and coriander seed vinaigrette, the salad was light and refreshing with earthy flavors of artichoke and mushroom, cut by the bitterness of the salad greens. Next came the lemon parmesan gnocchi, tossed with basil butter, corn relish and ricotta with a few parmesan shavings on top, this had a very light, buttery and comforting taste to it, very mellow and subtle in flavor. After finishing the first course we decided to enjoy the weather and the ambiance while deciding the second/main course, which was quite a task given such deliciously wonderful options available.
So after a lot of thought, and recommendation of the staff, we decided to order Seared Chilean Sea bass, served with Green Lip Mussels, Baby Vegetables, and Tomato Saffron Broth. Well, when the dish was placed in front of me, I was in awe of the beautiful, colorful presentation, made the dish more tempting and I couldn’t wait to dig in. the dish was confusing for me though, while the fish was cooked perfectly, was moist and flaky, the flavors somehow made me question my choice. The tomato broth didn’t quite go with the fish and the mussels though cooked well were a tad too rubbery for my liking and the vegetables tasted bland as well. So having a mixed reaction for this dish, I found comfort in the second dish presented, which again was a treat to the eyes, but little did I know I’d be disappointed yet again. For the second dish we ordered Sous Vide Australian Lamb Loin, Country Goat Shank, served with saffron potatoes, root vegetables, Brussels sprouts and jus. Again the meat was cooked to perfection and was so juicy and tender that it practically fell off the bone, but again unfortunately though the texture was spot on, the flavors failed to please my palate and the bitter stale neutral taste left a bad aftertaste. We couldn’t finish either of the second course dishes and were disappointed, so finally we decided to risk for the last course. i.e. desserts and prayed to redeem the experience. And boy did we redeem it.
If I have to say it, I’d happily recommend Indigo to everyone, solely on the basis of the wonderful, sinful, artistically presented desserts. Both the desserts were so visually enchanting that it made me forget all about the bittersweet experience so far. Perfectly balanced flavors and complex yet well matched texture; the desserts were one of the best I have had in a long time. We ordered Valrhona Manjari Mousse, with mango sorbet, coconut brioche and mango fluid gel. The airy and subtle coconut brioche went perfectly with the creaminess and sweetness of the mango sorbet and the bitterness of the dark chocolate mousse and the chocolate shards. And the last item on the table and best of all, was Belgian Chocolate and Hazelnut Dome, with a dollop of milk caramel ice cream, cheery compote, and toasted hazelnuts. This felt like Christmas in my mouth, the milk ice cream was so smooth and creamy, with the nutty flavor of hazelnut mousse filled chocolate domes; I went into dessert heaven just with a single spoonful of it. A perfect end to the lavish experience.