Indigo Restaurant
Indigo Restaurant

South Mumbai landmark Indigo recently unveiled a prix fixe lunch menu which the restaurant hopes will serve as either a quick and satisfying working lunch or, for those with the luxury of time, a leisurely luncheon. We were invited to join a group of bloggers to sample the menu, which aims to marry traditional ingrediens with modern cooking techniques to create a “cerebral dining experience.” Did they succeed? Read on to find out!

The prix fixe menu allows diners to chose an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert, from about a dozen options in each course. As one would expect from Indigo, the menu appeals both in its breadth and inventiveness, ranging from soups and salads to seafood, poultry and red meat. Every dish we sampled came beautifully presented, making it clear whoever does their plating knows what their doing.

Unfortunately, we found the cooking did not always match the presentation, at least not for the dishes we tried. To start, the Pressed Watermelon was light and fresh, but overpowered by an unnecessary sharp foam garnish. Meanwhile, the Carpaccio of Beef Tenderloin was noticeably underseasoned, the fancy truffle powder failing to make up for what was missing in simple salt and pepper. The accompanying fried mustard mayo (yes, you read right) was unusual, but admittedly not half as bad as it sounds.

Pressed Watermelon with Chili Vodka, Whipped Feta, Fennel & Pumpkin Seeds
Pressed Watermelon with Chili Vodka, Whipped Feta, Fennel & Pumpkin Seeds
Carpaccio of Beef Tenderloin
Carpaccio of Beef Tenderloin

We enjoyed the Salad of Green Asparagus, bright green and crisp, but here again we felt a slight char on the grill would have added more flavour that the simple blanching it received. We did, however, strike gold with the Caramelized Atlantic Scallops with Confit Lamb. Not only were the scallops perfectly cooked, but the accompanying light cream soubise added the perfect hint of delicate flavour to balance out the lamb confit’s more savoury profile.

Salad of Green Asparagus
Salad of Green Asparagus
Caramelized Atlantic Scallops with Confit Lamb
Caramelized Atlantic Scallops with Confit Lamb

For the main course, we were underwhelmed by the Zucchini Wrapped Tiger Prawns. While again nicely cooked, the zucchini wrapping didn’t add much to the prawns in terms of flavour, and once again the dish suffered from a lack of seasoning (although foam did make another appearance). While the Crispy Duck Breast didn’t fare much better (the skin lacked crisp while the meat was chewy), the accompanying Pulled Duck Pastilla was outstanding – flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and pleasantly textured with a smattering of chopped nuts.

Crispy Duck Breast and Pulled Duck Pastilla
Crispy Duck Breast and Pulled Duck Pastilla
Zucchini Wrapped Tiger Prawns
Zucchini Wrapped Tiger Prawns

The knock-out dish from our meal had to be the Potato and Roasted Ricotta Cappelletti. Not only was the cappelletti beautifully constructed – tender with a slight bite and just the right amount of ricotta – but all of the plated components worked together in perfect harmony. In particular, we liked the smoky tang from the grilled artichokes, and the fresh kick from pink peppercorn dressing. Definitely a dish worth revisiting.

Potato and Roasted Ricotta Cappelletti
Potato and Roasted Ricotta Cappelletti

To round out our meal, we sampled a few desserts and once again were not completely won over. While the Panna Cotta was made to the right consistency, we found its Strawberry Champagne Consome overpowering and slightly medicinal. Meanwhile, the Chocolate Raspberry Meringue Tart failed to strike the right balance between berry and chocolate. Coffee lovers will appreciate the Macchiato Brulee‘s sharp coffee kick, and ice cream lovers will enjoy Indigo’s Homemade Ice Creams, which are smooth and creamy. We may have chosen wrong – we weren’t wild about the combination of ingredients in the Rocky Road and the Lemon Basil, while delicious, was a little too savoury for our dessert palate – but we’d be curious to try some of the other flavours on offer.

Panna Cotta with Strawberry Champagne Consomme
Panna Cotta with Strawberry Champagne Consomme
Chocolate Raspberry Meringue Tart
Chocolate Raspberry Meringue Tart
Macchiato Brulee with Custard Doughnut
Macchiato Brulee with Custard Doughnut
Rocky Road Ice Cream
Rocky Road Ice Cream

Indigo’s prix fixe menu has promise, but in our experience, is hit-and-miss. While some dishes need rethinking, others live up to the promise of their presentation. At Rs. 1,320 it’s not necessarily cheap, but then again quite reasonable for a 3 course menu that includes premium ingredients. If the restaurant can work out some of the menu’s kinks (we heard a lot of grousing about seasoning from other diners as well) the prix fixe – while not necessarily “cerebral” – could well offer an appealing and filling lunch option in the Colaba area.

Indigo Restaurant
Vintage, Behind Taj Mahal Hotel
Off Colaba Causeway
4 Mandlik Road, Colaba
Mumbai – 400005
Phone: +(91)-(22)-66368999