Indigo Delicatessen, Vasant Kunj, Delhi: Hype or Substance?

Delhi food circuits have been buzzing with talks of latest and well known entrant from Mumbai – Indigo Delicatessen that opened recently at Ambience Mall at Vasant Kunj, Delhi. Check any popular Facebook food group in Delhi and members cannot stop sharing their reviews (good, average or bad), and I am unable to resist any further without giving it a try myself.

The ambience at Indigo is just like another modern café with 80s music playing in the background (I remember hearing Boney M). The temperature is not right and we find out it’s the mall air-conditioning. But then can air-conditioning towers not be installed if the mall air-conditioning is not adequate? As soon as we are seated, house breads are served to us with butter and olive oil on the side. We order for soup of the day to begin with while we check the menu for further trials.

My friend’s soup (chilled melon, buttermilk & mint; 385) is more like a mocktail; refreshing none the less, while my soup (Roasted zucchini, olive pesto, corn & bacon; 415) is good without me able to understand the hype behind Indigo. Next comes the wine poached pear salad (Rs 485) and Lichi mocktail (alcohol license is still awaited). Now this is one salad I can have daily and not get tired of. Beautifully poached pear, with caramalised gorgonzola cheese and bites of spiced pecan in reduced balsamic makes it a complete experience. Whereas my friend’s Deli house salad (Rs 485) has prawns that replaces lobster in the menu, and too little of house cured salmon.  He stops eating the salad as soon as salmon is over.

I have heard some rave reviews of Pizzas at Indigo and we order for a half and half – Roast chicken and the other half as sun dried tomato. While the crust is super thin, the pizza fails to impress. The base below the chicken is still nice while below the sun dried tomato is completely lumpy and soggy. It has been so overloaded with olive oil that does not help me get any flavors of the sauce.

In the meantime executive chef Jaydeep Mukherjee stops by to check if we are enjoying the meal. He suggests that instead of ordering garlic bread, we should check out pizza cracker. It is a pizza without cheese or any topping but drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with lots of garlic. He asks the server to keep it slightly overdone. Both of us love the pizza cracker. Just wish the cooking is uniform as the undercooked portion of cracker is like an undercooked papad.

Deliberately slight charred salmon in the blackened salmon burger (Rs 645) is a delight in every bite. Fish is cooked to perfection and retains its moisture and flakiness. Here too I wish that if the fillet is rectangular then bun should be of the same dimensions, else one ends up only eating the bun at the corners. Beef tenderloin burger (Rs 585) is simple yet addictive. The house made mustard gives it enough kick and flavours.

I have no space but we had already ordered for Philly cheese steak (Rs 585). Traditionally Philly cheese is done in provolone this one has sharp cheddar, however I am not complaining. The beautifully grilled thin slice of beef in beautifully toasted roll and generously mixed with cheese and caramelised onions is a delight.

Best things, as they say, is saved for the last. From the day’s special we are recommended to try kala jamun slush (315) and in the desserts we try butter pecan icecream. The kala jamun slush takes me back to childhood. The tannins, colors and apt sweetness whets my appetite for more. The inhouse butter pecan icecream is creamy and just rightly salted. If the last few things are what Indigo stands for, it deserves every accolade. However I wish the entire experience was as uniform.

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 3.5 | Ambience: 3.0 | Service: 3.5 | Overall: 3.5

Meal for Two: Rs. 3,000 | Credit Cards: Yes | Timings: 12 noon to 1 am | Wheel Chair Accessible: Yes

Address: Indigo Delicatessen, 3^rd Floor, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi | Telephone: 011 33036538