Tucked away in the by-lanes of Lokhandwala.. this branch of Indigo Delicatessen has an army of loyal die-hard customers. One meal at this delicatessen and you know why. Cozy but with ample seating.. the lights were both natural and artificial.. good music and pleasant staff as well as an eclectic crowd.. this café-cum-restaurant has an extremely appealing ambience. But ambience is just the tip of the iceberg. The food is the real star!
Jaideep — the manager at Indigo Deli — (a great host and a natural restaurateur) welcomed us warmly and got us talking about our food preferences in no time. Chef Gautam — the very talented and passionate artiste in the kitchen — guided us through the menu and started us on our gastronomical journey. We began with 'Watermelon Gazpacho' — a chilled soup that's sweet yet spicy with a dash of fresh basil in it. The drinks are nice and tangy with the 'Virgin Caipirojca' being the unanimous winner what with its refreshing blend of green apple and mint. The 'Watermelon Caipirojca' and the 'Blueberry Martini came a close second. The 'Plum and Grape Slush' had a strong flavor of mint that made it especially invigorating.
The salads here are particularly good. Grilled vegetables with peppers and spiced walnut brittle salad made for a full flavor while the Citrus Salad with kalamata olives and crumbled feta was fresh and tangy. We then ordered their crisp wafer-thin pizzas which was rather filling but undoubtedly delicious starters. The sun-dried tomatoes and olive pizza was good but what was brilliant was the mushroom and spinach pizza with smoked scamorza cheese topped with sautéed onion rings. But then again the BBQ Chicken and Cheddar was one of the best thin-crust non-vegetarian pizzas going around. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the barbeque sauce along with the cheddar cheese had amazing flavor. We were then surprised with a Deli sandwich platter which was apparently a must-taste according to Chef Gautam. The platter included Tomato Mozzarella, Deli Chili Cheese Toast and Grilled Vegetables with emmenthal cheese. One wouldn't really think of ordering something like sandwiches at a place like this but believe me when I say that you will probably not stop thinking about their chili cheese toast for at least a week!! The cheddar melts in your mouth and the semi-hard crust of toast with jalapeños and bell peppers sprinkled with chili flakes will cause havoc in your taste buds!!
Stomach already brimming with anticipated fulfilment.. we browsed the menu for our main course. We ordered three non-vegetarian dishes and two vegetarian ones — Chicken Cannelloni with spinach and cheddar.. Fish-n-Chips.. Grilled Chicken with red wine gravy.. Fussily with roasted garlic.. almonds and braised leeks in pesto cream sauce and Wild Mushroom Risotto with red wine and mascarpone cheese. The Chicken Cannelloni had exquisite flavor and appearance. The creamed spinach went exceedingly well with the rich cheddar and each bite created a potent reaction in our hearts and stomach! The tartar sauce that came with the chips and the beer battered fish was possibly one of the best I have ever tasted. What the chips also tasted nice with was the red wine gravy that came with the Sea Salt and Basil-rubbed Grilled Chicken. The chicken itself was tender and its flavor was heightened with a dash of pepper. We also ordered a glass of Sangria each to wash down our food. The fussily in the pesto sauce was smooth, eliciting contentment with each bite and he risotto was flavourful with red wine giving it a rich gratifying taste.
No meal is complete without dessert and Indigo Deli is especially famous for theirs. Chef Gautam informed us about their special homemade ice creams and they definitely tasted as good as they were made to sound. We were served Hazelnut, Mango, Dulce de leche and Cream and Cookies Ice cream. The taste was deliciously real — one hundred per cent natural and thick.. rich and gratifying. The Blueberry Cheesecake that followed was truly a treat for the taste buds and the Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream just melted in the mouth. We ended the splendid meal with a tasteful Cappuccino which totally sated our senses.
— MEENU NAMIT WITH AASHMIKA, DIVYA AND GAUTMIK
Oshiwara Village, Lokhandwala, Andheri West, Mumbai