Indigo, Colaba, Mumbai.

The much talked about Indigo in Colaba, Mumbai. World class cuisine with Indian notes to some, to others, a failed attempt to bring fine dining to the city. I have wanted to go to the place for sometime now, since I saw Rahul, also a Dosco, on a television interview a few years ago. So this time around, while I was in Mumbai, a snoop was in order.

The property is beautiful, nestled in a by-lane in old Mumbai. A bungalow surrounded by greenery and old-world charm. you enter into the contemporary, dimly lit lounge, with a bar running its length. The two dining rooms on the ground floor were skipped in favour of the terrace. A nice terrace, ambient and cooled by the winter breeze, and the large fans that were only about a couple of metres from the table.

The menu is extensive, but then a clientele as diverse as the one in this city is not easy to please. It did take me a couple of whiskies to take it all in. They were running a special 'Best of the Last 10 Years' menu, and there I found myself suddenly scrutinizing everything even more intently. Best you say huh? Well, let's see how good your best is then!

Ravioli of Curried Pumpkin with Sage Butter and Pinenuts

You eat with your eyes even before your mouth gets involved, and the presentation could have been better. I prefer square ravioli for some reason, and if it's going to be round then make them bigger. Five was a crowd. But a good sized starter. I give Indigo the benefit of the doubt and let's say that even if the pasta was made fresh on the day, the edges were a little too thick, making them a little dry.

As for the flavours, the sweetness of the curried pumpkin worked beautifully with the salty Parmesan and the sweet and savoury Sage Butter. A little too salty though. A tad bit less cheese would have done the trick. But a good contrast, almost very well balanced.

Pan-roasted Duck with Coriander & Orange Glaze with Baked Turnip Puree and Snowpeas

How well a duck breast is cooked says a lot about a kitchen in my mind. And when the waiter said to me that the chef highly recommends that the duck be ordered medium rare I though to myself - this is going to be good. They know what they are talking about. And because I like my meat to still be bleeding on the plate, I ordered it as rare as the chef wanted to cook it. 

And the moment I saw the plate of food my heart sank. Not even a hue of pink. More brown. I was convinced that they had used frozen duck breast. I can't see how a fresh breast could have been murdered like this. They assured me that their duck was fresh. Since the meal, a few people who I trust with food in the city have told me otherwise.  

Put knife to meat and I lost the will to live. Soggy skin. Rubbery. This really does makes me think that the breast came out of a vacuum sealed packet. And even if it was fresh it was just so hopelessly cooked. The flavours worked though, but then citrus and sweet take to duck very well and it's a time-tested combination. Like pork and apple or lamb and mint or beef and mustard. So nothing worth praise here. The coriander in the glaze is worth a mention though. The woody punch of the seeds worked well with the sweetness of the glaze, and the turnip puree.

The place has a long way to go before becoming a fine dining destination in my mind. The insult to injury was the waiter's body odor as he reached across the table to pick up my starter plate. Now, the humid weather makes you sweat, but when you are paying through your nose for a meal this is unacceptable. This glitch aside, Indigo may be one of the better places around here, in terms of the food and the dining experience, but it most certainly is rough  around the edges. Maybe they need to rethink the expectations they set along with working on the food and service. Until that happens, over-rated I'd say!