Grandma's delights

So you know those stories about all the wonderful things that your grandmother used to rustle up in the kitchen for you when you were growing up?

Yeah, I have none of those.

My mother's mother is instead the kinds to dole out sensible advice and likes her fish fried to a crisp, which is just the way I like it too with no soggy middles. But labours of love that were fussed over for hours? If they ever were around, they've faded fast from memory. I listen with envy to folks who rave about slow cooked pot meals and cookies gobbled up before they had the chance to cool entirely on the rack, all courtesy their grandmothers.

A friend invited me to the preview of Rahul Akerkar's new menu at Indigo in Colaba. A quick search on the internet threw up reports of Akerkar being rather excited about his new offerings, including an offering he'd plucked out of his granny's recipe book: sea bass with shengachi aamti, a drumstick curry. Or as the chef himself described, fish with dal like his grandmother used to make it.

But it was one of those nights where we were at a table of hungry scribes all eager to taste as much they could from Akerkar's new exhaustive menu (21 choices for second course!) and someone had already called the fish. I settled for the duck.

Dinner started off on a rocky note. You see, I think that unless it was meant to be served cold, coffee and soup always need to reach your table steaming hot. Some may argue that you wouldn't want diners to scald their mouths at the first spoonful or sip, but this is soup for crying out loud and I don't think it's a tall order to expect it to be piping hot. The lobster bisque and tortellini in coriander chicken broth could have been the stuff liquid manna was made of, though lost out on top marks for being lukewarm.

Our first courses arrived, and this time they'd struck gold. The asparagus gnocchi was delightful even for a rabid meat-eater like me with a cold that was numbing my tastebuds. The other first course that stood out were the scallops with wasabi cream, and while I didn't particularly taste the wasabi (I again blame the sniffles), the seafood was cooked with the reverence that fantastic produce should evoke in fine dining chefs. On the flip side, my fellow diners didn't care for the palm hearts with spicy greens or the beet carpaccio that should have been more thinly sliced.

Our second entrees arrived and as I previously mentioned, I'd opted for the duck in an oriental sauce with spinach and a cauliflower mash on the side. I was disappointed. The meat seemed a tad overdone, chewy even, and I might be spoilt by all those crispy skin delights at Royal China, but this didn't hit the mark. The sea bass however had all the other diners humming contentedly. The pork chop (flown in from Coimbatore, we were told) was also delicious, fatty bites perfectly complimented by the tangy apple curry on the side. Another winner was the grilled chicken with a lime and coriander dressing, something that seemed pedestrian on the menu but was revelatory on the plate.

It was time for dessert and the gentlemen at our table (or just one) seemed to be the only ones not groaning about an already heavy belly. However, we seemed to order just about everything on the menu. I opted for the creme brulee, a "safe option" the waiter said in a stage whisper as he took my order, and I was not be disappointed. The jalapeno fondant, one of the few things that has survived from the old menu, was also a pleasant surprise but the crown jewel on the table last night was the apple shortbread - warm and comforting, just like you'd expect meals at Grandma's to be like.

I walked out of Indigo, smiling stupidly and slightly duck-footed, which should tell you much about the meal(and a little about me). But for a more composed review, go here and see photos of other things available on the menu below:


(The chocolate jalapeno fondant, salted toffee and lemon basil ice-cream)



(The potato and green garlic soup with shaved truffles and pine nuts)




(The tortellini of sweet potato and olives with arugula)