By Sourish Bhattacharyya
IT'S A PITY most people assume that Indigo
Deli, which is formally opening tomorrow (May 30) at the Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, is Indigo Delhi. If Mumbai's star restaurateur, Rahul Akerkar, had the freedom to act according to his Delhi
expansion plan, he was to launch Indigo,
the restaurant that's won every award and accolade possible, sometime in
mid-January.
He was to make a grand opening at the
urban renewal project, an arts and entertainment space that was to have transformed
what used to be an open drain opposite the Hyatt
Regency, in the shadow of Netaji
Nagar. And he was to roll out Indigo Deli, starting with the second floor
of Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, in the space formerly occupied by Zambar, only after Indigo settled down as
"a 'back-to-basics' address that will serve up eclectic modern European
fare, coupled with an expansive bar and a private dining section". Indigo
Deli will be next door to Pizza Express,
which is the next high-profile opening to watch out for at Ambience Mall.
But for some mysterious reason, the
area, which was blessed by the Sheila
Dikshit government and is being developed by the father-and-son duo of Sanjeev and Samegh Batra, has been in
suspended animation ever since Dikshit got a drubbing in the Delhi Assembly election,
even though Delhi Metro has been constructing buildings next door at a frenetic
pace. Was the previous government's showcase project not a priority for the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation that followed? If that were the case, why did
Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung not push it
after the fall of AAP? No one is ready to share the real story.
"You know how officials
work," was Sanjeev Batra's first response when I asked him about the
delayed project. "But we will be up and running in a month," he
added. Batra has been the man behind such significant heritage rejuvenation-cum-restaurant
development projects at Mehrauli
such as Olive Bar & Kitchen and The Kila, where blueFROG has re-opened, though after giving up the associated cafe
and restaurant spaces.
Batra said that when it became clear the
urban renewal project wasn't taking off according to the time-table they were
working on, Akerkar came to him and shared his desire to launch Indigo Deli
before Indigo. He had hired staff for Indigo and they had been trained in
Mumbai, but they had no restaurant in sight, which was clearly a dispiriting
prospect. He had to do something to retain his staff, which was why he fast-forwarded
Indigo Deli, which is best known for its salads, burgers, sandwiches and
ice-creams, and of course, its delicatessen.
"I feel a tinge of sadness, but when
Indigo finally opens opposite the Hyatt Regency, the grandness of the setting
and the cuisine that has given the restaurant its share of international
acclaim will have their desired effect," Batra said, striking a hopeful
note. For the sake of the city, we wish him luck! Delhi deserves an Indigo, as
much as it can do with an Indigo Deli. Neighbouring Mistral's Mayank Tiwari has serious competition on his hands and even Chili's may experience some loss of lustre.
My dad treated me at Indigo Deli Mumbai when I scored 96% in my 10th grade
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