We were originally slated to go for lunch to Cafe Zoe this afternoon.  But early in the morning I learned that it was closed for renovation.  Hence we changed our  venue to Indigo Deli at Phoenix Mills.

I was first introduced to Indigo and its style way back when it first opened. It was in a quaint bungalow in a tree shaded  by-lane off Colaba Causeway. In those days its stark clean no nonsense lines was tres avant garde. So  was its unique menu of  Western cuisine flirting mildly with Indian flavours. I loved the wide arm chairs in which one could rest by the bar  and didn’t mind  the hard bench on the long table .  For many years Indigo was our favourite dining spot especially in the winter months when we could partake of the joys of al fresco dining on a dark moonless night.

Many Mumbaikars shared my sentiment and Indigo soon had to expand. Indigo Deli situated in the same neighbourhood was rather disappointing especially in its limited menu choices and it dark, mysterious ambiance. What particularly irritated me were the waiters who really treated the guests like morons who needed to be indulged. Luckily this culture does not prevail at the Indigo Deli at Phoenix which  is a delightful place to grab a meal in the middle of the day. Today four of us college friends met up at this eatery for a quick lunch. While we had every intention of going Dutch, people of my generation actually believe in chivalry.  So the only man amongst us picked up the tab though we did offer to pay our way.

We started out with a yummy, cheesy, barbequed chicken thin crust pizza which we shared . I also  indulged in a deep fried calorie filled fish and chips. The fish was golden fried  and unidentifiable. It tasted distinctly frozen and  I finally understood why GSBs are so particular about eating Pomfret fresh off the boat.

I’m not complaining though because the lack of taste was compensated by the good company and conversation. When friends meet after a long time food becomes secondary. I rounded off my meal with a quick dash into Fab India where we indulged in kurta shopping before I dashed across to the Canon shop on the 5th floor to find out why my camera was capturing white as pink. Apparently I had chosen the wrong setting. I am not yet convinced but I am willing to give this camera one more chance before accepting this verdict as final.

Incidentally we found out that Cafe Zoe was not shut for renovation but actually ran into some licencing problems. If it is closed for renovation, I do hope that when it re-opens it has enough insect traps placed at strategic points so that we don’t have to wave off the fruit flies and house flies that flutter above the food.