It all boils down to the consistency in food quality a restaurant puts out there. At times, that gets compromised amid ambitious expansion plans to take the brand to multiple locations or cities. For newly opened Indigo Deli, a popular restaurant from Mumbai, however, maintaining the highest quality standards has always been the priority. “We wanted to get our product right in Mumbai first, before branching out. Our focus was on consistency and providing a great experience everytime, and that’s something we have managed to achieve in Mumbai,” says Jaydeep Mukherjee, who heads the kitchen of the new restaurant in Delhi.
When owners Rahul and Malini Akerkar opened their first Indigo in Mumbai, all they wished for was to create an experience that served ‘no-fuss’, straight-forward Western comfort food. The space they conceived would also source and sell high-end gourmet cheese and cured meats and additionally, other merchandise related to food and dining. “All the chefs working with the brand, including me, have been able to contribute constructively to the vision of its owners.The kind of food we serve is our take on classic comfort foods with an ‘eating global, cooking local’ feel. It’s the kind of food that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and keep you coming back for more. The prime ingredients that we use and attention to detail, reflects in the quality of food served,” says Mukherjee, who has kept the menu of Indigo Deli, the same as Mumbai, with only a few additions.
For the last few months, the launch of the restaurant has been creating quite a buzz. Having been introduced finally, Mukherjee feels its definitely easier for an established brand like theirs to do business in a new market, as opposed to a completely new player. Of course, he says, on the other hand, ‘‘Things also become difficult sometimes, because expectations are very high and then to wow our guests becomes tedious,” he says, adding, “At the moment, my focus is to get the food right, exactly the same as it is in Mumbai. The other challenging task is that of training the team to deliver the same product, warmth and hospitality we’re known for. Looking into every stage, from receiving ingredients, to production in the kitchen and then final delivery, has to be perfectly executed. Simultaneously, hiring and training takes a lot of time. Only after all the requirements are fullfilled, we take a breather.’’