WHO
CHEF JAYDEEP MUKHERJEE, MUMBAI
Jaydeep
Mukherjee, fondly known as JD, is well known as the force behind the crazily
popular and much celebrated Indigo Delicatessens, Colaba outlet being the first
which has for a decade been a showcase of his pioneering innovations in this
category. He started his career with the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai, as a Chef
Trainee in 1994, and it was at the Zodiac Grill, back then measured the
first-rate European food restaurant in the country, that he learnt the elementary
ethics of cooking. Moved on to Cunard Cruise Lines in Miami, where a long and remarkable
influence on board the iconic luxury liners, Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Royal
Viking Sun gave him a revelation to the world of high-end gastronomy. In 2002
he took on the mantle of Chef de Cuisine and later that of Executive Chef with
deGustibus Hospitality, the maverick company that had given character to the
iconic Indigo and re-written the rules of fine gastronomy in Mumbai. The Indigo
Delis were recently awarded the ‘Best Restaurant in Mumbai’.
WHAT
SIGNATURE DISH: REUBEN SANDWICH
The
menu hasn’t changed much since inception except for daily specials which they
offer on a tidy blackboard. The star of the show however is the ‘Reuben
Sandwich’ of which they have sold over a million portions already. This hearty
sandwich is an absolute labour of love as the making of the home made Pastrami
(the only standalone restaurant in the country that makes it in-house) is a 23
day process. The brisket is cured in a traditional process for 21 days, smoked
for 12 hours and cooked for 6 hours before it goes into the Rye Bread for being
toasted brown, buttery and crisp and the cheese melted just right to ooze out.
The best part about the sandwich here is that the filling is regulated and in
balance, so when you bite into it you get a pleasant and luscious mouthful.
WHERE
INDIGO DELICATESSEN, COLABA
Housed
quaintly just behind the Gateway of India
Indigo Deli at Colaba marks a clear departure from often seen soul-less
sleek minimalist restaurants, celebrating the nostalgia of the good old
neighbourhood places replete with a kitchen store and a matchless offering
of bakery, patisserie, a café menu and gourmet retail, set in
an environment of social conviviality. Whether your bliss lies in the
first lustful bite of a warm croissant or at the bottom of a freshly brewed cup
of coffee, in that decadent forkful of eggs on the beach or the last crumb of
an Almond cake… You are sure to find it and make it your own out here. With the
philosophy of using the finest seasonal produce available to achieve a menu
that is all at once eclectic, skilled, and unpretentious, JD presents Deli
cooking at its best. The place is raucous most of the time as it is well
patronized. After more than a decade and with a long list of loyal clients, it
needs very little endorsement.
Chef JD was carefully chosen by Taste and Travel, a
few years ago as one amongst the top ten young chefs in the country and was
presented in the October 2010, Anniversary issue of the Vogue magazine on its
cover story on young icons from various walks of life. ‘No profession on earth
enhances the mind, body and soul like mine does…’ he says!!
Address: 5,
Ground Floor, Pheroze Building, Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahrishi Marg, Apollo,
Bunder, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400039
Cuisine type: Delicatessen
Tel: 022
6655 1010
Timings: 8:30
am – 12:00 am
Reservations: Recommended
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