Akerkar: An accidental chef who redefined fine dining in Mumbai

Indigo in Colaba was synonymous with modern European fine dining with an Indian spin, bearing the stamp of architect Bijoy Jain

MUMBAI: More than two decades ago, when Rahul Akerkar’s celebrated restaurant Indigo was the toast of Mumbai’s gourmands, cartoonist Hemant Morparia immortalised the moment with a wry sketch for a city newspaper. The frame shows a throng gathered outside the restaurant—“reviewers angling for a spot,” hoping, perhaps, for a complimentary meal—while a portly chef waves them off, declaring, “I don’t want a review; I want an editorial.”

Akerkar: An accidental chef who redefined fine dining in Mumbai

The satire was less a jab at a celebrity chef’s supposed arrogance and