Indigo Eurasian Cuisine — restaurant review — Hawai’i
I have three words to describe Indigo and that’s “oily as hell”. Not a greasy oil, but extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette to the max. The pair made technicolor Willy Wonka swirls on my emptied plate; I’m not kidding, I thought I was on drugs.
When the waiter suggested the lunch buffet, we poked around to peek at the platters they proffered and jumped on the buffet train. There stood a little lady who heaped greater than generous spoonfuls of whatever you were currently coveting onto an already supersized plate. Unfortunately I was craving an initial sampler platter of controlled portions and did not appreciate 5x green bean salad that day. She liltingly ignored my flailing protests, so I just prepared myself for a gigantic midday meal.
Wading through the oil, I realized that the only thing that was tiny were the bits of fish the woman smothered in optional special cream sauce. Glancing at a neighboring table’s plate, I should have opted for less greens and more protein, but their wide selection of salads were quite interesting. There was a vibrant shredded red cabbage and carrot mix, wilted green beans, crisp 
asparagus, red bell pepper, Waimanalo lettuce, cucumber and shrimp. There was also a self-service table with a variety of tropical-inspired dressings, pineapple chutney, and pita triangles with creamy minty hummus.
The lunch buffet came with three dimsum appetizers, and when we found out one had chicken in it, we inquired about a pescetarian switch. The waiter, who was calmer than a valium-popping Dalai Lama, quickly swapped it for more crunchy Feta Wontons with Four Fruit Sauce and flaky citrusy Thousand Love Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aioli. When he wasn’t attending to us, a waitress with a commanding presence popped around to make sure everything was hunky dory.
Indigo’s Goat Cheesecake is awesome! I tried my best to eat it slowly to savor the offbeat tanginess. I had just been wondering about the possibility of a cheesecake made with goat cheese and there it was. A little bit lighter and not as pasty; think baked cheesecake consistency. They call it Many Times Rich, but I was happy with how fluffy it was. It is designed with edible swishes of raspberry and mango coulis and a glistening glaze of ginger lime sauce. Very pretty and the perfect non-competing compliments, the latter being a thin sweet syrup. If you think feta mimics mothballs, there are other wonderful desserts to try like their 
Calamandin Coconut Cream Pie and Madame Pele’s Chocolate Volcano where they’ll strike a gong to announce its arrival.
Their cute open air dining room is so tranquil and even comes complete with a romantic waterfall. After hours are a little more lively; check out their entertainment/nightlife in the Green Room and Opium Den where they bump live jazz and dj ear candy from hip-hop and reggae to punk-disco and breakbeat until a modest 1:30am (12:30 on Tuesdays). Not too shabby for a Chinese restaurant, eh?
Since Indigo Eurasian Cuisine is near the historic Hawai’i Theatre, expect some posh “never worked a day in my life” women with mega wattage bling bling heading there for the daily gossip. The restaurant sits in Chinatown, so be prepared to hunt for parking. There are public garages around the corner, but we wary of rip off lots. Test your karma for a sweet street spot.
Indigo Eurasian Cuisine
1121 Nu’uanu Avenue – Honolulu, HI – (808) 521-2900
HOURS:
Lunch: T-F 11:30am-2pm
Dinner: T-Th 6pm-9:30pm, F-Sat 6pm-10pm (expanded hours with Hawai’i Theatre performances)
Bar Menu: T-F 5pm-12am, Sat 5pm-12am
Closing Times: T 12am, W-Sat 1:30am
About the Author:
