India, April 5 -- 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."

The satire was less a jab at a celebrity chef's supposed arrogance and more an affectionate nod to his insouciance. Morparia's frame now adorns a wall in Akerkar's home -a fitting reminder of an era, and a mellowness, that defined Mumbai's diners.

Indigo in Colaba was synonymous with modern Europea...