Indigo

I am sad to learn Indigo Restaurant is closed after 19 years. I loved their Happy Hour.

My dad took me to an early birthday dinner at Indigos this past week. :) I’m a princess, I know… some would call me a brat (cough cough Eric T.). It was the first time both of us had been back since the fire and the menu has completely changed. I guess the chef decided to do something completely different. Contrary to other reviews, I don’t think the change is that terrible either.
What was once a full dinner menu is now a pupu menu. We tried a bunch of different appetizers: goat cheese wontons, tomato and dragonfruit salad, Prawn tempura, curry seafood risotto and scallops. Wine included, the bill came out to about $ 100 before tip. So yes, it can get a bit pricey, but the ambiance and good food are worth it IMHO. :)
–Goat Cheese wontons are a classic indigo appi (yes, I’m part canadian)
–Tomato and dragon fruit salad was surprisingly simple, yet good. The waitress mentioned something about watermelon being added to the dressing. Whatever was in the dressing, it was delish.
–Fried Prawns: As this was a father/​daughter outing, my asian mother wasn’t there to eat the shrimpy heads, so I attempted to eat them instead. I may be a shrimpy head convert. I wasn’t a fan of the mushroom mayo that came with the shrimp, but some freshly squeezed lemon added enough flavor for me:)
–curry risotto with seafood didn’t really do it for me. This was the only dish that could have been served as a full entrée dish in terms of quantity. I feel like maybe it was missing something because I liked the well seasoned seafood and leeks as well as the consistency of the rice. Maybe it was just the flavor of the curry.
–Scallops were great, but I’m a little biased… scallops may be one of my favorite foods. For the price, I don’t know if I’d get it again though.
Our waitress was great. She was very knowledgable about the menu, gave us suggestions about what to get as well as what not to get (!!!) :) The whole experience at the new and improved indigos was great :)x2

This is my second time back after first sampling a few things on a Dishwalk last year. I actually prefer the new tapas style menu, easier and cheaper way for everyone in party to try a few different dishes.
Everything was incredibly savory: Lamb Shui Mai, Seared scallops, and Hamachi Crudo.
Our server was friendly, knowledgable and on top of everything. We had reservations at 5:30 on a Saturday night, since we had show at Hawaii theatre at 7, so didn’t run into any issues with sold out menu items like other reviewers experienced. I would have been equally frustrated if half the menu was sold out so early in the evening!

I’ve been keeping an eye out for Indigo to reopen after they had a kitchen fire because I still have a LivingSocial and Groupon voucher to use. After seeing some new reviews popping up, I got a few friends together and headed there this past Friday.
I had heard that they were remodeling but to me, the interior looked the same. The only big change I could see was there were less tables, maybe about ½ the amount as previously. The other big change was the menu. They’re now running a tapas style format and I’d say it was hit or miss.
What we ordered:
Goat cheese won-​tons
Shrimp lumpia
Lobster potstickers
Duck Mu Shu rolls
Roasted eggplant
Chilled Fanny Bay oysters
Steamed monchong
Braised duck leg
Overall, I’d say the food was good. The won-​tons have been a staple there since they first opened and are always tasty. The duck mu shu and the duck leg were also pretty good. The best dish was probably the monchong. The fish was done perfectly and the brown butter sauce was killer. I did want to try other dishes but unfortunately they were out of some dishes even though the place was pretty much empty. I do think some of the dishes were a bit overpriced, too.
The other (temporary) change was that they don’t have their liquor license yet. Happy hour has always been the reason I go there so hopefully they get it soon. If you’re planning to have some cocktails there, call ahead to see if they have their liquor license. The one good thing they’re doing is not charging a corkage fee while they’re dry so if you want to byob, that’s good.
I still have another voucher to use and my friend has one also so I’ll surely be back. I’ll just make sure they’re serving liquor before I make a reservation.

Lunch buffet is seriously amaze-​balls! I have told everyone that I’ve talked to in the last few days that they seriously need to visit Indigo and give it a try.
I’d always thought that I didn’t like Indigo because I vaguely remember having a terrible dinner here once with my family. But my memory is hazy as to what made that dinner terrible. Was it the food? Or the fact that I was probably a sulky teenager fighting with my parents over how «SUPER EMBARRASSING» they were being?! Either way my opinion was formed unfairly.
This isn’t your typical buffet with little burners keeping the food warm. Most of the food is served at room temperature and normally I’d really hate this but it totally works in this scenario. Also instead of helping yourself to the food, they have servers who scoop each dish you request onto your plate for you! That was you don’t have to awkwardly juggle your plate with one hand while trying to maneuver a large serving spoon!
I think the real secret is to come for an early lunch so you can leisurely enjoy yourself! I’m definitely coming back here and bringing some «vegetable challenged» friends so they can see how veggies can taste awesome!

I have been to Indigo many times over the years, either for pupus and drinks, just drinks and dancing at Hallowballoo, or dinner. I’d like to break this down by the type of experience you are looking for.
Drinks and Dancing: Do not recommend. Both years I’ve been here for Halloween, I was either turned away because the bouncer didn’t recognize my wristband or I was disgustingly groped and pushed over right by the bar with the bartender witnessing everything and not stepping in to help. However, this is a busy time for the bar and they are incredibly understaffed. I can describe this experience in two words: «psychedelic brah!» Who knows, that may be your idea of a good time. Not for me.
Pupus and Drinks: Absolutely lovely. Indigo has some of the best appetizers downtown (paired with delicious house martinis) Sit in the back bar area if the weather is nice for an amazing transition into your evening while dining on crispy wontons and lumpia. During the week the green room is also quite lovely when it’s empty, but beware the draft if you are trying to avoid the weather.
Dinner: This is where I’m torn. The first time we went, I was blown away by their beef wellington. It was tastefully breaded and perfectly crisp on the outside with a medium rare juicy steak in the middle. Perfection. I have heard they changed owners recently though, and the menu has changed. I believe the menu is still evolving, and when we went I felt there was nothing spectacular for me to keep returning. I will witthold judgment at this time until they get comfortable with their menu. The pupus haven’t changed though and are still some of the best downtown.
NOTE: Street parking, valet, or park at the garage at bethel and hotel and walk the block up.

Working in downtown has many perks. Lots of good places to eat during your lunch break. And, places to go for Happy Hour.
Indigo is within walking distance from my office. There’s a group of us younger ones who enjoy having fun after work and Indigo’s is one of the places we go to.
You cannot go wrong with their $ 5 martinis (previously $ 4) and there is a large selection to choose from. Personal favorite has to be the lychee. Also, if you go there early, you get to feast on their complimentary pupus — basically the leftovers from their lunch buffet line.
During their Happy Hour, they don’t have enough cocktail waitresses as you have to flag them down to get your drinks. Otherwise, you sit at the bar but there aren’t many seats.
Regarding their lunch buffet, I have been here a couple of times and the food is OVER RATED. Nothing special — you take a couple of bites of this and that. The food is not worth coming for in my opinion.
With the poor service and disappointing food to be offset with great martinis and convenience. Hmmmmmm… the rating of this place is 2-​stars.

I used to love this place for Happy Hour. but they lost liquor license and dropped serving the leftovers from lunch buffet. Not easy to find parking or a place you want to have to drive to.
Basically it is a gem since its opening in downtown Honolulu/​Chinatown at famous Nuuanu and Hotel streets. A few blocks from the Palace, City Hall, State Capitol and main business district this area continues to become more trendy with more cafes, bars and nightclubs. You will have to step over more than a few homeless sleeping on the sidewalk if you park and walk, what is wrong with Honolulu?.. no wonder Japanese tourists blog to avoid Chinatown. I kind of like it because there are few tourists and not like Waikiki.
The restaurant as you see by all the reviews is very nice. many different rooms each with distinct personality. The bar is most important thing and they have a couple. one being open air with views of the park and a waterfall fountain. Inside feels outside. love that in Hawaii. the bar and lounge are roomy and kind of Asian/​Indian/​Med feel. Very romantic and elegant outdoor seating areas by the fountain. with view of city and park is nice. but they must get city to move the homeless away from the bar area as they stink up my martini.
Best buffet lunch in town for vegetarians and people who like a clean, healthy Pacific Mediterranean «array of salads, pancit noodles, chilled island breast of chicken, seared Pacific fish medallions, meats and rosemary roasted red potatoes, topped with what is surely award-​winning heaven-​and-​earth sauces with chutneys». It is favorite of local celebrities and costs around $ 15.
The Happy Hour is excellent with many great martini offerings at $ 5. $ 6 pupu’s ranging from Ahi poke to chicken sate with peanut sauce that reminds me of Bali roadside food, and I mean on the side of the road where you get 10 skewers for $ 1.
The service is attractive, attentive, professional knowing drinks and unlike Waikiki. not rushing you, pushy or just off the boat from Cali. They are happy that you are there and are downtown people, more cool and a local mentality. The clientele are local government, business and entertainment people from the nearby theatre/​arts district. It is a place to see and been seen for Hawaiian standards. The evening has a more serious foody crowd the main dining room. the green room and bar sometimes have entertainment. saw Makana perform to a packed house there once. I like when they have trance club nights an alternative to neighboring dive dance clubs.
If you are a tourist or visiting the islands. make a point to go Downtown see the sights and eat at Indigo it will be memorable and great experience.

Indigo has an interesting layout — there are at least 2 different bars, a lounge, and multiple seating areas (and this is just on the first floor, I’m not sure what is on the second). I visited on a Tuesday evening with a few friends for drinks and appetizers.
The martinis are excellent — during happy hour they are only $ 4 each, and there are a wide variety of different ones. The food tasted alright, but portion sizes were fairly small for the price. We tried the Lumpia wrapped Shrimp, Crab Cakes, Kobe Slides, and Poke. None of it was bad, but nothing really stood out — about what you would expect from bar food — and they were pupus, but portion sizes were pretty small for the price.
Our waitress was friendly and on top of taking drink orders, doing refills, and clearing dishes. Overall, great service, great drink (well, martini) prices and a good place for happy hour, as long as you’re not going here for food.

Lunch buffet for $ 16.
Everything was good, and some things were memorable.
There was this melon salad that was Thai-​like — sweet and salt and vinegar all at once. Yum.

Indigo is one of my «tried & true» places that I frequent when I go to meet friends in the downtown area for a reasonable, relaxed, and leisure lunch. We always get Indigo’s Cool Summer /​Winter Buffet which is accurately described as «A tempting array of seasonal composed salads, pancit noodles, chilled island breast of chicken, seared Pacific fish medallions, meats and rosemary roasted red potatoes, topped with award-​winning heaven-​and-​earth sauces and chutneys» for $ 15.95.
I really like this lunch and never leave hungry or guilty because of the abundance of vegetables serve at the buffet. See my pictures!
Street parking can be troublesome so try to use a nearby municipal lot.

Actually, this review averages to three stars. Four stars for the bar, one star for the restaurant, average 2.5, round up to… Three Stars.
Why does the bar rank significantly higher than the restaurant? Because the great thing about Indigo, other than their happy hour deals, is the bar menu. They’ve got an eclectic list of martinis and really great bar food, to boot!
Unfortunately, something happens when you enter the restaurant portion of this place. Everything misses the mark. The presentation is always fantastic. The food always LOOKS appealing and delicious but once you take a bite, it’s disappointment after disappointment. I honestly haven’t really eaten off the restaurant menu for years because of this fact. Though I did get adventurous and ordered the crème brûlée which definitely has changed since last I ordered it. Now it’s a ginger brulee… not necessarily bad but certainly unexpected. But. even the complimentary happy hour buffet is a little lackluster so it really doesn’t inspire me to give the restaurant another shot.
Bottom line: Stick to the bar. Grab a martini, order some goat cheese wontons and/​or sliders and/​or fries (their fries are really fantastic, warm, thin, and crisp!) and you really can’t go wrong.

I’m not gonna lie. Indigo’s martinis are the main reason to why I come here, and boy are they good!
I feel in love with this place a couple of years ago when me and some friends came here before our evening class (Yeah, drinking cheap before class is one of the perks of being a student in downtown Honolulu). I loved their martinis and after a while we also realized that they were serving food for free after a certain time, that is… if you bought a drink. So of course this made us go here more because A, we would get alcohol before class and 2, we would get free food along with our alcohol. Great!
I have no idea whether they do this or not anymore but I do now that I still enjoy their martinis. The food items that I have tasted have all been good.
Tend to get busy on days like First Friday, or any other block party that Chinatown has but it’s still worth sliding in for a martini (or two) because they are well worth it!

My second dinner visit to Indigo. During my first dinner visit, I ordered the one vegan entrée: Buddha’s Feast and Black Lentils with Organic Thyme (with basmati rice, flageolet beans, and hearts of palm salad). This time, that same dinner entrée wasn’t so appealing to me, so I opted to order a salad and some appetizers — my boyfriend actually did the same thing. My boyfriend had a groupon/​livingsocial deal worth $ 60, so I felt like I could rack up the dishes!
My order:
*Nalo Baby Greens with Surfing Goat Dairy Chèvre and Balsamic Vinaigrette — just only recently tried goat cheese since I’d been mostly vegan for a bit, but delicious salad enhanced by the cheese on the side
*Tomato Soup (without the crab) — not an expert on tomato soup, but this one tasted pretty good to me, better than Campbell’s soup
*Grilled Chive Flat Bread with Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Babaganouj, Hummus, and Tzatziki — yummylicious, the highlight was the babaganouj, not so much the tzatziki, the server thoughtfully suggested the flat bread as a nice accompaniment to the tomato soup
*Double French Fries with spicy ketchup — oh so good, really bar food but our server let us this order for our dinner — thank you!
On the whole, I probably wouldn’t frequent this place much since I don’t want to do that much damage the wallet unless there’s another coupon deal. But overall pleasant dining experience in a nicely decorated restaurant. Suitable number of veggie options too!

So I have been told that whatever they dont sell at their lunch buffet, they put it out for FREE at the end of the day during happy hour. Soooooooooo, just go early at like 4:30 and eat the buffet stuff for free.
1^st lets talk about the service, I went there with 6 of my coworkers and my one coworker who has severe allergies asked what was in the caesar salad, the waitress said «i don’t know. and i can’t tell you cause the chef wont’ tell you the ingredients»…um…ok. wtf. We explained her «epi pen at all times» issue, and so she said what she THOUGHT was in the caesar, but told us she can’t be sure. She also failed to listen when my coworker asked to have a box at the beginning of the meal so she can pack half her meal first. And just seemed like some 5 year old incompetent who shouldn’t be waitressing. Come on indigo, you are in the heart of downtown honolulu, during lunch time, your restaurant was only 10 people full and you have THIS as your waitress? lame.
Now for the food. If you go at lunch, there’s a $ 16 buffet, or 4 appetizers you could buy ala carte (which ran about $ 9 — $ 12 a piece so you might as well get the buffet). The buffet is NOT self serve, but has some nana’s scooping out food for you and not listening to you or speaking to you in english.
My coworker said «can I have the fish», and nana put the chicken on the plate. Then said do you want the sauce? Coworker said «no» and… she put it on anyway! They also piled on the food even if you said «just a little so i can taste» so it was a little annoying. How much broccoli do you think someone needs on their plate? I asked for the cold chicken and just a LITTLE of the cabbage underneath, she gives me 3 small pieces of chicken and a MOUNTAIN of cabbage. W… T…F.
The taste of the food sucked. I mean, it’s DECENT. But I’d rather pay $ 16 for lunch elsewhere and get actually GOOD food. Come on, we’re in downtown, food options are vast.
Overall, stick to Indigo for it’s nightlife. I know from experience that their martinis are delicious.
Skip the buffet. It’s…pretty craptastic.

When your other half decides to go on a diet and limits your choices of places to eat you feel that you’ll never get to go to tasty places again and in it’s wake your full Unilocaliness will go down the tubes besides your hard work on your Unilocaly waistline will most likely suffer too.
Granted my choices were now very limited but luckily enough one of her choices that she likes is Indigo, Whew I can feel at least a bit better that I can eat and be full (kneels down and prays thanks to those cruel diet gods).
Indigo has a bunch of healthy choices (at least in my diet ignorant mind) of Eggplant, Asparagus, Vegetable things like that. Okay I admit I like the Eggplant, Asparagus and the Salads.
The Chicken is a little plain to me but not bad, I love the Kalua Pig though at the end of the buffet while the other half loves the Tofu. I on occasion take the pizzas that they have on another table of the buffet which aren’t too bad.
What I do like is that I get to eat something where I can fall asleep in the office afterwards after stuffing my tummy and also not get hungry a hour later :-)
What some people aren’t happy about is that they serve you on the buffet line a portion of each item that you want in a way it’s good or I’d be pigging out on the Kalua Pig and really fall asleep at work and not be eating some of the other items as much which is really better for me of course you can eat all you want though in smaller portions.
The wait staff in the times I’ve been there for lunch (sorry haven’t been there for dinner) have been quite attentive and have been quite on the ball in refilling our water and seeing that we are okay.
Parking during lunch hour if you don’t work in the area isn’t too bad as there is some street parking and several municipal parking lots nearby basically being as cheap as $ 1.50 depending where you go.

This review is for their lunch, which features a lunch buffet. I have to say this is one of my favorite buffets because they have a lot of vegetables, so you don’t feel too bad after stuffing yourself with a lot of food.
Likes: Buffet has a good selection of Asian fusion cuisine, which includes a variety of vegetables, salads, noodles, rice, and protein. Service is generally good (as in friendly) at lunch time too. I went with a friend and she noticed that the chef was in the TV show Executive Chef. After talking to the waitress about it, the chef was nice enough to come out and chat with us for a while about the TV show.
Dislikes: When you leave the restaurant, there’s garbage bins near the entrance, so it might be a good idea to hold your breath so you don’t smell the hot trash while leaving on a full stomach.
Favorites: In the buffet line, I really like the Asian chicken salad, sprinkled with crispy won ton strips.
For lunch in the downtown/​Chinatown area, it’s pretty pricey (currently at $ 15.95 plus tax and tap). However, it’s a great place to go to every so often or for special occasions, and I recommend they buffet.

Love the food! I’ve been there many times, almost always for business lunches, and the food buffet with healthy fare is fantastic! Of course, shameful me usually gets my money’s worth by going back up for more of the ‘healthy’ stuff (does that make me bad?).
My last trip there this past week, our server (gosh I wish I got her name) was Great with a capital ‘G,’ taking the time to explain the special in great detail, showing us sample desserts before delivering to someone else’s table, and keeping our drink glasses full (this, in turn, made me feel bloated, but at least, not thirsty!). She was lighthearted and funny.
Back to the food… I’ve never had a bad, or even a questionable experience eating there. I like the ‘historical’ ambiance of the place; maybe that makes the food taste even better?!
I strongly recommend Epic Restaurant. Don’t believe the haters!

Had another lunch appointment and wanted to find something conveniently located in downtown, so what better place than Indigo’s?!
Indigo never fails me or my guests. With a buffet line P-​E-​R-​F-​E-​C-​T for a veggie like me, I am always able to get my fill (and go back for a small helping of seconds) while not feeling overly stuffed.
The buffet also changes so while you have the usual delights such as tofu, potato, hummus and mushrooms, they also switch it up with broccoli, eggplant, pancit noodles and spicy fruit. Ono to the taste buds and easy on the waistline!

It’s been years since I’ve stepped foot into place. I remember it being hip, fun and bustling with energy. We used to go for girls-​only happy hr and it was always good times! My friend Arland (aka DJ Deadfoot) use to spin here before he moved to SF, his last gig was also my last visit to this place. There were a lot of better places that popped up since then, my favorites being Bar 35 and Du Vin… sorry!
Fast fwd to a couple weeks ago when I joined a couple friends for happy hr. The restaurant side as well as the Opium Den area were both slow (maybe 6 people, dj included in the bar). I was running late so by the time I got there my friends have already started drinking around the bar counter.
There wasn’t even room for all of us so I asked if we could move to the couch/​table area. The bartender told us that is we wanted to move, we had to close out our tab first b/​c the waitress area is «separate» from the bar. The waitress gets her drink orders from this very bartender anyways, so WTF?! We closed out our tab and started a new one with the waitress.
The table was only 2 – 3 feet away from the bar, still inside the room. Here’s the view from where we’re sitting, you can see how close the bar is:
CRAB CAKES w/​CHIPOTLE AIOLI ($ 12)
I’ve had better store bought crab cakes that are more tasty. These were greasy and full of fillers.
They didn’t even use real crab!
GOAT CHEESE WON TONS w/​FOUR FRUIT SAUCE ($ 8)
Chalky goat cheese stuffed into tiny won ton wrappers… ’nuff said. Nothing stood out about this dish. The 4-​fruit sauce looked and tasted like chinese red vinegar that was thickened and sweetened with sugar. Pass.
GARLIC SEARED SCALLOPS w/​SPICED HARISSA SAUCE ($ 13)
The scallops weren’t garlicky but it was seasoned well with salt and pepper and had a nice crust to it. It was tasty but overcooked and some pieces were rubbery.
The harissa sauce was way too overpowering, all I could taste was cumin and coriander (maybe even curry powder). It brought back memories of my sad Lobster Epice dish from Morimoto.
Although overcooked, the scallops and papaya salad were the only tasty thing I ate that night. Wish they gave more though for $ 13. All we got was 3 pieces of scallops that were halved and skewered.
The service was also bad. My food arrived but no plates, napkins or utensils in sight. I had to ask for it… then continued to wait for it while the waitress stood around the bar and spaced out. I continued to stare at her while she applied lip gloss until she noticed my glance and finally brought the plates over.
The wait for our drinks was also ridiculous. There were maybe 5 or 6 other people in the bar, total. For each round of drinks ordered, it takes 10−15mins for the drinks to arrive. We were fed up and asked the waitress to close our tab. We also asked her to cancel the drinks since it never got served (or made), another 15mins had past and I was too irritated off by then. Never again, Indigo.