Neon Bleu Popular Penn Quarter Restaurant Fuses Indian, French Cuisines by Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana The way a large planet collects moons, the MCI Center has dozens of nightspots and restaurants orbiting around it. Its presence has transformed Penn Quarter and Chinatown into Washingtonís new dining and entertainment hotspot. One of the latest arrivals to the Penn Quarter area is Indebleu, a large restaurant, lounge and bar that offers a unique fusion of Indian and French cuisines with strong American influences. Many of the trendy fusion restaurants mix French with another cultural cuisine, but this is the first time weíve seen it done with Indian food. The area has become so popular that even on a Tuesday night at 8, traditionally one of the worst days of the week for restaurants, Indebleu was 90 percent full, and considering that there are two floors with large rectangular dining rooms that seat at least 100 people, that is saying something. In an hour, the restaurant was so full there was not an empty seat. Indebleu seems to be so hot that it glows like neon. Although the outside area surrounding Indebleu looks as if itís still under construction, once you walk through the heavy glass-paneled wooden door, itís very finished, refined, stylishóand crowded. The downstairs has a very cool and elegant bar that was almost unrecognizable as a bar because it was so bare. (It was fully stocked but the liquor bottles were obscured.) Past the bar is yet another cool area, a retro chill-out lounge done up in orange and red leather with pockets and recesses. In the second-floor dining room where we were seated, the interior was also a fusion of influences but based on Scandinavian design. Indebleuís dÈcor is geometrical, elegant but understated, with most surfaces in ivory with accents of dark, highly finished wood. The lighting was subdued and basically invisible, softening the harder edges of the modern design. Booths are raised and recessed along one wall, giving the sense of privacy. On the opposite wall were windows covered with floor-to-ceiling tan gauzy curtains. A few years ago we would have never guessed that the biggest innovation to restaurant menus would be the drink list. Indebleu has one of the biggest selections of designer drinks we have ever seen, which is impressive considering that many Washington restaurants have long and creative drink lists. Indebleuís drink menu is printed on a mock Metro subway map with the stops named after drinks such a Sucker Punch and Spanky, the implication presumably being that after a few drinks, drivers may need a Metro map to get home. We started with a delicious but potent Bleu Rickey ($9), made with gin, basil syrup, lime juice and soda, making a sweet, fruity alcoholic concoction. The wait staff was enormous and regimented, so that duties were divided and specialized. Although this seemed to heighten the service, it also had a downside, which we realized later when the entrees were served. Our waiter, after forgetting one of our drinks entirely, seemed to hit his stride and stayed on top of it the rest of the evening, offering expert advice, until one of the servers brought out the wrong dish for one of us. Graciously though, our waiter canceled the charge on the wrong dish and gave us the correct dish to go also gratis. A creamy spring garlic soup whet our appetites for the appetizers, which seemed to take longer than it should have, but this might be attributed to growing pains in the kitchen. The wait caused us to eat more than we should have of the warm mini-nan, Indian flatbreads, which was buttered and salted. The presentation of the appetizers, as with all the dishes, was meticulous and appealing, with uniformly small portions served on oversize geometrical white plates. We ordered the tasting menus, which were $64 each and included appetizer, entree and dessert. The gnocchi included two fat pan-seared dumplings overstuffed with veal and walnut filling and accompanied by sautÈed chanterelle mushrooms. The pasta shells were thick and breadlike yet tender. The napoleon of tuna tartare was thinly sliced and in three layers separated by papadom with swirls of pomegranate sauce around it. The tuna itself was chopped and mixed with mustard greens and beet-cucumber pickle. The entrÈe of scallops was served in a clear glass plate with three indentions where the scallops were nestedóeach scallop resting on a bed of candied chopped onions, grilled prosciutto and a light sauce. Itís a variation of a traditional dish that wraps ham around scallops. The mushroom dosa was stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and butter, and the typically crisp dosa actually had the texture of a crepe. The lobster was tender and firm and although compelling, was a little bland, even with the mango-lemon verbena cream sauce. It was served with crisps of tarot making a nice counterpoint in texture to the lobster, as did the sweet potato with its heavy tuber composition that was seasoned smoky and spicy. The lamb was superb and has good reason for being a signature dish. Served in a thick lean slab, it was buttery and tender and had a winning honey bourbon sauce. The lentil side with Italian green beans was a choice accompaniment because it did not try to one-up the lamb. The chocolate ball was luscious with cocoa. A rich fudge concoction was nested on a hazelnut disc and at the bottom was a wedge of white chocolate that imitated a slice of Swiss cheese with holes and all. It was glazed with a tart raspberry sauce, an incredible combination of sweet flavors and textures. The combination of the playful experience and house drinks left us in a whimsical mood. We were trying to think of other fusion possibilities. Has anyone thought of Italian-Chinese yet? Indebleu is at 707 G St., NW. The phone number is (202) 333-2538. The kitchen is open from 5:30 to 10:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The bar menu is available Sunday through Thursday until 1 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday until 2 a.m. Dress is urban casual. Valet parking is available. Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana are the restaurant reviewers for The Washington Diplomat.