And then there is fine dining too, which goes beyond just cheesy pizzas and the ubiquitous 'tomato sauce' pasta. Five-star hotels in all metros have their Italian restaurants while malls and trendy shopping centres sport Italian bistros and pizzerias. All catering to the growing numbers of discriminating gastronomes and adventurous young out to savour international tastes. That the cuisine lends itself to a variety of vegetarian dishes has also helped in its popularity.
So, when an international name like Ciro Orsini opened an Italian venture in the Indian capital, it was tribute not just to the Indian foodie's eclectic gastronomic preferences but also to a growing market for new foods.
"India was a naturally corollary of our global growth," Orsini, who grew up in Naples and has been working in the food business since the age of 12, told IANS.
