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Updated On: 18 April, 2010 12:25 AM IST | | Sowmya Rajaram
Eight Italian eateries opened doors in the last six months. Mumbai's restaurants are serving ravioli and gnocchi by the droves. Chinese, the old eat-out anthem of the city, is being booted out the door one soya-sauced Kung Pao potato at a time. Sowmya Rajaram reports
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Eight Italian eateries opened doors in the last six months. Mumbai's restaurants are serving ravioli and gnocchi by the droves. Chinese, the old eat-out anthem of the city, is being booted out the door one soya-sauced Kung Pao potato at a time. Sowmya Rajaram reports
Three months ago, a thin-crust Chicken Calzone pizza in Thane would have been a foodie's wet dream. This February, chef Nitesh Salve cashed in on Mumbai's growing Italy mania, bringing Stone Oven, his Italian restaurant, to Thane. Salve says residents of pincode 601 didn't know better than dial-a-pizza.
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| Nishitha Nair (27) likes Italian food because it feels light. "I like the way it tastes, and because I can always opt for a salad or grilled chicken, it's a healthier option when eating out." Seen here with aunt Lathika Pillai, and cousins Romit (24) and Rhea (17). Pics/Vikas Munipalle |
"Now, they come into the kitchen to ask questions about our hand-tossed thin crust pizzas. Families and young couples arrive by the droves," he says.
The enterprising chef learnt the ropes three years ago at Celini, Grand Hyatt's chic Italian restaurant, before he could offer the Central suburb its first slice of gourmet Italian, at happy meal prices.
At Stone Oven, all pizzas (seven vegetarian and six non-vegetarian varieties) are billed at under Rs 200 each, pastas come for as little as Rs 100, and the cheapest item on the menu is the Rustic Fresh Tomato soup at Rs 50.
At the other end of the city in Colaba, Mumbai's swish set sinks its teeth into Zucchini Carpaccio and Gnocchi alla Piemontese with equal passion at a tony restaurant called Villa 39.
The three week-old restaurant owned by Kajal Fabiani is one of eight new Continental restaurants to have opened in the last six months. In comparison, only five Chinese restaurants have popped up, suggesting that Continental cuisine is slowly nudging the wildly popular Asian cuisine out.
Fabiani reasons that international travel and exposure to different cuisines have warmed foodies to Italian. She admits, "Continental is positioned to take over Chinese food in a couple of years." Actor Suniel Shetty, who has put his weight behind the just-opened Little Italy at Opera House, adds, "Italian is easy on Indian tastebuds.
Kids, in particular, love pasta and pizza. They are a fast food generation and Italian food is hard not to like. Families love Italian because they see it as a cuisine that can be eaten out together."
Continental is associated with fine dining, reasons Juhu beach-facing Del Italia's Riyaz Amlani. "Chinese is more popular but Continental is catching up because of the cool factor, the chic ambience and wine."
Chinese VS Continental
Italian cuisine's low cal appeal is half the game won. Chef Ananda Solomon at Taj President's Trattoria says, "People are getting health conscious and there's more awareness about the health hazards related to ajinomoto. Indian Chinese is deep-fried with too much colour."
Raj Ghosh, Operations Head at newly-opened Andheri restaurant The Jail, says, "Italian dishes use olive oil and mustard, can be grilled, and are low in calories."
Nirmal Moneiro of Bandra lounge The Elbo Room, believes it's the use of ingredients like basil, olive oil, celery and garlic with medicinal properties, that has made the difference. "Chinese uses a lot of cornflour, which is unhealthy. Italian offers more variety in sauces (white sauce, pesto sauce, tomato sauce, garlic sauce) as opposed to the couple of sauces in Chinese food."
Food retailers suggest that the city's floating population has fuelled the Italian food craze. Melinda Jagtiani of Sant ufffd Patisserie and Delicatessen in Bandra says, "Mumbai is now home to a number of expatriates. A few years ago, importers supplied only to big restaurants. Today, retailers like me do small, vacuum-sealed packages that expose a larger base to Continental food."
At her store, cheese, cold cuts and grilled seafood sell big. Mohit Khattar, Managing Director, Godrej Nature's Basket, says, "Italian food has become more visible. People ask for processed meat, herbs, cheese, sauces and pastas."
In the four years since its launch, Sunfeast pasta has released five flavours, and has grown at a rate of 15% to 20% every year -- a big dent in a snack market dominated by instant noodles and biscuit brands.
Chitranjan Dar, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Foods Division, has observed that Italian lends itself well to Indianisation. The cuisine is also massively popular with vegetarians. Fabiani plans to include vegetarian versions of classic Italian dishes like Insalata Di Mozzarella Malla Caprese at Villa 39.
Ditto why Shetty's Little Italy is a complete vegetarian Italian eatery. "The area is home to many Marwari and Gujarati families, known to be staunch vegetarians. We knew that the challenge would be to create a vegetarian menu that could compete with Indian restaurants in the area. Our menu has been designed to suit the vegetarian Indian," he explains.
'Unlike french food, italian is rustled up quick'
Anil Chandok, CEO, Chenab Imports, which imports gourmet ingredients and packed foods
Is Italian food catching up with Chinese food in terms of popularity?
Absolutely.
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