Foodies is just another name for Delhiites

That’s right. Gluttony is no sin for these food lovers who don’t shy away from letting their taste buds try out different kinds of food—national or international. Till a few years back what Delhiites were hooked on to, when it came to food from beyond the national boundaries, were fried rice, chowmein, momos, and, of course, manchurian. Then came pizza. And it has stayed on. Not just has the pizza been there, it has also brought along its cousin from Italy, pasta. The effect of these is for all to see. Today it is the pizzas and pastas that have got South Delhiites rolled in. Vinu Kaul, a resident of GK-I, Block S, was an avid Chinese food lover till some time back. She claims she couldn’t but eat Chinese fried rice. Today, however, she can’t resist the smell of oregano and the taste of olives. "I am a big foodie and love to try out new cuisines. Only sometime back I developed a taste for pastas. Now I am just hooked onto it. Though there is a lot of cheese in it, I still like its taste," says Vinu. Cheese isn’t that big a problem, especially for Delhiites who love to have their food creamy in taste and rich in look. Italian food scores a perfect 10 on that front. With multiple and generous layering of cheese in almost every dish, no wonder South Delhiites are rolled into their love for pastas and pizzas. Says Rajiv Ranjan of Kasbah at N Block in GK I that houses Spago, the Italian fine dining restaurant, "Indians do like to experiment with their cuisine, that is why they try out so many different varieties of food. However ultimately they come down to something that’s very basic to their nature, rice and flour. And Italian food has both as its basic ingredients. So it is more close to Indian food." Quite an interesting fact, isn’t it! That said, it does not mean that Chinese food fares badly when compared to Italian food. The good old manchurian still has its loyal clientele. Right from Lajpat Nagar to South Extension to every popular market in the city, either there are Chinese stalls on the roadside selling the ever popular Punjabi version of the platter in the form of Chinese chaat or there are exclusive standalone restaurants of the cuisine. What has now also got South Delhiites addicted to it is Italian food. Though Aseem Grover of The Big Chill, one of the pioneers in bringing Italian food down from being an expensive fine dining option to a more affordable category, doesn’t consider Italian food a threat to Chinese or vice versa. He does believe that Italian food is here to stay. "The best thing about Delhi is that it is very receptive to any kind of experiment or change. Any new cuisine from anywhere will be accepted here. One kind of food can never be a threat to another one. In fact Chinese comes soon after Indian food in terms of its popularity."So, while exclusive Italian restaurants in the city are still less in number, the fact that they are increasing, speak for the food’s popularity.