--By Aashiyana Adhikari and Sushil Pangeni

“When engaged in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach,” said English crime novelist Agatha Christie. But what do you do when your brain oozes out due to the delicious food being served?

A serene vegetarian restaurant amidst the hustle and bustle of the city at Kamaladi, Little Italy guarantees to take your taste buds on a divine ride. Opened in 2011, a franchise of a famous Indian vegetarian restaurant chain, Little Italy provides justice to Italian flavours adding a little bit of an Indian twist to it. With a perfect ambience and excellent customer service, Little Italy does not disappoint. The vibrant olive walls with exquisite furniture add perfect charm to the place. An Italian restaurant that serves vegetarian food was a big surprise but you don’t feel the urge to satisfy your carnivorous side after you start eating here.

“The ambience of Little Italy gives the feeling of a fine dining restaurant. With a touch of Italian layout, we serve authentic Italian cuisine,” says Indra Kumar Poudel, manager of the restaurant. According to him, families who want to escape from the hubbub of the city have a pleasant time here. “Youths, families and corporate people are the main targeted customers,” says Poudel.

Covering an area of 5000 sq ft, the restaurant hosts outdoor catering parties, indoor parties, birthdays, corporate tie-ups, kitty parties and has an Italian live counter for Pizzas, Pasta, Lasagna, Salad and desserts. The spacious restaurant has a seating capacity of 160 with a private cabin used for conference and meetings. Customers of every age group can enjoy the restaurant in their own individual way. The well trained waiters exhibit professionalism and make you feel satisfied with their service.

Having over 75 dishes, Little Italy guarantees you have a happy stomach when you leave. Many dishes are married to their own dedicated condiments. As melamine plates start to mingle around the table, these spouses can become estranged. The Nachos Cheese Sauce which has a crispy feel along with mouth melting Mexican cheese definitely stands up as a starter. Barbaresca Ravioli, a creamy cheese pasta with broccoli, sun dried tomato, chopped tomato, topped with sprinkled parmesan cheese is by far one of the best dishes served at the restaurant. You can never get enough of it, the creamy flavour melts in your mouth.

Little Italy brings you authentic Italian pizzas. The wide variety of wood oven pizzas can confuse you and you’ll stare at the menu for five whole minutes as the ingredients of the pizzas are too intriguing to ignore. Chef’s favorite Sicilia, thin crispy pizza topped with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomato, picked onion and basil is a must try. The pizza is so soft that the base did not need any knife to get sliced. Bombay, Goa, Manali, Nawabi are few among the varieties of pizzas to choose from in addition to Italian pizza. As the names suggest, these are pizza with a little bit of Indian twist.

Caesar Salad, farmer’s bread baked with butter and garlic served warm, stands out among the salads by maintaining its minimalism. Salad Insalata Mista and Corleone are refined and well served. The restaurant serves a range of Mexican dishes like Cheese corn balls, Bean Tacos, Cheese quesadillas and much more. Lasagne a La Napoletana, a layer of homemade pasta, béchamel sauce, tomato sauce, basil, and mozzarella and ricotta cheese sauce is a dish that is as alluring as its name, you don’t want it to end. 

Just before you thought that the Italian treat is over, Little Italy surprises you with their mouth watering dessert range. Muddy melted fantasy chocolate served with vanilla ice-cream, Chocolate Bomb is a pleasure to your mouth. Likewise, Sizzling Chocolate Walnut Brownie takes you to a fantasy land of molten chocolate. 

The Hot Lady Moon is a colour bashed cocktail that you can’t resist as it is too eye pleasing not to take a sip. A mixture of vodka with Grenadine Cyrus and orange juice, Hot Lady Moon gives you just a subtle feeling of ooze. But the Apple Margarita steals the show, as the flavour easily captivates your tongue.

Little Italy has started making corporate lunch boxes and is also associated with foodmandu for free home delivery. Parking is bit of a problem here as you have to leave your vehicle a bit far from the restaurant and customers get confused about where to park but all in all, from good food to ambience and service, Little Italy won’t disappoint you. Even the meat lovers are going to say “Mama Mia cibo Incredibile” to Little Italy’s food.