Last year, Italian chef Daniele Macioce moved to Hydrabad as chef de cuisine, Tre-Forni Bar & Restauarant, Park Hyatt. The chef who got married to an Indian recently says, “I got a job offer from Hyatt, so I came to Hyderabad and settled here over time. I also got married here recently and my wife is from Manipur,” he says. Though his marriage to an Indian was not a planned affair, what was made it all the more special was that Daniele’s mother flew down from Italy to bless the couple. “I was the first time she sat on a plane. And yes, it was unexpected and a pleasure to have her travel for my wedding,” he gushes
Now Hyderabad is where Daniele sees himself living. “My life is here. It took a little bit time to settle in and to find daily commodities, but people here are kind and helpful towards non-locals.,” he says.
Most expats often feel like they live two different lives in separate countries, says Daniele, who is originally from Lombardy in Italy. “Actually, I have more Indian friends than expats and I am really happy about it. It has been one year and four months in Hyderabad. And I have no immediate plans to leave,” says the chef. He adds that he considers himself a Hyderabadi so much that when he meets fellow Italians, he is not able to relate to them as much as he is with Hyderabadis.
So did he experience any ‘culture shock’, and he says,“Not really, I always like to know of a different culture. The hardest parts of expat life for me so far have been communication. Local language is a bit of a barrier.”
Talking about the cost of living in Hyderabad, “ he says, “Hyderabad is a city that caters to every class of people. Some of the things here are cheaper some are more expensive.”
He further states, “My wife has been living in Hyderabad from the past ten years and thus I have a lot of things to do around the city. Hyderabad has a mix of people from all the standards of living. Hyderabad is a very safe city and thus everything can be done with enjoyment except for summers, which is unbearable.”
Anything he would like to recommend to future expats? He says, “Coming from a country that has a strong cultural background with history rich, I have developed a liking for cities with rich culture and heritage. Hyderabad is a city that has a lot of stories behind its existence and also with many monuments. I am in love with the city’s heritage element and I usually visit the monuments to get to know more about I like Golconda fort and Charminar among all.”
His life as an expat influenced his profession a lot. “Culture is the most influencing factor. As I am an Italian expat chef, the options for vegetarian dishes is less and now that I am working in India, which fairly has a larger number of vegetarian diners, I got the opportunity to innovate more in terms of vegetarian Italian dishes. This was an influencing factor about my job,” adds the chef.