Tokyo(Japan), Mar. 15 : North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, it seems, not only wants to test his missiles, but also fancies eating ravioli and pasta regularly.

So deep is his love for Italian cuisine, that he has ordered the opening of North Korea's first "authentic" Italian restaurant and reportedly spared nothing in getting the recipe right.

According to the New York Daily News, though North Korea is plagued by food shortages, it has ordered the import of wheat, flour, butter and cheese from Italy for the eatery.

Cooks were sent to Naples and Rome for training after they made "errors" in the kitchen, the Chosun Sinbo newspaper reported.

"General Kim Jong-Il said that the people should also be allowed access to the world''s famous dishes," said Kim Sang-Soon, manager of the restaurant in Pyongyang.

The Japan-based paper, considered friendly to North Korea''s communist regime, said the restaurant is a hit.

The paunchy Kim''s penchant for fancy food is well known, and Italian food is one of his favorite cuisines.

In 2004, an Italian chef told how he was hired to teach North Korean army officers how to make pizza so they could cook for Kim. (ANI)