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Nestled in a small coastal town called Riccione in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy is the Pasticceria Tommasini Caffetteria. The family-run bakery was started over 30 years ago in the family’s hometown. It has three outlets in the same region — two owned by the parents and one by their son, Francesco. Their very first franchise is located in Islamabad’s F-7 Markaz.

The family are very particular about the quality and repute of Pasticceria Tommasini, which is why it took Omer Chaudhry, the barista-chef-entrepreneur, a very long time to convince them to allow him to set up a franchise in Pakistan. “It took me six months and five trips to Riccione, Italy to convince the Tommasinis, starting from their grandmother to the father, the mother and finally Francesco, the young Tommasini lad, to agree to my business proposal, calling it a leap of faith,” he told Images.

Walking into the Pasticceria itself was like stepping into an Italian café — setting it apart from its counterparts, the decor was similar to a café in Milan. Handmade tiles lining the backsplash, beige floor tiles arranged in a herringbone pattern on the floor, handmade wooden tables and chairs artfully arranged to accommodate no more than 40 guests at a time — the café has a warm and welcoming feel to it.

As we got comfortable, Francesco recommended the melanzane alla parmigiana and arancini con pomodoro followed by margarita pizza and tagliata di carne, a grilled beef with rosemary potatoes. Dessert was a surprise.

The melanzane alla parmigiana was triple-layered crumb fried eggplant slices covered with parmesan cheese and tomato sauce. “It is quite popular in the south of Italy,” Chaudhry explained. I trust him — he has over 20 years of experience in the food industry, after all.

The presentation was picture-perfect and the eggplant was cut into a slice, much like a cake. With balanced seasoning, the overpowering essence of eggplant simmered well in the tomato sauce and the aroma of aged parmesan cheese combined with the Midas touch of basil leaf and the crunch of the crumbs was delectable. With a price tag of Rs895, the portion size was justified but not able to be shared.

It was now arancini con pomodoro’s turn to hit the palates and ask for a judgement. “You can call it a street food or a comfort food. Italians love to order arancini balls as appetisers before starting their main course,” Francesco explained. Dressed in marinara sauce, the rice balls were served three per each guest, priced at Rs1,280. “It is supposed to be eaten warm so that the mozzarella stuffed inside does not get cold. Dip each bite in the tomato sauce to cut down on the crunchiness,” suggested the Italian chef who has been in Islamabad for over a month now. The amalgamation of mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce and the crusty rice balls was just divine!

It must have been a big risk to open an Italian patisserie in a country where the only Italian food known is pizza, pasta and lasagna, I asked Chaudhry. “Business is all about intuition and risk. Pakistan is a very nascent market. I feel for the past 10 years or so, a certain lifestyle has developed amongst the food aficionados and one sees an adrenaline rush for pan-asian and mediterranean cuisine so why not get into the queue and introduce something extraordinary?” he asked.

“Islamabad’s denizens have reached the first Plato, where they at least understand what’s what, so they clearly know the difference between a croissant and a pastry. Plus Islamabad’s consumer is very well travelled and, not to forget, there is a big diplomat community in Islamabad who love authentic Italian food. I always say that food in Pakistan is a big source of entertainment,” he explained, with a promising smile.

With imported Italian ovens, grinders and coffee machines, the chances of things going south are minimal. It was interesting to watch Francesco constantly supervising and training the chefs behind the ovens and Chaudhry, who has been a coffee distributor for 30 years as well as a certified barista, behind the expresso machine.

Picking the right ingredients must have been your biggest challenge, I asked Francesco. “Well, the hazelnut is from north of Italy, a place called Langhe which produces the best hazelnuts in the world and pistachio is from Bronte, in the south of Italy, the best you can find! The difference between Italy and Pakistan is that in Italy, a pasticceria does not serve food, but only coffee and pastry items, whereas it’s all in one [here],” replied the thirty-something Italian.

Once done with the appetisers and the margarita pizza, which left much to be desired, it was time for dessert. A cornucopia of colourful, intricately decorated desserts were placed on our table — langhe, citron meringue, and tiramisu. The presentation was a masterstroke, a work of a craftsman rather than a patisserie chef.

The langhe, named after the place in Italy, was a hazelnut mousse with almond sponge, and caramel and milk chocolate glaze. It was hard on the crust but creamy and silky once the spoon made its way to the mouth.

The tiramisu was served in a short glass with coffee sponge, mascarpone and vanilla mousse and was very smooth, with a perfect balance between the sweetness of the mousse and acidity of mascarpone melting in the mouth in nanoseconds.

The meringue citron tart was a bit too sweet for someone who doesn’t have a sweet tooth.

In a nutshell, Tommasini is here to stay. The Pasticceria opens its doors at 8am for an authentic healthy Italian breakfast, followed by lunch hours, whereas dinnertime starts at 7pm keeping in mind the expats. Keeping in mind Pakistanis, the eatery closes at midnight.