Italy on a platter at Francesco’s

By Shiran Illanperuma

Giovanni’s, a pizzeria in Thimbirigasyaya, has achieved a level of fame that is uncommon in Colombo’s burgeoning food scene, amassing a dedicated fandom who come back not only for the authentic wood oven pizzas but also for the generosity and charisma of restaurateur Dimuthu Gamage.

As of last week, Dimuthu’s latest brainchild Francesco’s (named after his son) has begun operating out of Jawatte Road, just a stone’s throw away from Giovanni’s.

Replete with a fledgling herb garden, photos of classic celebrities and Italian football teams, Dimuthu’s latest venture exudes the kind of down-to-earth and familial deli vibe found in Italian corner cafes around the world.

Serving up platters of imported cheese and cold cuts, along with stellar coffees and crowd-pleasing pastas and risottos, Francesco’s is the answer to what many fans of Giovanni’s – and Italian cuisine as a whole – have longed for; a family-run, deli-style restaurant serving up exclusively Italian imported delicacies, painstakingly crafted and presented by a team that is passionate about what they do.

Francesco’s took in its first customer on Monday (2), shortly after the New Year. Daily FT quickly followed suit, dropping by the new deli for an exclusive preview of Francesco’s Italian fare.

Italy on a platter

Fransesco’s cheese and meat platter, likely to be a flagship order as the restaurant gains steam, features a delectable assortment of fine Italian cheeses, cold cuts, olives, fresh bread, tomatoes (both fresh and sundried) as well as a few stalks of fresh basil and some dried oregano for seasoning.

Centrestage are the two balls of mozzarella cheese – a far cry from the cheap stringy versions often found in faux Italian dishes around Colombo – Francesco’s product is fresh and crisp with a distinct yet subtle flavour, best accentuated with a drop of one of Dimuthu’s imported truffle olive oils or a slice of fresh tomato with oregano.

For meat lovers, the pepperoni and salami on the platter are also of superior taste and quality, elegantly complimented by an olive or a piece of sundried tomato. For those who don’t eat pork, cured beef and chicken ham options are also available though, being faithful to Italian culinary tradition, the vast majority of cold cuts on offer are pork.

Fransesco’s platter may seem daunting or even confusing for the uninitiated but Dimuthu, Shanthini and the rest of the team are more than happy to talk you through it, recommending just the right combinations to extract the most flavour out of the experience.

Of pastas and paninis

While a platter may be best suited for a special occasion or a larger gathering of friends and family, pastas and paninis are the staple of any aspiring Italian deli. It’s promising to note that Dimuthu’s take on these carby staples exceed expectations and will suit both smaller pax and solo walk-in diners. 

Any good sandwich starts with the bread. No amount of indulgent filling can make up for cold, dry or stale bread, and so the fluffy, freshly baked panini bread at Francesco’s is a delightful start to an overall great sandwich. The panini itself was layered with salami, mortadella cheese, lightly sautéed spinach, and a flavourful pesto spread with a subtle hint of chilli. The resulting sandwich was supremely satisfying and perhaps best experienced with a strong cup of coffee.

Moving on, Dimuthu’s rustic take on ravioli was unsurprisingly the star of the show. With fresh, homemade, spinach-infused dough and a savoury stuffing of porcini mushrooms, creamy ricotta cheese and perfectly cooked spinach – it’s everything a pasta lover could ask for. 

Italian cuisine is often mistakenly associated with indulgent meaty dishes but Dimuthu’s ravioli harks back to the humble roots of traditional Italian cooking, with the robust flavour and texture of porcini mushrooms more than compensating for the lack of protein.

The only criticism of this dish would be directed towards its lacklustre presentation, combined with the fact that it was slightly over-salted and had a stuffing that was too chunky to complement the finely crafted ravioli dough. However, this can be forgiven due Fransesco’s fledgling status as well as Dimuthu’s willingness to evolve with his audience’s tastes and criticisms.

Coffee and cake

We rounded off our sneak peak of Fransesco’s fare with a stimulating cup of coffee and a dense slice of chocolate cake. From the range of coffees on offer, the ‘bombon’, recommended to us by Fransesco’s staff, stood out.

Presented in a small cup, a little larger than a shot glass, the drink is made of a layer of condensed milk at the bottom and strong Italian espresso on top. When mixed, the two layers meld into the perfect concoction to kick-start a morning or alternatively, to awaken from a post-platter, post-pasta food coma.

Fransesco’s chocolate cake, infused with strawberries and topped with fresh whipped cream was nothing to scoff at either. If this dense, moist and toe-curlingly sweet slice of cake is any indication of what’s to come, Fransesco’s cakes are likely to be sleeper hits, able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most popular bakers in Colombo.

Fare for Italiophiles

Like sister-restaurant Giovanni’s, Francesco’s does not serve liquor. However, guests are welcome to bring their own booze, an option that is recommended, as a good glass of wine is the only thing missing from Francesco’s selection of Italian delicacies. Though a menu has not been finalised, Dimuthu expects to feature three unique pastas and risottos a day, with Saturdays and Sundays being reserved for ‘seafood specials’.

As with the menu, prices at Francesco’s are also to be finalised. However, odds are that paninis may be priced around Rs. 500, pastas and risottos between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 1,500, and platters, which could feed up to four people, around Rs. 5,000. Coffee and other hot drinks range between Rs. 250 and Rs. 500. Given the quality of the food on offer, combined with the friendly service and ambience, this price range is well worth the experience.

Francesco’s is now open four days a week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday) for breakfast and lunch. However, as business picks up, Dimuthu expects to keep the deli open for more days of the week and dinner too, with his partner Shanthini running the show.

We look forward to Francesco’s finding its footing in the coming months, as its location, staff and ambience fill a unique niche in Colombo’s increasingly cosmopolitan food culture. Though still rough around the edges in its early days, Francesco’s promises to be a go-to establishment for any local Italiophile.