Fashionable Italian treats at Punto Dolce

When husband-and-wife workforce — Francesco Mannino and Kim Soo-joo — opened Punto Dolce in japanese Seoul’s hip Seongsu-dong final December, the concept was clear — to fuse owner-chef Mannino’s intensive working experience as a pastry chef with his Italian roots.

“Our plan is to create a point wherever people today can come to take pleasure in Italian fashionable desserts,” Mannino, 46, spelled out why he and his wife christened their keep “punto” which implies “point” in Italian in an e-mail job interview.

“We have developed this concept of fashionable Italian desserts which are influenced by Italian classics and substances,” controlling director Kim, 39, explained on their personalized choose on classics like Sicilian cannoli and Roman maritozzo. 

According to Punto Dolce’s formal Instagram account, Kim labored at a style organization in Korea and then as a wedding ceremony cake designer in London just before managing a cake studio in China though Mannino racked up working experience as a pastry chef at Pierre Herme Paris and as executive pastry chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London and the Four Seasons Lodge in Beijing.

Kim uncovered that she and Mannino 1st entertained the idea of their personal dessert store even though doing the job in China.

Ultimately in 2020, Kim and Mannino moved to Korea and opened their just take on the Italian pasticceria.

Christened Punto Dolce, which approximately translates to “sweet place,” this dessert store specializes in Italian treats together with a specifically dreamy acquire on millefoglie.

“Millefoglie is a very preferred cake in Italy,” mentioned Mannino. “Normally it is vanilla flavored but I wanted to give it a contact of southern Italy with orange blossom.”

Alternatively of referring to their take on the multi-layered puff pastry as millefoglie, at Punto Dolce this sensitive dessert is named “diplomatica” and characteristics two stacks of impossibly slim levels of puff pastry that swaddle a lush filling of salted caramel and vanilla-rich product.

Orange blossom h2o provides a mild fragrance to this delectable flaky deal with.

In addition to millefoglie, one particular will also find maritozzo – a common product bun that hails from Mannino’s indigenous Rome.

Typically enjoyed for breakfast in Rome, this handle goes as significantly back again as the Middle Ages. 

At Punto Dolce, the vintage product-loaded brioche is amped up with pistachio paste from a town in Sicily.

“We use pistachio paste from Bronte which is thought to be the most effective space where by pistachios are developed in Italy,” Mannino defined. 

The brioche offers the feather-light texture of cotton candy, whilst the equally light cream is studded with berries. A sweet and simultaneously tart swab of compote is tucked away in the center of this bouffant handle. 

Then there is cannoli.

Hailing from Sicily, this deep-fried, ricotta-filled pastry is given its thanks at Punto Dulce.

Mannino discovered that he adheres to tradition when crafting the dough for the cannoli.

“The dough is a common Sicilian recipe,” Mannino stated, outlining that he utilizes Marsala wine and cinnamon, as is personalized. 

Just after crafting the dough, shaping it into traditional dainty tubes and deep frying them, he fills them with an impossibly gentle ricotta product amped up with chocolate pearls, candied orange peel and orange blossom h2o.

The ensuing take care of is not-far too-sweet, extremely fragrant and very light-weight on the palate. 

In addition to their Sicilian cannoli, Punto Dolce frequently presents an supplemental variation of cannoli, occasionally working with pear or eco-friendly tea to give dessert lovers a a bit various twist to the well-liked Italian dessert.

Mannino also exposed Punto Dolce’s line-up changes from time to period.

“So stay tuned for new merchandise,” he included.

Kim also revealed long term ideas to include a supply provider. 

Punto Dolce

1F, 668-17 Seonsu-dong 1-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul

(070) 8230-3303 @puntodolce_formal

Open up 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays by way of Sundays, shut Mondays and Tuesdays

Cannoli charges 7,800 gained, diplomatica prices 8,500 received, maritozzo bronte prices 5,900 gained

Take-out offered for most menu objects

By Jean Oh ([email protected])