“To be honest, I have never come across real gelato here in Bangkok,” says Thanamas “Grace” Assadamongkolphan, who discovered her love for the Italy’s version of ice cream while taking up her master’s degree in fashion entrepreneurship at the Marangoni Fashion Institute in Milan. “I loved it so much that I wanted to open a gelato shop.” Grace approached the owner of Il Massimo del Gelato, her favorite gelato parlor in Milan with the hopes of bringing the franchise back to Thailand. As she had expected, the owner declined her offer, but suggested instead that she learn how to make it herself in an unnamed institution in Bergamo where the best recipes for this frozen treat come from. And that’s how the story of Grazia Gelato and Coffee began.
As Grace explains, the difference between ice cream and gelato lies in the texture and richness of the mix. “Gelato incorporates less air so it comes with a silkier and more intense texture. Also, it contains almost 90 percent less fat because it has less amount of cream. And you can appreciate the actual taste of ingredients more in gelato.”
Grace is proud of the gelato served at Grazia, which is tucked in an elegant townhouse in Bang Klaui that has been refurbished to look like a retro fashion studio, complete with arch details and vintage collectibles that Grace gathered whilst in Italy. For one, the gelato here is devoid of chemicals and emulsifiers, which are typically used as shortcuts at most ice cream parlors. But Grazia doesn’t need any shortcuts anyway—the café is the first in the country to use the Frigomat GX gelato machine, which allows gelato to be made in 15 minutes.
Flavors change on a daily basis, depending on the ingredients available for the day, but you’re likely to be choosing among Three Musketeers, an indulgent treat made with three kinds of chocolate; Greek Yoghurt; Lychee & Lemon; and the healthy Avocado & House-made Almond Milk (start from B120).
Nicolar Eberle oversees the coffee part. The Italian barista, who’s also Grace’s boyfriend, gives a creative twist to espresso shots without straying too far from the traditional Italian recipe. Specialties include the frothy Shakerato (B125), a “shaken” espresso shot with brown sugar, and Caffè Nutellino (B115), an espresso shot with a thin layer of Nutella at the bottom. If you insist on sticking to the classics, go for the authentic Italian cappuccino (B105) topped with smooth microfoam. It’s also worth mentioning that the café is the sole importer and distributor of Filicori Zeccini, the Italian coffee that goes into the drinks at Grazia.
Daily-baked goodies, like fluffy quarter-quarts (B85), soft-baked cookies (B65) and Nutella croissants (B115), are also available to accompany your espresso-based drinks and gelato.
Grazia is situated outside of the city, but the Italophile in us can easily ignore that fact—we’d gladly make the trek to a shop that takes two things Italy is known for seriously and executes them brilliantly.
