Something completely different this week.
After trying Bruno’s Italian promotion last week, we stayed with Italian
cuisine, getting well and truly stuck into some Italian gelato ice cream in
Walking Street.
Now the Dining Out team has to admit that we did not even
know that this little place existed, and apparently it has been there for 12
months, or so the owner, the irrepressible Avi, told us. However, to give
you a marker, it is almost directly opposite The Lobster Pot, about 50
meters from South Pattaya Road. It is also very well lit, with colorful
orange walls and a bright yellow cold storage unit. You won’t miss it.
Now a little history. The word gelato is actually the
past participle of the Italian verb ‘gelare’, meaning ‘to freeze’
and freezing is part of the method of making a real gelato. However, the
Italians did not “invent” gelato. The explorer, Marco Polo (1254-1324),
is believed to have seen ice-creams being made during his trip to China and
introduced them to Italy. In fact the Chinese first began eating ice cream
during the reign of King Tang of Shang (618-697 AD).
Traditional American-style ice cream is made with a
mixture of whole milk, cream, sugar, sweeteners and flavorings such as
fruits, fruit pur้es, nuts, and chocolate chips. But the key
ingredient is air, sometimes as much as 50 percent to ‘bulk up’ the
frozen mixture. It will also include chemical emulsifiers and stabilizers to
add texture and protect the product from temperature changes undergone while
traveling from the factory to your freezer.
Authentic gelato is more than slightly different, and is
made with whole milk, cream, eggs, sugar, fruit, nuts, or pur้es,
almost no air, and no chemical preservatives, emulsifiers or stabilizers.
This means it has to be made daily in small batches. It also means that it
is smoother, denser, healthier (94 percent fat free) and the flavors are
more intense.
After that short history, health and hygiene lesson, let
us return to our own home-grown gelato outlet, TimeOut Gelato Bars. Remember
the old ice cream parlors? About half a dozen tubs of colored ice cream in
an open deep-freeze and an ice cream scoop lying in a watery ‘pond’,
ready to scoop up your order. Well, forget about all that. TimeOut Gelato
Bars present their ice cream in a glass-fronted refrigerated cabinet, with
the ice creams folded and twisted into appealing patterns, covered with
fruit, berries, toppings and nuts, depending upon the flavor.
We sampled almost every one of TimeOut Gelato bars 24
flavors, including Rum and Raisin, Cherry Ripple, Coconut, Choc mint,
Hazelnut and many other flavors unique to Thailand. One of those was Chilli
Chocolate, an amazing chocolate ice cream that left a tangy chilli
‘aftertaste’ on the palate. However, for me, the stand-out was the
Lemoncello, just like the after dinner delight I enjoy after Italian meals.
The gelato ice creams can be purchased as a small two
scoop cup (B. 68), regular (B. 95), large (B. 120) or the take-home large
family tub (B. 240). There are also large waffle cones (made on the premises
as you watch) with ice cream for B. 95, and similarly priced smoothies and
Gelato fruit smoothies as well.
We had gone to the ice cream parlor thinking it was going
to be just another of the ‘cardboard’ ice cream places, and were totally
captivated by the atmosphere (ice cream can be fun) and the choices. We
enjoyed the gelato ice cream so much we bought a take-home pack for later.
That is about as high a recommendation as I can give. Go and try for
yourself!
TimeOut Gelato Bars, 103/1 Moo 10, Beach Road (Walking
Street, opposite the Lobster Pot), South Pattaya. Hours 10 a.m. until 2
a.m., seven days. On street parking up till 6 p.m., after which all
vehicular traffic is prohibited. Telephone 038 710 852, email
[email protected]
By the way, owner Avi is offering franchises, which I believe is a hot
opportunity for a cold product. On the evening we attended, there was a
steady flow of traffic through the premises, and I do not believe it was
“rent-a-crowd”!
