[Review] GIOIA’s Chinatown store for premium Italian gelato

[Written in partnership with GIOIA, but the editorial team had full control over the content.]

Malaysia doesn’t lack gelato options, but one new kid on the block to keep your eye on is GIOIA.

With its powdery baby blue branding giving it that quintessential summery vibe, the brand first captured the taste buds of patrons at its beautiful glasshouse gelateria in Jade Hills.

Now, just under a year later, it’s unveiled a new double-storey gelateria, this time in the bustling area of Chinatown.

We dropped by to taste the goods and admire the view, so here’s what you can expect from a visit.

A new face in Chinatown

GIOIA Chinatown certainly stands out on the street, with its pastel blue facade and elegant white awnings beckoning people in for a good time.

Inside, rows of windows let in abundant natural light, casting the place in a gorgeous glow. 

Downstairs is where you’ll find classic locally-loved flavours such as Musang King, vanilla, coconut and caramelised espresso, and chocolate, as well as elevated ones like GIOIA’s hibiscus gelato, sea salt and butterfly pea flower, and pistachio. 

But more on how they taste later.

Past the rows of churning gelatos is a display with sourdough delights, made by GIOIA’s sister brand, BakeTouch Microbakery, which you can enjoy with the gelatos or coffee (brewed in-house).

Further into the back of the store is a seating area, but our personal favourite spot to dig into our cold treats was upstairs.

We’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Bringing GIOIA to customers

On the topic of our cold treats, we ordered a scoop of each flavour to share.

As mentioned earlier, there are classic flavours like vanilla and chocolate, both of which would definitely please even the most discerning fans. 

If you want stronger flavours, definitely try the Musang King, which was like biting into the flesh of the fruit itself sans the texture, or the pistachio, which was savoury and nutty and oh-so indulgent.

For something more refreshing and summery, try the mixed berries gelato, or if you’re adventurous, why not the hibiscus, sea salt and butterfly pea flower, or coconut and caramelised espresso?

It was really difficult to pinpoint our true favourites, but if we went again, we’d definitely be getting the pistachio, coconut, and Musang King scoops.

Each gelato was melt-in-your-mouth smooth and creamy, and we also appreciated how they weren’t too sweet, allowing the base flavours to shine through.

Upstairs is also where you’ll find the gold-branded GIOIA+, which is GIOIA’s lineup of exclusively alcoholic gelatos. 

At the time of our visit, GIOIA+ wasn’t ready yet because it’s launching later this month, but we think we got a teaser of what types of alcohol might be in the gelatos based on the bottles lining the windows.

On the second floor is even outdoor balcony seating for those who want to brave Malaysia’s sun and experience true summer heat.

No compromise on quality

From the outside, it might be easy to dismiss GIOIA as just another gelato brand. 

But behind it is Levain Group, a team with 40+ years’ experience of setting up other F&B businesses, supplying them with menu R&D know-how, advanced machinery, and other services.

All this to say, GIOIA’s founders know what goes into creating a good brand.

Co-founders Eric, Pivian, and Carmen have combined their individual skill sets for GIOIA, building a gelato brand that doesn’t compromise on quality ingredients and machinery.

Examples of this are in how their top-grade pistachios are sourced from Italy, and their machines boast German technology, allowing GIOIA to serve customers with only the best they can offer.

Just like their namesake, “gioia,” which means “joy” in Italian, we can say that these shareable treats will definitely put smiles on faces.

The new Chinatown location will enable the proudly homegrown brand to further flourish and make its sweet mark on Malaysia’s dessert scene.

• Learn more about GIOIA here.
• Read more Malaysian startup stories here.

All Images Credit: Vulcan Post