Located on an easily overlooked soi across from Burger King, Goloso Italian Deli (1025/13 Ploenchit Rd., near Central Chitlom, 02-655-0565. Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm and Sat 10am-1pm. BTS Chid Lom) has a nondescript storefront but is in fact a hidden gem for Italian food lovers. Run by Massimo Ducci, the former general manager at Bar Italia, Goloso began as a wholesaler to Italian restaurants throughout Thailand; his list of clients now numbers 70 and extrends to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Samui.

“My main business is importing Italian deli products. Many chefs always ask me for samples, so Goloso is like an exposition for chefs and other customers,” he explains.

Made in Italy

Everything in the store is imported from Italy, with shipments coming in every Wednesday and Friday: olive oil (B590-700) from north and central Italy; cherry tomatoes (B700/kg) from the south; and Parma ham (B2,500/kg)—Goloso’s bestseller—from the north.

As you would expect, most people come for the selection of cheese and cold cuts, but you can also find vegetables—artichokes, Radicchio Trevigiano, Tarocco oranges—and fresh jam, grissini (breadsticks) and rice at Goloso.

Cheese & Wine

Though the shop is filled with Italian items, the majority of the customers are Thai, not farang. “Thais are nice customers, and many of them come for the cheese. It isn’t true that Thais don’t like cheese, as people claim,” Massimo says with a smile.
The mozzarella (B450/250g) is especially popular. A person favorite of Massimo is Barolo cheese (B220/g), a unique delicacy he proudly recommends. This intense cheese is refined in must from the grapes used for Barolo wine, and the two complement each other perfectly.

As a service to his customers, he offers Italian wines (from B640 to B16,000) at Goloso, but they are selected from local suppliers rather than imported directly.

Just Like Gianni

If you come to the store and don’t know what to buy, Massimo is happy to give you advice. “I have to ask the customer his purpose: if someone needs something fresh that day, I suggest buying slices of Pama ham or salami. If someone stays far away from Bangkok, perhaps he could buy some salami and slice it himself. He can keep it in the refrigerator for a month.”

If you think Italian cuisine is complicated or difficult to prepare, Massimo will show you products that can be easily put together. For example, you could make a gourmet meal out of truffle tagliatelle (B350) and Sugo all’ arrabbiata (B260), a tomato-based pasta sauce. Just boil the pasta and mix in the sauce.
“You see? Italian food is very simple,” Massimo insists. “Thai food is much more difficult to cook.”