A sweet addition to the eateries
surrounding the Donghu Lu/Fumin
Lu confluence, Gracie's ice cream is available within Al's Diner, where at the back of the store a
seductive case
of frozen treats
exerts the pull of
a super-magnet.
Each gorgeous, artisanal ice cream
is bold and dense. From white
chocolate-ginger to half-baked
cookie dough to miso-caramel,
the flavours and ingredients are
unmistakably pure. The balsamic strawberry-buttermilk ice cream
stars strawberries from Chongming; a family-run
farm in Yunnan supplies raw black
sesame, which is roasted and
ground by hand on-site for the black
sesame-honey ice cream. Although
50RMB will only get you two
modest scoops, the
quality merits the
splurge.
The sundaes,
too, are
delightfully
decadent. Two
scoops of dark
chocolate cherry and
a mound of
vanilla bean
form the ice cream base of the
cherry cheesecake
parfait (88RMB). The
combination is topped
with crumbled Graham crackers,
hand-whipped cream, Amarena
cherries and a rich sauce made
with Philadelphia cream cheese.
The mouth-watering concoction
drips down the sides of the bowl.
A satisfyingly nostalgic treat is the
Gracie’s banana split (108RMB), a
more manageable portion than the
hefty price tag suggests.
Gracie’s deserves repeat
visits for its luscious ice cream
(delivery is also available).
