BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A jazz-themed café and restaurant serving up desserts and drinks is bringing Thai to Bed-Stuy.
A Gusto, which opened this spring at 1450 Fulton St., near Tompkins Avenue, offers a mix of homemade pastries and sweets including matcha brownies with green tea ice cream and savory dishes like spaghetti green curry.
Co-owner Monchayapa “Cherry” Usussada worked in Thai restaurants for more than 15 years, she said, and sought to combine her culture with her love for coffee and baking.
“I like to introduce Thai-influenced desserts to the neighborhood and bring new items to people so they can try,” she said. “These are types of things you can get in Thailand, but not so much here.”
Popular sweets include a soft chocolate cake and a cashew caramel toffee, Usussada added.
The 750-square-foot space incorporates musical elements, such as a keyboard along the bar and a piano shelf behind it, a cello outlined on the wall and a trumpet sink in the bathroom.
“We’re thinking, what’s going to bring all nationalities together? It’s music, such a beautiful thing for everyone,” Usussada said.
A Gusto’s co-owner and chef, Satita “Poupée” Amarapala, said she chose jazz because it was a unifying theme that appealed to all classes and ethnicities.
Customers can grab a cup of coffee or Thai iced tea, or stop by for salmon pancakes, a scrambled sandwich or French toast.
The eatery started serving wine, beer and sake this month, including sparkling and unfiltered sake.
A roughly 500-square-foot backyard is open for customers, and the owners plan on renovating the space for covered seating.
The business is also seeking artists to showcase their work, Amarapala said.
“It’s a place for people who want to have a drink or coffee and sit and talk with friends,” Usussada added.
“If you come as a family, dad can get a glass of wine, mom a coffee, and the kids can have cake. We try to make it open for everyone.”
