Paju café for groups: 100 seats and 6-person sofas, Fruit Forest

The short version: if you want bingsu (Korean shaved ice), you have to go to Fruit Forest.. This is my review of Fruit Forest, where I happily ate bingsu piled high with really fresh fruit toppings!

Is parking easy at Fruit Forest Paju Direct Store?

Fruit Forest Paju Direct Store is a standalone building with a big dedicated parking lot on the first floor, so you can visit without worrying about parking. The building says "Holy Land of Mango Bingsu" in big letters, and I was really curious whether it would live up to that!

All the way up the stairs there are mango desserts on display, and the fresh mangoes ripening there smelled amazing, so I thought, okay, this is the real deal, hahaha.

Inside the shop, it's not just mangoes: all kinds of fruit are prettily displayed, which put me in a good mood and got me excited for the taste.

What's on the menu besides bingsu?

Fruit Forest is a bingsu holy land, but it's practically a café too, selling all sorts of drinks and coffee! The menu is huge and varied, and lots of items use fruit, so it's popular with kids and adults alike.

Fruit sales and cup fruit group orders

The fruit in the Fruit Forest showcase looked so pretty and delicious, and it turns out they sell fruit too, hehe. Fruit Forest says its goal is to sell top-grade fruit fresh at reasonable prices, so I'd recommend buying some as well. They also take inquiries for group orders such as cup fruit and for gift sets, so ask at the shop.

Cake, churros and croffle desserts

Besides drinks and bingsu, there are desserts too. There was a good variety, including cake, churros and croffles (croissant waffles).

I think adding fruit on the side would make them feel even fancier and tastier.

Is it a roomy café for families and groups?

Fruit Forest Paju Direct Store is a spacious shop that holds up to 100 people including the terrace. I loved how open and cool it felt. The tables are spaced widely and the floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of light, so the atmosphere was great too.

I also liked the sofa seating for 6 or more people. It's a big space, so I'd strongly recommend it for families. One note: dogs are allowed on the terrace only!

Close to Lotte Outlets

You can see Lotte Outlets through the Fruit Forest windows! It seems like a perfect stop for dessert before or after shopping. This is our route, and it takes less than 5 minutes by car, hahaha.

There are high chairs and separate men's and women's restrooms inside the shop, so it looked comfortable to use.

How are the portion and taste of the fresh mango bingsu?

The fresh mango bingsu is made the moment you order, and it came out faster than I expected. Can even the buzzer be this fresh and zesty, hahaha? I thought it would take a long time because the fruit needs prepping, but it was whipped up in no time.

And here's what it looked like when it arrived... It was enormous, like at least 2 whole mangoes must have gone into it. It says 2–3 servings, but I was surprised that the portion was generous enough that you could eat even more than that.

Fresh mango purée served separately

The way they arranged the toppings was impressive too, so pretty that I wondered how I could bear to eat it, hahaha! They also gave us a purée made from blended fresh mango and told us to pour it over the mango. The sweet-tart sauce wasn't just sugary, and it went perfectly with the mango bingsu!!

Milk ice with ice cream and cheesecake toppings

On top they also add vanilla ice cream and cube cheesecake. It isn't plain ice bingsu but is made with ground milk ice, so it goes down smoothly and has a nutty richness, and I was really satisfied.

How ripe the mangoes are

There's nothing more to say about the mango ripening. It was perfect... Not overripe, just right for eating now, so I could enjoy a soft, pleasantly firm texture to the very end. Fruit Forest says it takes part in the first auction every dawn and brings back high-sweetness fruit it has seen and tasted itself. The fruit then goes through ripening after it arrives, so it can't help but taste good.

Is Fruit Forest worth a visit?

They gave us grapes as a freebie, and they were so good that I ate every last one... With the weather getting hotter, I think a lot of people will be looking for a cool dessert! Instead of your usual café, try Fruit Forest as a bingsu spot everyone can enjoy together: a feast for the eyes, and fresh fruit to look after your health too.

I love summer seasonal fruit... and personally I'm so curious about the melon and peach bingsu too!! If you've been, please leave a review, and have a cool summer, everyone 🍧🍨