Kid-friendly Paju café: mango bingsu with passion fruit, Fruit Forest

Why I picked mango bingsu at Fruit Forest in Simhaksan, Paju, on a hot school-pickup day

On a day I went out to meet the kids at school pickup, it was so hot that we headed to Fruit Forest in the Simhaksan food street in Paju for fresh mango bingsu (shaved ice dessert). It's so hot these days, right...ㅠㅠㅠ The sun was brutal, there was no wind, and I was sweating buckets just standing still.

On a day like this, you have to have a cold bingsu! I'd heard a new fruit café had opened in the Simhaksan food street and really wanted to try it. A friend who'd been said the mango bingsu was amazing. My kids love mango, so when I asked, "Shall we go for mango bingsu?" they said yes right away, and off we went. It's a new café, so the interior is clean and modern!

The mango bingsu at Fruit Forest in Paju looked as good as a hotel mango bingsu :) The look of it alone made us gasp!! The mango was really sweet and full of juice, and the kids kept saying how good it was while they dug in. Together with the cold snow-textured ice, the heat just melted away.

Fruit Forest says it takes part in the first auction at the wholesale market every dawn to pick sweet fruit, then ripens it fully before use. Maybe that's why the mango itself was so sweet and delicious. It was a Paju bingsu spot I'd happily revisit.

Where is Fruit Forest Paju Direct Store, and what about parking and hours?

Fruit Forest Paju Direct Store is at 144 Dolgoji-gil, floors 1-3, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (Seopae-dong, Simhaksan food street), and it's open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. You can use the dedicated parking lot in front of the building.

• Address: 144 Dolgoji-gil, floors 1-3, Fruit Forest, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (Seopae-dong, Simhaksan food street)
• Hours: Daily 10:00-22:00
• Parking: Dedicated parking in front of the building

Fruit Forest Paju Direct Store is a mecca for mango bingsu. It sits inside the Simhaksan food street, so it's a good stop for dessert after a meal or on a drive. Being able to park at the café made it easy to visit. Paju Lotte Outlet is nearby :)

We went to the outlet after eating. Each of the siblings got a toy and was thrilled^^ It's a perfect outing combo for Simhaksan or Paju Lotte Outlet :)

What is the Fruit Forest atmosphere like, and is it okay with kids?

The first thing I thought when I walked in was, "Is this a fruit shop, not a café?" haha The showcase was packed with fresh fruit, and it looked fresh just to look at. They're confident in their fruit quality, so you can buy fresh fruit too, and that day it had sold so well that there were some empty spots.

On one side, mangoes and melons were ripening nicely.

Even I, who don't know much about fruit, could tell it looked really good! Fruit Forest sells a variety of desserts and drinks made with fresh fruit.

They say they take the fresh fruit out and prep it only when an order comes in. It isn't pre-cut fruit; it's cut right when you order, which made me trust it even more. The shop was spacious and clean, with plenty of seating, so it was easy to relax.

The floor-to-ceiling windows make it feel open! It's wide and pleasant, so just sitting there is healing :) From the café you look down on green Simhaksan and Paju Lotte Outlet. There are high chairs too. There's also a terrace, so on a nice day it would be good to eat outside.

By the way, I hear dogs are allowed on the terrace seats :)

What's on the Fruit Forest menu?

Fruit Forest's main menu is fresh fruit bingsu! Besides the fresh mango snow bingsu, there were peach bingsu, melon bingsu and a 10-fruit mixed bingsu. They also have coffee, drinks and fresh fruit juice, so there's plenty to choose from.

The desserts are varied too. There are churros, croffles (croissant waffles) and cake.

The banana brûlée and seasoned corn looked tasty too. We didn't even have to think about it and ordered the mango bingsu.

They prep the mango the moment you order.

How did the Fruit Forest fresh mango snow bingsu taste?

Fruit Forest's fresh mango snow bingsu is topped with sliced fresh mango, cube cheese and ice cream, with milk snow ice packed inside. Gasp number one for a look even better than hotel mango bingsu! The fresh mango was piled on generously, and it made my mouth water just looking at it.

It also comes with homemade passion fruit syrup (cheong). After eating about half, I added it to taste, and it gave the bingsu a whole different charm.

Supermarket mangoes are a gamble, but Fruit Forest's mango was great from the first bite

My kids really love mango. When I buy it at the supermarket, it's always a gamble whether it's ripe or whether it'll be sweet, so choosing mangoes always stresses me out. Once I bought several to make a mango cake, and only a few of them were good, I remember. But Fruit Forest's mango was different from the first bite.

The mango itself was so sweet and juicy that "Delicious!" just came out on the first bite. The ice melted in the mouth and went really well with the mango.

Above all, they put plenty of fresh mango on top, so we could enjoy it to the last bite without any regrets. It looked so pretty in photos that it was great for snapping shots, and the kids kept saying how good it was and ate really well.

It reminded me once again that mango bingsu is all about the fruit being good.

Who should visit Fruit Forest in Simhaksan, Paju?

If you want snow bingsu piled high with fresh mango, I'd recommend Fruit Forest in Simhaksan, Paju. Mango bingsu is the thing everyone craves at least once in summer, right? It's good to visit with kids, and it was satisfying as a date or drive stop too.

It's good for a cold dessert after a meal in the Simhaksan food street, and close to Paju Lotte Outlet, so it's perfect to combine the two. If you're looking for a Paju mango bingsu spot this summer, try Fruit Forest for sweet fresh mango and soft snow bingsu.😊