Paju café peach bingsu with seasonal fruit: Fruit Forest

I went to Fruit Forest (과일의숲) Paju Direct Store, a fresh-fruit specialty café in Simhaksan's dining alley in Paju, for peach bingsu piled high with seasonal peaches. Fruit Forest participates in the wholesale market auction every dawn to select its own fruit, then cuts fresh fruit as soon as an order comes in. If you are looking for great bingsu in Paju, a Simhaksan café, or café desserts around Simhaksan, this felt like a place worth noting for properly enjoying seasonal fruit.

If you are looking for fruit desserts in Simhaksan's dining alley

There are plenty of pretty cafés when you look around Simhaksan, but that day I wanted a proper fruit dessert rather than coffee, so I chose Fruit Forest.

As the weather has been getting hotter lately, I kept craving cool bingsu (Korean shaved ice dessert). Rather than regular bingsu with ice and red beans, I wanted fruit bingsu loaded with seasonal fruit, and that is how I ended up at Fruit Forest. It is in Simhaksan's dining alley, so it was also a good stop for dessert after a meal nearby.

Reading the café introduction, I learned that Fruit Forest is a fresh-fruit specialty café that selects good fruit itself and cuts it as soon as an order is placed. Maybe that is why it felt a little different from an ordinary bingsu shop.

What made Fruit Forest special

The flavor of the fruit matters quite a lot in fruit bingsu, right? Even if the bingsu itself is delicious, it is disappointing when the fruit tastes bland. Fruit Forest says it attends the first wholesale-market auction every dawn, looks at and tastes the fruit itself, and selects fruit with high sugar content. The fruit also goes through a ripening process instead of being used right away, so I got the impression that it is managed very carefully.

What I liked most was that the fruit is cut to order. Fruit is displayed in the showcase, too, so you can see for yourself what they use. For that reason, it seemed well suited to anyone looking for a good restaurant around Simhaksan or Paju and wanting to finish with a proper dessert as well.

Mango bingsu and peach bingsu

And the stars of the day were the mango bingsu and peach bingsu. The peaches were spread so generously over the shaved ice that I started snapping photos as soon as they arrived.

Seasonal peaches have been so delicious lately that I had high expectations, and the sweet, soft peaches with cool bingsu proved once again that fruit bingsu is the best in summer. Every bite had that sweetness of peach, making it much more refreshing than regular red-bean bingsu.

I especially liked that the peaches were not just a small supporting ingredient in the bingsu; it felt as though I could really enjoy the fruit itself. If you love peaches like I do, I think Fruit Forest is worth remembering as a bingsu spot in Paju.

For dessert at a Simhaksan café

After visiting Fruit Forest, I could see why it emphasizes selecting its own fruit. The more fruit a menu uses, the more the taste of the fruit itself matters in the end, and I found its participation in the dawn auction to select fruit directly impressive. The fact that fresh fruit is prepared to order is also a very welcome detail for fruit-dessert lovers.

I had the peach bingsu this time, but it made me want to try other seasonal-fruit items next time. If you have had a meal near Simhaksan and are looking for a sweet dessert, or want a Simhaksan café with a menu that makes proper use of fruit, Fruit Forest seems like a good choice. I think the more you love fruit, the more satisfied you will be if you find it while searching for Simhaksan café desserts.

When you are craving a fresh-fruit dessert in Paju

The peach bingsu I tried this time was, personally, a menu that suited summer so well. With plenty of sweet peaches in cool shaved ice, it was great for a hot day and also nice to share among several people after a meal.

More than simply going out to eat bingsu, I liked that it felt like going out for a dessert made with good fresh fruit. If you are looking for a good place to eat in Paju and want to continue on to dessert, it could be a nice addition to a Paju or Simhaksan food itinerary. I am planning to try another seasonal-fruit menu on my next visit. If you love seasonal fruit or are looking for a special dessert around Simhaksan, give Fruit Forest's peach bingsu a try.