Over the summer, hundreds of videos of fruit pastries went viral on social media. These unique desserts are created using the French art technique “Trompe-l’œil” (Deceive the eye), which creates a realistic appearance through optical illusions. In this case, it means the pastries resemble the fruit they taste like. These cakes are innovative and exciting, and I was determined to try some.
When I came across Fuful Bakery online, I knew I had to try their food. Located near the Seaport District in Boston, Fuful Bakery specializes in French-Asian fusion desserts. Their menu features a diverse range of unique flavors and dishes.
Truffle Ham Béchamel Cone: 3/10
Before we get into the fruit pastries, let’s talk about Fuful’s croissants. The first croissant I tried was the Truffle Ham Béchamel Cone—a mouthful, I know. This savory confection consists of exactly what the name suggests: ham and truffle mixed into a heavy béchamel cheese sauce. While it sounds delicious, I found the truffle flavor overpowering. Other tastes are lost in the mix, and the ratio of sauce to croissant makes the already-heavy meal difficult to eat. If you are looking for something savory from this bakery, I would advise against this dish.
Pandan Croissant: 7/10
Next was the Pandan Croissant. This pastry is much better than the béchamel cone. Shaped almost like a hair bow, it tastes similar to matcha and has lots of flavor while still maintaining enough sweetness. The ratio between the sauce and croissant is good, and the croissant itself is flaky and buttery. I wasn’t familiar with pandan, and while it wasn’t my favorite, this croissant is a well-made and very tasty dessert.
Thai Milk Tea Croissant: 9/10
The final croissant I tried was the Thai Milk Tea Croissant. This is by far the best croissant. The huge pastry is filled with Thai Milk Tea cream, and half of it is dipped in chocolate and crisped rice. An incredibly sweet dessert, the croissant’s Thai Milk Tea filling is light and similar to whipped cream. I would absolutely recommend this croissant to first-timers (that is, if you have a sweet tooth).
Passion Yuzu: 7/10
For the next two desserts, I tried the Mango Glow and the Passion Yuzu. I’ll save the best for last, so let’s get into the Passion Yuzu. This dessert is a round, yellow cake that is soft and easy to dig into. It was truly an explosion of various flavors on my tongue. The best way to describe Yuzu is as a mix of orange and lemon, so biting into it felt like biting into a combination of citrus fruits. The only underwhelming aspect of this dessert is its texture, which is soft and reminiscent of gelatin. Though this isn’t intended to be a “Tromp-l’œil” pastry, I wasn’t expecting the dessert’s gelatinous consistency, and I wasn’t incredibly fond of that aspect. While the Passion Yuzu isn’t a bad dessert, I wouldn’t get it again.
Mango Glow: 10/10
The long-awaited Mango Glow pastry lived up to my expectations. Presentation-wise, the dessert is almost identical to a mango. It isn’t super sweet, and the mango compote in the center adds a very natural flavor. In comparison to the Passion Yuzu cake, it almost feels like you’re eating sorbet, not ice cream. While the texture is different from other desserts, the varied combinations work well together. The chocolate shell encasing the dessert is strong enough to add flavor to the dish, but doesn’t hinder the other flavors of the mousse and mango compote. This was my favorite item out of all of them.
Overall, Fuful Bakery delivers new and exciting flavors in its desserts and baked goods. While some may be underwhelming, the multitude of flavors on their menu will entice me to return to try more. This bakery hits the mark in terms of the viral pastries seen on all platforms, and I can’t wait to see what new pastries they will make next.
