Japanese puff pastry store PAFU does only one thing, and it does it well: the French apple turnover or chausson aux pommes with its flaky pastry filled with tender baked apples.
But that doesn’t mean it has stuck to tradition.
The Melbourne-born PAFU (which means “puff” in Japanese) has reinvented the classic by piping rich custard into the pastry.
The plan is to take PAFU to other Australian cities. Source: ST Group
Maxie Juang, marketing associate for ST Group, which launched PAFU in December and Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tarts in Australia the year before, says, “We wanted to embrace the concept of fusion that’s very popular in Melbourne - the food hybrid."
PAFU’s first outpost, complete with a bright pink wall, is situated in the QV Building in Melbourne's CBD. But ST Group is preparing to open a second one at Southern Cross Railway Station in April.
It plans to take PAFU to other Australian cities, but Juang says the group wants to ensure it takes good care of its inaugural store first.
APPLE DELIGHT
Apple turnovers
The Japanese dessert craze
Custard-filled apple turnovers are becoming popular in Japan with bakery Ringo dedicated to the dessert and convenience stores, such as Lawson, selling packaged ones.
But now Japanese-inspired desserts are having their moment in Melbourne.
Before PAFU, ST Group launched Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tarts, which first opened in Malaysia and makes its tarts with dairy from Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands.
The food chain began selling only the classic three-cheese tart (for $3.90), but now sells other flavours including chocolate and strawberry.
DID YOU TRY THIS?
Japan's coolest dessert craze lands in Sydney for one month only
Uncle Tetsu, which hails from Japan, also attracts crowds in Sydney and Melbourne with its fluffy, bouncy cheesecake ($17.99).
Despite the competition, PAFU has still got everyone talking.
Go at the right time and you won’t have to line up, but let’s be honest: us Melburnians love a good queue, and that pastry is worth the wait.
Each PAFU is $4.20 or four for $16.00.
Daily 11:00am – 8:00pm
Shop 1-034 QV Urban Market, QV Building, Swanston St & Londsdale St, Melbourne, Vic
JAPANESE CUISINE
Japan tells dessert to get stuffed... and we love it!
