Croissant Taiyaki, a popular Japanese dessert brand that specializes in red bean-filled, fish-shaped waffles called taiyaki, launched its first Seoul outlet this month.

While taiyaki ― called bungeoppang in Korean ― is an age-old street snack prevalent throughout Japan and Korea, Croissant Taiyaki’s variation of the traditional sweet is a drastic departure from the fish treat of yore.

A special croissant dough is used in lieu of the usual flour-based batter and then sprinkled liberally with a Japanese brown sugar called zarame to create a crunchy, crisp and flaky dessert. 

By melting those orbs of sugar into those layers of pastry in the waffle-style iron, one gets a buttery treat with a sweet crust of sugar on top that merits its reputation.

So how and when was Croissant Taiyaki born?

Korea brand manager Kim Hee-sun explained that it all began with the goal of finding “a way to prevent the taiyaki from getting soggy.”

According to Kim, the folks behind Croissant Taiyaki landed on the idea of using croissant dough for taiyaki that would be “crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.”

Large, crunchy, rectangular-shaped dark brown Japanese sugar was added to the mix to get their take on this classic street sweet uber-crispy.

When the recipe was perfected, the sweet was released in Japan in late 2013, Kim explained.

The nouveau take on an old-school snack was a huge hit and now there are around 200 outlets throughout Japan.

“One would have to wait for 30 minutes in line at the Shinjuku outlet,” said Kim, 31.

Now, the brand has landed in Korea, opening its first location in the newly minted Parnas Mall on Oct. 1.

The Mall, which opened recently near Coex and Samseong Station in Seoul, was the ideal spot for Croissant Taiyaki’s first Korean shop because of its novelty factor as a place where brands hitherto unavailable in Korea open their first outlets, Kim explained.

The first store, which is conveniently located near the basement entrance of Hyundai Department Store, is takeaway-only. The second store, which is slated to open in Coex in November, will include seating.

At the moment, the only flavor available is red bean, but Kim revealed plans to add seasonal flavors like kabocha squash or yam and is also considering adding custard to the lineup. 

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)


Croissant Taiyaki

● Parnas Mall, 521 Teheran-ro, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
● (02) 3453-3803
● Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
● Croissant taiyaki costs 2,800 won each, 14,000 won for five