Finally, Zakuzaku's Creamy, Crunchy Japanese Snacks Give Us Something Worth Queueing For

Beijing’s skeptical (or employed) foodies usually roll their eyes when they happen upon establishments sprouting long lines of selfie stick-wielding wang hong wannabes. Quick as we may be to dismiss such frenzied spots as gimmicky or devoid of anything that would ever be worth spending hours of our day queueing for, Zakuzaku in Taikoo Li may be one of the few exceptions.

Hot on the heels of equally trendy, queue-creating Japanese brand %Arabica coffee in Taikooli North, this new Taikooli South dessert shop gives eager Chinese patrons a taste of some of Japan’s hottest wares. Having opened in 2014 in Tokyo’s famed Harajuku district, Zakuzaku – which means "crunchy" in Japanese – quickly became a hit thanks to its custard-filled "croquant chou" baked dough sticks and sweet, milky soft serve.

Often compared to Spain's doughy snack churros, these croquant chou differ in that they're crunchier and come with a sprinkling of walnuts baked into their dough. Their custard filling, meanwhile, is subtly sweet, striking a balance that'll appeal to both Chinese and foreign customers. Zakuzaku's marketing abounds with boasts about the custard being made from the milk of free-range cattle from Japan's rustic Hokkaido island. That's a tall order to live up to, but the freshness and creaminess of the custard had us believing. At RMB 17 per stick, the croquant chous are also pretty cheap, especially when you factor in the quality that they're striving for (and even more so when compared to the prices at other influencer-targeting establishments).

Zakuzaku looks the part too, with rows of fresh dough sticks in the window and employees working diligently away in the open kitchen baking fresh batches before piercing each stick to inject them with gooey custard.

Their soft serve is less distinctive, but still satisfies thanks to a similarly just-right level of sweetness and light and smooth consistency, which we attribute to their use of iced milk rather than a typical ice cream recipe. The walnut-laced waffle cones round that cool dessert off nicely.

The atmosphere at Zakuzaku's Sanlitun shop is as understated, yet effective, as the desserts on sale. White walls are interspersed with punchy slogans in black letters or neon lights, while the long wood topped counters suit small groups or lone customers well and the picture windows allow in plenty of natural light. The handful of adjacent tables in Taikoo Li's breezy walkway also make for adequate outdoor seating.

Therefore, not only is Zakuzaku a solid, reasonably priced dessert shop that lives up to the hype, it also gives too-often derided KOL businesses a better name.

Zakuzaku
Daily, 10am-9pm. 2/F, Unit S10-22, Taikoo Li South District, Sanlitun Road, Sanlitun Road Chaoyang District
三里屯路三里屯太古里南区二层S10-22单元二楼星巴克旁

Read: Is Sanlitun's White Rabbit Candy Milk Tea Store Worth Going Hopping Mad For?

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: danielfooddairy.com, Kyle Mullin