JJ French Pastry Bistro, located near Kahala Mall, is a great place to visit if you’re ever in the Diamond Head area. Be advised though, JJ French Pastry is not very easy to spot while driving. I have driven for years on Waialae Avenue without ever seeing it. I just happened to be walking in the area one day, looking for a quick bite to eat, when I happened upon JJ French Pastry Bistro. Their dessert images in the window drew me in and I had to see if they tasted as good as they looked.
While JJ French Pastry Bistro is famous for their beautiful selection of desserts, they also have a variety of entrees ranging from Baked Lamb Wellington to Poached Lobster Tail along with several pasta dishes and seven different pizzas to choose from. JJ French Pastry Bistro features French and Laotian Cuisine.
Unfortunately, on this visit, I did not have time for a full meal so I gave their stunning desserts a try. JJ French Pastry Birsto’s signature dessert dish is the Chocolate Pyramid, which I would normally try as I always make it a habit to try any fine restaurant’s signature dish. However, on this occasion, I could not resist their Lady in Red – Guava Bavarian and their Black Current Cassie desserts. If you take a look at the pictures to the left, you will see why I chose these two. I am a sucker for fresh fruit with a creamy mousse and just the right amount of cake which both these desserts had. They were very well thought out and tasted amazing.
I also had the opportunity to speak with JJ Luangkhot, on my visit, where he shared some of his history in the business. He is from Laos, received his culinary training in New York and France and is proud to be serving the Island of Oahu for what is now almost twenty years. Fifteen of those years has been in the current Kaimuki location. JJ French Pastry Bistro has also earned many awards over the years including:
Best Pastry Winner (2004) – Honolulu Magazine
Zagat Award Winning (2012)
Ilima Award Winner (2006, 2010 & 2011)
Hale Aina Award Winner, 5 years running (2009 – 2014)
I must say I was very impressed with both JJ and his lovely daughter Natda, who was also there running the front of the restaurant. They are both very friendly and helpful. It was nice to get a chance to meet them and experience their incredible desserts.
Overall, JJ French Pastry Bistro is a very pleasant place to visit. They have a unique establishment with friendly staff and quite a selection of both pastries and entrees to choose from. About 80% of their business comes from pastries. Speaking from personal experience, once you see their display case, it is easy to understand why that is. Their desserts definitely lived up to their visually stunning appearance. Though I have not had a chance to try some of their other items, if and when I do, I will make sure to follow up on this article in the future.
Here are some photos from my visit to JJ French Pastry Bistro
Here is a link to JJ French Pastry Website
Here is a link to JJ French Pastry Yelp Page
Map to JJ French Pastry
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