SUSU Dessert Bar

Update - lychee cream pana cotta reminded us of the ispahan desserts we had in Paris. So exquisite and delicious! Update - the orange cupcake - wow. The strawberry cream puff - wow. Just get everything on display; you won’t be disappointed. These are literally very special pastries that you won’t find anywhere else around the world, trust me. It is such an underrated gem in Seattle. Update - the durian ice cream took my breath away. The edible flowers and sweet corn were a graceful touch. Recommend. This place is the TRUTH. Every pastry they have sold there is DELICIOUS and true edible work-of-art! I am originally from Malaysia. Chef Kai is really doing our culture justice and it sounds silly, but tears of pride were streaming down my face when I bit into the durian pâte à choux. I have tried many of their pastries in the past two weeks (lol), and the show-stealer is definitely the DURIAN PATE A CHOUX!!! Definitely get this if you don't get anything else. The taste of durian is so subtle and not overwhelming at all, especially to people who are new to the world of durian. It was a fusion of ice cream and puff pastry. The next best thing is the kouign-amann. Very crunchy and heavily caramelized. Delicious. Still good the next day! Fantastic job to the chef(s). These pastries are as good, if not better, as the ones I have tried in Paris. Get here early before opening (11 AM) because there will be a line! They sell out quickly.

I usually don't wait in line for anything, but I would happily break that rule for SUSU. It's that good. SUSU is a walk-up only shop in the International District that only opens Friday to Sunday from 11am to 3pm. If you want to have the whole menu to choose from, however, get there before 12pm otherwise you might miss out on their popular "Durian Pâte à Choux", or the seasonal cake which they offer just one with 8 (big) slices each day. That's what I like about SUSU. They don't aim to sell as much as they can but only bring out the best quality stuff. Their menu is "chef's choice" and is always featuring something new and fun. Durian Pâte à Choux, Whiskey Truffle (my two favorites and damn they are making my mouth water now!), Basque Cheesecake, and Kouign Amann are menu staples; then they have cakes, flatbreads, scones, tarts in different, elaborate flavors every week, even cookies! One week you have Coconut Orange Poppyseeds Cake, the next it's Tropical Carrot Cake. I enjoy going to SUSU not knowing what they have and surprise myself. I never failed to find something intriguing and I'm glad to have my favorites on the menu every week. SUSU's Durian Pâte à Choux is popular for a reason. Its crust is crunchy but thin, wrapping inside a generous amount of smooth, refreshing durian cream. Not too sugary nor heavy, it tastes like the sweet breeze over an Indonesian beach. When I got the Smoked Salmon Pesto Flatbread, I wasn't expecting cream cheese stuffed under the thick salmon slices and was impressed by the complex and well-balanced layers in one single pastry. When a lox bagel often goes north of $10, this flatbread for $6.5 is absolutely a bargain and by itself justifies the 15-min wait. When a place is so good that it has a perpetual line, their staff often gets cocky or arrogant, but SUSU's lady at the window is such a sweetheart, taking care of everyone with a beam of glee and ardor. She obviously enjoy bringing deliciousness and happiness to her customers than wearing her pride on her sleeve. I really appreciate that.

This is one of the best bakeries I have ever been to. Everything we got was delicious. The basque cheesecake was so light and airy. It was the first time I ever tried that style of cheesecake. First time trying kouign-amann too. I never see anything like this where I live! Maybe I’m not looking in the right places.

Followed them for years and met them at a market. So delicious and delighted they have a store front. I recommend first time visitors to check out their menu and IG. I ordered Pâte à Choux Durian, Basque Cheesecake slice, Chocolate Hazelnut tart and Salted dark chocolate chip cookie. Everything was delicious! I'd go back for their pâte à choux (try any if avaliable) and the cookie. Their cheesecake is my type, simple, creamy and a nice thick slice. I also got their Vietnamese coffee as an iced latté (very good coffee bean don't walk away without trying this). Loved anything with gold leaf garish too.

Earth shatteringly delicious. You MUST go. They make stuff I've never even heard of, and it's always so delicious, you need to sit down to gather your strength. Seriously, the Thai iced tea and yuzu macaroons are ABSURD. Those little dark things... Ugh. I can't even. The curry beef sandwich was SO tasty. I ate this stuff hours ago and thinking about it has turned a faucet on in my mouth. Not going is doing yourself a disservice. Go now, and see what you've been missing.

I didn't know anything about this bakery, until I noticed a long line of people waiting outside the front entrance. I gave it a try and this is the best decision I made today. Their whiskey truffles are godsend from heaven. It has a rich flavor, from the combination of dark chocolate and truffles, but not too oily or greasy. I will definitely come back some other time to try the rest on their menu.

I recognized this place from a bunch of Instagram posts and we stopped to try it. We ended up here at like noonish which is apparently late in the day so we couldn't have all of their offerings. We got the durian puff, the curry potato tart and whatever cookie they were offering. No complaints about any of the food but I sure would like to try their whole menu someday!

Open 11a-3p Friday-Sunday. You can view the daily selection of pastries and cakes at the window and order at the door. They also have drinks and lunch specials. The durian puff pastry seems to be a popular item here. You can also bring your own Tupperware/containers if you want to help reduce waste 🙂