When venturing to Fendu Boulangerie in Manoa Marketplace for rustic eats, it’s all about the bread. Everything from its sandwiches to its pastries and pizzas have one thing in common: downright delectable dough.
Take its Fuji Apple Brioche ($3.85), for example. Rather than serving a traditional pastry-like base, owner and chef Niel Koep utilizes brioche bread made with eggs instead of water, which makes for a light, airy texture in each bite.
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- Cilantro Pesto and Chicken Pizza ($18.75 for 14 inches, $12.25 for 8 inches)
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- Squash Soup ($6.75)
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- Fuji Apple Brioche ($3.85)
“It’s not like sweet bread, but as far as French breads go, it’s definitely on the sweeter side,” he says of the brioche. “It’s not an overly sweet thing like a cinnamon roll.”
In fact, most of the pastry’s sweetness comes from cooked Fuji apples, raisins and almond cream that are mixed into the treat. Topping off the pastry are pearl sugars, a sweet white sugar that adds an extra crunch. If you want to get your hands on this amazingly tasty creation, you must head to the bakery Saturday mornings (the only time they’re on the shelves).
For those yearning for a recurring staple on the menu, look no further than Fendu Boulangerie’s Squash Soup ($6.75 for a 10to 12-ounce portion) with curried shrimp and brioche croutons. The house-made croutons feature a slightly sweet brioche that, when baked, creates a fine consistency for marrying with the light flavor of the blended butternut and kabocha squash soup.
Also added to the potage-esque mixture are chicken stock, cream sauce and special seasonings.
According to Koep, Squash Soup is a definite best-seller, and his petite bakery dishes out upward of 20 each day.
For a limited time, stop into Fendu Boulangerie and try out Cilantro Pesto and Chicken Pizza with Pancetta Bacon ($18.75 for 14 inches, $12.25 for 8 inches).
“This is something of a new creation between me and the staff,” says Koep.
One of the highlights definitely is the homemade pesto sauce that includes cilantro, macadamia nuts and garlic. “They are the best, for sure,” says Koep of the macadamia nuts from Hamakua Farms. “We’re in Hawaii, and we should use (local) ingredients as much as we can.”
What sets this dish apart from all other pizzas is the addition of Italian-style pancetta bacon, which tends to be less smoky than American bacon but packs more of that pork flavor that every pizza deserves. But you only have about a month to see how this pancetta harmonizes with the fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and chevre (goat cheese)!
Fendu Boulangerie
Manoa Marketplace
2752 Woodlawn Drive, No. 5-119
988-4310
Monday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.;
Sunday, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Honolulu, HI 96822
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