Move Over Crookie, the Onigiri Croissant Is Taking Over

There’s a new croissant trend making the rounds. Surpassing the Cronut, cruffin, crookie, and flat croissant is a brand new hybrid melding a savory Japanese onigiri and a croissant: the onioissant —  also referred to as the onigiri croissant. 

The onigiri croissant was first seen at Le Levain Bakery in Singapore. Onigiri-like triangle-shaped croissants are filled with combinations of Sicilian pistachio cream, scallion sour cream, Lao Gan Ma chili crisp, and more — all wrapped with a thin slice of nori. "At La Levain, we embody a glocal — global and local — outlook to merge diverse culinary traditions to create something uniquely delightful," says Wythe Soon, executive chef and owner of the bakery. "Our Onigiri Croissant marries the meticulous art of French croissant techniques with the rich, comforting flavors of local Asian cuisine. This fusion not only challenges the boundaries of traditional baking but also celebrates the harmonious blend of cultures that inspire our creations."

Across the pond in Vancouver, Chez Christophe offers an onigiri croissant combining flaky French pastry with a Japanese-inspired creamy tuna and mayonnaise filling. It's also in Seoul, South Korea and Sydney, Australia.

Now, the onioissant — or onigiri croissant or cronigiri (the best name for this Franco-Japanese combo, in my opinion) — has made its way Stateside at Cafe W Bakery & Desserts in Flushing, Queens. The bakery specializes in pastries that blend Asian and French influences, so the onioissant was a natural addition to the menu of fruit-flavored mousse cakes, ciabatta sandwiches with red bean paste, matcha tiramisu, corn cheese croissants, and much more.  

“As New Yorkers, we are always mindful of how diverse cultures blend together, and we always would like to live up to the diversity with new attempts and new experiences for our patrons’ palate,” says Cafe W CEO John Lee. The bakery team had yet to see any onigiri pastries in New York and wanted to create a new one for their customers, using their croissant dough to create a new onigiri-shaped triangle pastry and stuff it with Japanese-inspired fillings. 

“The R&D process for the onigiri croissant was both exciting and challenging,” Lee says. “It took a lot of experimentation and fine-tuning. We had to perfect the dough to keep it flaky and buttery, while also nailing the triangular shape of an onigiri. Finding the right balance for the filling and flavor to complement our buttery croissant was another big task.” 

The bakery team spent countless hours in the kitchen testing various techniques and recipes to uphold the classic croissant’s texture and flavor intact in this new form. “We’re really proud of the final product that blends the best of both worlds,” Lee says.

Currently, Cafe W offers two savory fillings for its onigiri croissant: a mayo and pollack roe and a chive bacon cream cheese. The team is actively testing more flavors and will soon introduce additional options. 

“The Mayo and Pollack Roe is a regular filling for the original onigiri with rice, so it really stands out as a twist of Asian and French traditions,” Lee says. “For the Chive Bacon Cream Cheese…we’re New Yorkers, we can’t help it.” 

Since the pastry went viral this May, new customers have flocked in to try it — with many already becoming regulars. One customer drove from hours away in Maryland just to try it, and added a few extra to her order to bring home for friends. Within minutes of finishing her own, she added a few more onigiri croissants to her order. 

Cafe W Bakery & Desserts opened in May 2024 and bakes bread, pastries, and desserts from scratch every morning. “We still have a long way to go, but we will continue to develop new products,” Lee says. “The response to the onioissant has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re thrilled to see such enthusiasm. The feedback has been incredibly encouraging and motivates us to keep pushing the boundaries of creativity in our bakery.”