Do yourself a favour and toss out those low-quality, mass-produced doughnuts, which are oftentimes fried in old oil and consist of chemicals to prolong their shelf life. At the numerous artisanal doughnut shops that have popped up across the city, you can get high-quality, homemade-style doughnuts. Though each shop is unique, they have one thing in common; they all produce their doughnuts in a non-mechanised way. Dough'nt take our word for it, try them yourself!
Kinu
The fluffy, round sugar-coated doughnut is the main (and only) game at Kinu. There is probably no one in Ari who does not know about it. People go nuts for this place and that's simply because the doughnuts are devilishly rich in butter, hand-rolled to form a voluptuous, plump shape and fried fresh to order.
The dough is rolled and proofed in advance, but fried and dusted with sugar on demand. When handed to you, the doughnut is still fairly warm, with the sweet aroma of melting granulated sugar mixed with butter. Why would you spend B30 or more on a machine-made doughnut, when eight of this low-key, delicious treat can be bought for B100? Many patrons experience such thoughts after biting into one of these buttery puffballs.
Though the cinnamon-sugar doughnut joined the minimalist menu, the classic crystalline sugar remains the star.
Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm / Phahon Yothin Road / Call 087-462-6666, visit fb.com/kinudonut.
Holey Artisan Bakery
There are a number of things people automatically think of when Holey Bakery is mentioned: a pleasantly acidic sourdough bread, a scrumptious carrot cake with three generous layers of frosting and a hearty Cubano panini. Sadly, the Berliner, a traditional German-style doughnut, is not one of them. Though the pillowy soft, slightly chewy, with a crunchy coating of sugar doughnut is worth more than a try. The trick lies in the homemade brioche dough, which is enriched with a good amount of Normandy butter and vanilla beans, before it takes a long bath in gently heated oil.
The bakery offers many flavours, including classics such as Plain (B70) and Strawberry jam (B75). However, what you really need, are the Butterscotch (B90) and Dark chocolate ganache (B90). Though, having said that, the weekend-only Fancy jam Berliner (B100) is not to be missed. It is a delicately fried brioche doughnut, filled with thick strawberry jam and fresh whipped cream.
Open daily 6.30am-7pm / Sukhumvit 31 / Call 02-101-1427, visit fb.com/holeybreadbkk.
La Dotta
La Dotta is regularly praised for its impressive, tasty plates of pasta. Yet, anyone who dines here would also agree that the bomboloni deserve as much recognition. Also, it'd be hard not to get tempted by the Italian doughnut's alluring names, such as Strawberry Champagne, Ricotta honey, Almond vanilla and Tiramisu (all B120).
The dough is made from a blend of organic flour from Italy and fresh organic yeast, followed by a shower of orange zest, to help give it a bright edge and to balance out the relatively rich batter. Once mixed, it spends quality time resting for 24 hours, before being stuffed and deep-fried, only when ordered and never in batches. So, you can always expect the freshest, most fragrant bomboloni.
Open daily 11.30am-11pm / Thong Lor 9 / Call 02-392-8688, visit www.ladotta.co.
Vistro BKK
For sugar junkies who are trying to eat healthier, these frosted ring doughnuts at Vistro might fit the bill. They are all vegan and it's hard to imagine that they might be anything other than good for you, because 1) they're baked, 2) they're made with organic ingredients and natural sweeteners and 3) no artificial or colourings are added.
The doughnut, while is quite light, boasts a cakey texture that is very moist and dense. It'll promptly remind you of a buttercake upon the first bite. The Lemon lavender doughnut (just one of the many choices) is a must-try: it's fragrant and lightly sweet, with a citrusy edge.
The Red velvet with tangy coconut buttercream makes for a more indulgent treat, as does the White-chocolate with salted caramel and roasted almonds. Other toppings include Orange pistachio, Organic cinnamon sugar and Peanut butter & chocolate (all B65). Everything is made in-house, with no preservatives or MSG. Gluten-free options are also available, as well as classic fried doughnuts (weekends only), made with dough raised overnight slowly at a cold temperature, before being rolled, cut and fried in coconut oil.
Open Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-10pm / Sukhumvit 24 / Call 065-998-2201, visit fb.com/vistrobkk.
Brassica
When you find yourself craving comfort food, which is sweet and savoury, head to Brassica. This Nang Linchi neighbourhood restaurant is known for its fried chicken, which is prepared with a brine that contains 17 secret spices, before being battered and deep-fried, to achieve a crisp crust. The perfect pairing with this is the light and spongy yeast doughnut, which is fat, fist-sized and is generously coated in sand-textured sugar.
When asked about the secret of the doughnuts, Singaporean chef and owner, Cong Wen, said that he believes in well-adjusted ratios between salt, sugar and texture -- so much that he declared, "If my doughnuts had holes, these would be my Hole-y trinity!"
The dough is made simply with a good amount of salt (both in the dough and the filling), to bring out the characteristics of the other ingredients, such as chocolate, palm sugar and fruits. The sugar coating at the end helps to add a satisfying crunch, to the otherwise single-textured doughnuts.
For purists who care solely for doughnuts and not mash-ups with hot chicks, the eatery offers many options that feature a light and pillowy doughnut overflowing with filling, like crème brûlée, palm sugar, strawberries and cream, or Snickers. The salted brown butter ice cream doughnut sandwich is also one to look out for. All these treats are B80.
Open Wed-Mon 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10pm / Nang Linchi Road / Call 093-596-2465, visit fb.com/brassicabkk.
The Clucking Donut
The Clucking Donut also offers a fried chicken and doughnut pairing. It was as though heaven was listening close to our tummies, and granted us another tasty venue to access this gimmicky, nonetheless tasty, food mash-up.
Here, the doughnuts,―rather than being just an accompaniment to the harmless-looking, yet devilishly spicy Nashville hot chicken, are more than capable of shining on their own, thanks to their soft, cakey texture and irresistible flavours, like Brown butter and salt (B70), Maple bacon (B80) and Chocolate coconut with homemade caramel (B80). Everything is made fresh daily by hand, with no leftovers.
For pain seekers, who bravely take the challenge of gulping down the eatery's S**tting fire fried chickens (B230), which are coated with a fiery blend of Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, habanero and ghost chillies, the doughnuts conveniently serve as temporary pain relief, while one screams out for a glass of milk. g
Open daily 10am-7pm / Phetchaburi 47 / Call 064-871-9002, visit fb.com/cluckingdonut.
TKT's Row House Cafe
TKT's Row House behaves less like a cafe and more like a speciality doughnut shop. It meticulously creates playful animal doughnuts that have a healthy twist. Here, you'll find shelves stacked high with Japanese-style doughnuts, that are carefully glazed to resemble adorable critters, using coloured white chocolate.
What makes these different from other cutesy doughnuts is that they're made with whole wheat flour and soy milk. For anyone with a gentle sweet tooth, there's a plain variety, as opposed to the thick, multi-coloured white-chocolate toppings that come in fun animal shapes, such as sea lion, wild boar, rhino and monster pig (all B69).
To amp up your doughnut experience, you must get the cafe's signature Unicorn milk (B65), a colourful layered drink of mint and strawberry flavoured milk, together with two doughnuts stacked over the cup (B138).
Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm / Sala Daeng Road / Call 02-233-8718, visit fb.com/tktsrowhouse.
