The Good:
- Good spice and spices in the Cajun fried chicken
- Impactful donut flavours that have balanced sweetness
- Yes, it has that hidden location appeal to it
The Bad:
- White meat could be a touch more moist
- Brioche donuts could be slightly softer too
Surprisingly, the donut game in Vancouver is pretty underdeveloped. Compared to Portland and even Seattle, we don't really have a good variety. However, there is a new player in town that serves up brioche donuts that have some similarities to General Porpoise in Seattle (and also Blue Star in Portland). I had visited Mello in the first few weeks of opening and came away somewhat disappointed. However, I returned with Mijune a month later and their product definitely improved. This post will be a combination of both visits.
Initially, I got a selection that included Lemon Curd, Vanilla, Chocolate, PB&J, Strawberries and Cream as well as a Cake Donut. In terms of texture, the donuts were indeed soft and fluffy, but curiously dry. Hence, it didn't fulfill the promise of a brioche donut. I thought the lemon curd to be creamy and balanced in flavour. Not too sweet and just tangy enough. Nothing special about the vanilla and chocolate. Texturally, it was like eating pudding and the flavours were pretty much on par for pudding. Despite being the simple combination of peanut butter and jam, that was one of my favourite donuts as it was familiar-tasting and classic. Surprisingly, the best donut of the bunch was the glazed cake donut. Nice density balanced with a moist fluffiness. Slightly crispy on the outside with just enough glaze.
With Mijune, we ended up with a similar selection except for the Tiramisu and Corn Flakes Cookie. This time around, the brioche donut was not dry and it was even fluffier. So much so, it started to deform on the bottom as it sat on the table. No matter, we enjoyed it and I am glad they were able to tweak the recipe. Tiramisu donut was pretty good but the cocoa powder blew everywhere after the first bite. Was pretty funny as it ended up all over Mijune. Although dry, the cookie was reminiscent of an almond cookie except with the extra crunch of corn flakes on top. So I'm glad I got to try Mello again where it yielded better results. Also, they are open during this Covid-19 pandemic, so you can still pick up a box. I might just do that as well.
There it was, splattered all over IG - the mochi donut. Colorful, unique and claimed to be delicious by many. Sigh... "Another fad", I thought to myself. But then again, I was curious. Also, Deanna posted some really nice IG pics on Dochi in Seattle. Fine, we added this to our itinerary while we were in Seattle for the a few days. Fortunately, the lineup wasn't so bad and neither was the weather. We ended up getting every flavor that was available that day. Mind you, there are only 6 to choose from. My cousin visited it recently (which was a good 3 months after I went and there was only one change in donut selection).
If you are curious how the texture of a mochi donut would be like, it isn't as dense as you might imagine. Rather, it is very similar to a regular cake donut except with the classic chewiness of mochi. In some ways, it is lighter than a classic cake donut. I took a sample of the featured donut during Thanksgiving being the Pumpkin Spice and yes it had all the fall flavors with a pleasant cinnamon and nutmeg kick. I liked how it wasn't too sweet either. I tend to like fruity desserts, so it wasn't a surprise that I was drawn to the Strawberry Shortcake. I guess it had a somewhat "Pocky"' taste to it, but I didn't mind. The crunchy bits on top added texture and pop of tang. One of the sweeter creations was the Cookies & Cream with cookie butter. For me, this was too much sugar but I'm sure it would satisfy someone with a sweeter tooth. Once again, the cookie on top added more texture to the donut.
I also very much enjoyed the Ube Glazed as it was simple and again, was only sweet enough. I wouldn't say the ube was really all that strong, but it was definitely there. I guess I just like simple donuts. Although the Taro Pebbles was also a relatively sweeter donut, I didn't mind it as the crunch from the cereal was nice and I do love taro (although it wasn't very strong either). Another relatively simple donut was the Matcha Oreos. This featured a glaze like the strawberry and taro, but with the matcha, it did add some bitterness. However, much like the other donuts, it was muted in flavour. I really didn't get much Oreo either but I could see it. Okay, I'll admit it, I enjoyed Dochi. I would come back. I would also eat other mochi donuts. Fine, it isn't a fad.
While finishing up our filling Japanese lunch at Satomi, it was suggested we check out Bun Appétit Donuts nearby. We weren't overly familiar with the place, but once inside, we were amazed at the large selection of designer donuts. Getting over the initial sticker shock ($3.50 - $5.00 per donut), we went about ordering a selection to go. On that note, before anyone judges the pricing, one must have to actually eat the donuts first. That we did where we discovered the quality and care that goes into every donut.
My daughter couldn't control herself and went straight for the Double Chocolate Donut. After I was able to sample it too, it was obvious why. Normally, cake donuts are dense and heavy, but not this one. Similar to chiffon, the donut was light and airy. Rather than being straight-up sweet, it was full of dark chocolate flavour. On the bottom left, the Everything Donut was savory with cream cheese filling and tasted like the bagel, but in a donut! The 3 filled donuts were Ube, Hazelnut Cream and Strawberry Cream. Of the 3, I enjoyed the strawberry the most because of the fruitiness. On the other hand, the hazelnut was aromatic, nutty and only purposefully sweet. I didn't mind that one either.
The one donut that stuck out in my mind was the Peach as it was deceptively filled with jelly in the middle despite being ring-shaped. As such, the entire thing was truly peach-flavored in every bite. Combined with a delicate texture, this did not eat heavy. Being a donut, it was naturally sweet, but not so much that it was overwhelming. Similarly, the Lemon Lavender was also filled in the middle. As such, it was also a bigger donut in terms of diameter and thickness. Again, it didn't eat heavy and despite being sweeter than the peach, it really wasn't overdoing it. I usually do not like lavender in any of my desserts, but this was subtle enough to be appealing. Just above the lemon lavender, there was the Guava Cheesecake. Unmistakably guava tasting, the donut featured cream cheese in the middle and it really did have elements of cheesecake (especially with the graham crackers on top). Nothing much to say about the Churro donut other than it had the classic cinnamon sugar as well as a dulce de leche drizzle. The Rocky Road ate someone like a s'mores due to the toasted marshmallows on top. Lastly, the Tiramisu was appealing with a creamy marscapone filling as well as a dusting of cocoa powder on top.
We tried 3 more filled donuts in the Kalamansi, Mango and Chocolate Cream. Predictably, the kalamansi was the most flavorful of the 3 with an explosion of tang and sweetness. Loved the silkiness of the custard cream. Rich and purposefully sweet, the chocolate was solid. I thought the mango was just as good as the kalamansi with impactful natural flavors. If you remember the pricing of these donuts, the total cost of 15 donuts was around $70.00. Was it worth it? Like everything else, it comes down to subjectivity. I loved the donuts and the cost was not really an issue. However, for some the price maybe too steep.
With the kids nixing the plan for heading up to Haleakala, we never made it out to T. Komodo Bakery and Store. It was supposed to be a stop along the way, so we could pick up some items for breaky. Viv and I had been up to the crater before, so it wasn’t a priority that we endure 3 hour round-trip. However, the thought of missing out on guava malasadas kept me up all night aboard the Pride of America. So much so, I just went ahead by myself early in the morning to pick up some items.
I did end up with 3 of the aforementioned Guava Malasadas and oh yeah, they lived up to the hype. Small and compact, these two bite gems (one bite for some) were soft, and only purposefully sweet. With an aromatic guava filling that was easy on the sugar, the whole thing was balanced. I really liked these and wished I had bought more! I also enjoyed their Cream Puffs filled with custard (and the second one was chocolate). The choux pastry was light, moist while still airy and slightly crispy. Inside, the custard was not very sweet which made it pleasant to eat. 
For my son, I got him the Donut Stick with 4 mini-donuts squashed onto a skewer. These were remarkably light and airy while only sweet from the even amount of glaze. What set this apart was the portion between each donut, as it was not glazed and pillowy soft. With the same yeast dough, the Strawberry Jelly Donut was equally good. Again, the filling wasn't too sweet, so that the glaze could do its thing. So as you can appreciate, the stuff at T. Komoda wasn't exactly complex. However, everything that I got was on point and enjoyable. It was worth the 20-minute drive both ways to get it.
12 years ago, Viv and I hiked Diamondhead in about 20 minutes all the way from the park entrance (we were too cheap to pay for the $5.00 parking). Fast forward to the present and I was up for the challenge, but Viv, having not played hockey for the last 5 years due to concussions, didn't find it as easy this time around. In fact, while we were going down from the top, my son was kicking my arse. Yes, it might've been something to do with age, but I would like to blame the 2 Malasadas I consumed just prior.
Yes, you guessed it, we paid Leonard's Bakery a visit before we made it out to Diamondhead. Once again, we were doing the touristy thing, yet remember, we had 2 hungry kiddies with us. Also, they would never pass up a donut from any culture. We got a 1/2 dozen Malasadas in Original, Cinnamon Sugar and Li Hing (sweet & salty dried plum dust). Oh boy, these were made to order and one bite into the fluffy light center made me a convert. Yes, it was only a fried ball of dough, but the texture was so enticing and easy to eat. I gobbled up 2 just like that. My favorite flavor was the li hing with a good mix of sweet, tart and salty.
We also got a 1/2 dozen of the Puffs filled with Chocolate, Coconut, Custard and Macademia Nut. Exhibiting the same eggy light texture, these were graced with an extra amount of sweetness. In fact, the chocolate filling was very sugary, yet fortunately, the actual malasada was not sweet to begin with. I liked the coconut filling the most as it wasn't super sweet while being aromatic. Despite being advertised as macadamia nut, I didn't find much difference between that and the standard custard. Not necessarily a negative, just an observation.
Lastly, we got a couple of the Ham & Cheese Wrap to give the kids something that resembled breakfast rather than a bunch of Malasadas. With a generous slice of rolled-up sweet honey ham in the middle, the thing ate well with plenty of filling while wrapped in a soft pastry. But really, we didn't come here for that. It was all about the malasadas and they really go that part down to a science. It was well-worth the wait for the made-to-order treat.
Labour Day marks the end of Summer (even though it isn't technically over) and the start of school. It also means that there are no more holidays for the kiddies until Christmas, the beginning of rainy days (for the next 6 months) and saying goodbye to delicious berries (unless you pay for the imported stuff). To celebrate, or more appropriately mourn the loss, we headed over to Krause Berry Farm for some lunch and berry pie.
Of all the savoury items available, my daughter wasn't interested in any of them. Rather, she only had her eye on the Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. Freshly made, the waffle was lightly crispy while fluffy throughout. It was topped with a considerable amount of freshly-sliced strawberries and only a light drizzle of syrup which kept the sweetness to a minimum. For myself, it was all about the Corn on the Cob because it always reminds me of how I "stalked" Viv (get it?) at the PNE, always buying corn on the cob from her in hopes of asking her out. This one was pretty good with niblets that burst with sweetness.
I regretted getting the Corn Chowder though as it was thin and overly sweet. There should've been much more salt to balance it out. As mentioned, the consistency of the broth was not quite right for a chowder. I would've much preferred that they thickened it more. Moving away from the sweet things, we had their Grilled Panini with tomato, pesto and cheese. This featured crunchy bread with a thick slice of fresh tomato and effectively aromatic pesto. By virtue of being a vegetarian sammie, I think there needed to be more salt to elevate the impact. The panini was quite bland and wet (from the tomato) as a result.
My son went for the Moo Melt which was essentially a grilled cheese on multigrain bread. Since it was prepared on a panini press, the sandwich was not greasy and relatively dry. On the other hand, the moisture was provided by the cheddar as there was a good amount of it. Something that was both savoury and sweet was the Corn Pizza. Overloaded with niblets, cheese and a piece of artichoke heart, the slice of pizza was more like a slice of pie. The whole thing was rather substantial and yup pretty sweet from all the corn. The crust was more bread-like than crispy though.
We also tried their Fresh-Cut Farm Fries which took a bit of time to fry up. Sadly, these were not crispy at all. Instead, they were limp, wet and rather dense. They appeared to be made with russet potatoes and fried only once. Whatever the case, they were fresh and we accepted their limpness. We ended up finishing them. But what we were really here for was the Berry Custard Pie that featured enough strawberries and raspberries for 3 normal-sized pies. Sitting atop a firmly crispy crust, the thick and sweet custard gave way to fresh tart berries. As much as there was a seemingly excess amount of glaze on top, it was not sweet at all. Personally, I don't like overly sweet desserts and this hit the spot. Possibly it might be a bit too mild-tasting for some. Overall, I would say the highlights rested on anything with berries in it. Not surprising for a berry farm.
As much as a visit to Voodoo Doughnuts is a default thing to do when one is in Portland, there is actually better found elsewhere. Imagine donuts that are less about novelty and more about quality. Then consider that they are made with brioche and have elevated flavors. Yes, they do cost more and while Voodoo represents the everyday donut, Blue Star goes for more of the high end trendy crowd. That was never more evident in the pricing as I could only get a dozen where I got a dozen and a half at Voodoo.
With flavors such as Mexican Chocolate, Chocolate Almond Ganache, Dulce de Leche with hazelnuts, Real Maple Bacon and Original Glazed (clockwise from the left), it was pretty apparent that these donuts meant business. Texturally, the donuts were moist and soft while not appearing to be overly greasy. In terms of sweetness, it really depended which one we ate. For instance, the Mexican chocolate was a bit spicy and bitter but hardly sweet. As much as the dulce de leche was bound to be sugary, they didn't go overboard. However, the maple bacon did register quite high on the sugar meter. Overall, the donut itself (ignoring the glaze and toppings) was not sweet at all, which meant there wasn't an overload of sugar.
On that note, we found the Matcha Green Tea to be mildly sweet where the bitter notes of the green tea really came through. Being a cake donut, the texture was more dense, but still moist and of course not very sweet. Personally, I love anything that has lemon in it and naturally, I really enjoyed the Meyer Lemon & Key Lime Curd donut. Soft, fluffy and light, this was well-balanced with a dusting of confectioners sugar and filled with a semi sweet tart curd. I thought the ratio of donut-to-filling was spot on while the consistency of the curd was just right where it was not runny nor clumpy.
We can't forget their signature item being the Cointreau Crème Brûlée featuring a house-made vanilla custard hidden within the soft brioche donut. With a torched sugary top, the sweet crunch was accented by a pipette of Cointreau syrup. Yes, this was sweet, but definitely different and a nice collection of textures. Ending off with the Blueberry Bourbon Basil, we found a donut that was aggressively glazed, but not sickeningly sweet. Nice mild blueberry notes complimented by only a touch of bourbon and the herbaceous basil notes. As you can clearly see, the donuts at Blue Star are gourmet in terms of ingredients and execution. Sure, they're expensive, but for me, they are worthy every penny.
It goes without saying that some things are popular for the sake of being popular. I remember back to my first visit to the original location of Voodoo Doughnut over 6 years ago. Viv and I were impressed with the novelty of it all, but not so much with some of their wackier creations. With that being said, there were some gems to be found, but one could only take so much of random cereal and cookies atop sweet glaze. At the time, they popularized the maple bacon donut where it is pretty much commonplace these days.
As we were on our way out of Portland, we stopped by Voodoo Too for ol' times sake. Going a bit overboard, we got a pretty decent selection of donuts to go. My son was all over the Marshall Mathers with its tongue & cheek use of mini-M&M's atop an obscene amount of vanilla frosting. Well, I couldn't stand it, but my son loved every bite of the sickingly sweet combination. At the very least, the cake donut itself was actually decently moist. Of course we couldn't get out of their without getting their famous Voodoo Doll. Essentially a raspberry jelly-filled yeast donut with chocolate glaze (shaped into a voodoo doll with a pretzel stick), this was also rather sweet.
For myself, I actually enjoyed the Mango Tango even though it was filled completely with mango jelly and sweet vanilla frosting on top. What saved this donut was the relatively mild-tasting mango filling while the donut itself was soft and airy. The Buttermilk Bar was slightly different due to the buttermilk dough. It was actually not overly sweet due to the absence of toppings (only a light glaze). It was pretty moist though. Similar to the Marshall Mathers (being a cake donut with lots of vanilla frosting), the Spinkle Donut was sweet with crunchy sprinkles on top.
Let's not forget the donut that shocked everyone when it was first introduced - The Bacon Maple Bar. I actually liked it the first time I tried it, but this time around, the bacon was not really that crispy and in fact, was too fatty and chewy. Being super sweet didn't help either. Another classic is the Old Dirty Bastard with chocolate frosting, Oreos and Peanut Butter. Yes, this was pretty darn sweet and heavy. As much as the name sounds cool, not one of my favorites. The weird triangle-looking thing on the plate was the Maple Blazer Blunt. Yes, it is what you think it is... This yeast donut was made to look like a blunt. In terms of actual flavor, it was simply a cinnamon sugar donut.
Remember what I said about super sweet donuts with cereal on top? Well, we had some in the Loop Donut and Captain, My Captain Donut. Both with vanilla frosting and a good amount of cereal. Novelty in my books and not very tasty in comparison to some of the aforementioned donuts. The plain-looking one on the top of the plate was the Blueberry cake donut. Simple, yet actually good where the cake was not too dense, not too sweet. That pretty much sums up what you need to do if you decide to visit Voodoo. Resist the funky-looking donuts and go with the ones that are simpler. They will not be over-the-top in terms of sweetness and you might actually like it.
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