Ōsaka DonutLab is a cafe that opened in June 2026, specialising in Japanese-style nama doughnuts, soufflé pancakes and omurice.
Operated by the team behind KOI Dessert Bar, the cafe runs from within the shared space.
Earl Grey Cream Nama Donut ($7.50) — Plain nama doughnut with an Earl Grey cream filling.
Initial contact delivered a soft doughnut with a light, airy structure, though the texture leaned more towards an unsweetened brioche than a traditional nama doughnut. While reasonably light, it lacked the moist tenderness and pillowy softness found in stronger examples of the style, such as O’Donuts in Chatswood. Through the mid-palate, the Earl Grey cream became the dominant component. The filling delivered bergamot-derived fruitiness, though the flavour skewed towards a generic citrus profile rather than a clearly defined Earl Grey tea character. Both the aroma and flavour carried a slightly artificial quality that detracted from the intended tea focus. The finish resolved into lingering sweetness and citrus notes, with the bread-like dough remaining prominent throughout.
Strawberry Cream ($7.50) — Plain nama doughnut with a strawberry cream filling.
This fared better than the Earl Grey variant. The strawberry filling delivered vibrant sweet-tart character, recalling a thick strawberry yoghurt with sufficient acidity to counter the dough. The dough again had a slightly cakey, loose crumb that lacked the tenderness expected of the style. The filling carried the doughnut, however, complementing the mildly sour, yeasty notes of the dough rather than drawing attention to its shortcomings. Freeze-dried strawberry pieces contributed concentrated fruit flavour and additional acidity, creating welcome contrast.
Chocolate Pistachio Nama Donut ($8.00) — Chocolate nama doughnut with a pistachio cream filling.
The cocoa appeared primarily cosmetic, contributing little overt chocolate flavour. The doughnut itself had a slightly more hydrated and tender texture than the plain versions, which improved the overall eating experience. Through the mid-palate, the smooth pistachio cream became the dominant element, providing richness and a clearly defined nut character. Pistachio slivers added a subtle crunch that complemented the otherwise soft structure. This was our second-favourite filled doughnut behind the chocolate cream.
Chocolate Cream Nama Donut ($7.50) — Plain nama doughnut with a chocolate cream filling, topped with a square of chocolate.
The dough had the same issues as the other plain variants, presenting slightly stale and dry rather than tender and pillowy. Fortunately, the chocolate cream compensated effectively. Rich, smooth and well-balanced, the filling delivered a refined chocolate profile that spoke to the quality of the chocolate used. The cream carried the doughnut almost entirely, making this the strongest of the filled nama doughnuts sampled.
Plain Cruller ($7.00) — Plain cruller with sugar glaze.
Initial contact delivered a crisp exterior that immediately gave way to a light, airy interior. Constructed from choux pastry rather than a conventional doughnut dough, the cruller established a markedly different texture from the nama doughnuts. Through the mid-palate, the glaze provided sufficient sweetness to balance the lightly eggy choux interior without overwhelming it. The finish remained clean and restrained, allowing the pastry structure to remain the focal point.
Strawberry Cruller ($7.00) — Plain cruller with strawberry-flavoured white chocolate glaze and freeze-dried strawberries.
The underlying cruller retained the same light, airy structure as the plain version. Through the mid-palate, the strawberry glaze delivered well-judged sweetness and fruitiness while creating textural contrast against the slightly eggy choux pastry. Freeze-dried strawberry pieces contributed concentrated fruit flavour and welcome acidity, preventing the sweetness from becoming one-dimensional. The finish resolved into lingering strawberry notes and light pastry richness, with the airy structure keeping the overall profile refreshing rather than heavy.
Matcha Cruller ($7.00) — matcha cruller with matcha flavoured white chocolate glaze
The matcha introduced a subtle vegetal bitterness to both the glaze and pastry, providing additional complexity without compromising the light, airy character of the cruller. It also helped moderate some of the eggier notes inherent to the choux base. While not an intense matcha experience, the flavour was well integrated and suited the format. A successful variation on the cruller.
Hōjicha Ring Donut ($5.00) — Iced doughnut with glaze and hōjicha powder.
The execution here felt underdeveloped. Rather than incorporating hōjicha into the glaze itself, the doughnut relied primarily on a dusting of powder, resulting in a remarkably subdued tea presence.
Detecting the hōjicha often required deliberately placing the glazed surface against the palate, at which point a pleasant roasted tea character emerged. The hōjicha itself was rich and well judged, making the restrained application all the more frustrating. The doughnut base suffered from the same issues as the other nama doughnuts, presenting a slightly sour, unsweetened bread-like profile without sufficient tenderness. With a hōjicha-infused glaze, this could have been one of the stronger offerings; as served, it felt like a missed opportunity.
The crullers were the clear standouts, delivering light, airy choux-based textures and generally well-executed flavour pairings. By contrast, the nama doughnuts consistently fell short of the soft, moist tenderness expected of the style, often resembling lightly sweetened brioche rather than true nama doughnuts. While several fillings performed strongly enough to compensate, particularly the chocolate cream and pistachio cream, the dough itself remained the limiting factor throughout. For nama doughnuts in Sydney, we prefer the moist tenderness and pillowy softness found in those available from O’Donuts in Chatswood.
Ōsaka Donut Lab is located at 6 Central Park Ave, Chippendale NSW 2008.