The variations of the pon de ring available from Japan’s Mister Donut is my favourite doughnut. They are light and chewy — the very definition of mochi mochi — and I eat them at every opportunity when we visit. They’re a steal at ¥110 (+tax) in Japan, but with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on giant shaped pon de ring hole in my heart, I was ready to give the premium doughnuts at Demochi Donut Bar a try.
Sold individually, the doughnuts are $6.00 each, the sauces are $2.00 each. A 4-pack (inc. 2 sauces) does not get you a discount at $28.00, while a 12-pack (inc. 4 sauces) is $60.00.
Each 12-pack contained (left to right):
- 3 x Demochi traditional cinnamon doughnuts
- 3 x Demochi original honey glazed doughnuts with 100s and 1000s
- 3 x Demochi yuzu glazed doughnuts with toasted coconut and Clifford Luu lemon curd dip
- 3 x Demochi Vietnamese coffee glazed doughnuts with coffee milk crumb and Clifford Luu condensed milk mascarpone cream dip
We started with the Traditional Cinnamon Donut to get a good feel of the texture and flavour before moving on to the flavoured ones. As promised, the texture was addictively mochi mochi — soft yet bouncy — with just enough sweetness and flavour from the cinnamon sugar for a simple snack.
This is the Original Honey Glazed Donut with 100s and 1000s. While we enjoyed the doughnut, the glaze was our least favourite of the four due to its cloying sweetness. The 100s and 1000s added crunch but also more sweetness.
This is the Yuzu Glazed Donut with Toasted Coconut and Lemon Curd Dip. The yuzu glaze — with its bits of yuzu rind — tasted like it was made from a citron/yuzu jam that can be purchased in Asian groceries, though it was rather subtle in flavour. The coconut added crunch, while the lemon curd overwhelmed all hint of yuzu in the glaze. That said, the curd was absolutely delicious on its own and packed a zesty and acidic lemony punch that had us eating every last drop in the container.
This is the Vietnamese Coffee Glazed Donut with Coffee Milk Crumb and Condensed Milk Mascarpone Cream Dip. This was our favourite of the four flavours with the coffee coming through bold and creamy in the glaze and the crumb. The cream dip added an extra layer of coffee flavour that recalled tiramisu.
The doughnuts at Demochi Donut Bar satisfied my cravings for mochi doughnuts. They’re rather pricy for doughnuts but worth it for tiding us over until a trip to Japan comes back into play.
Demochi Donut Bar is located as a pop up on Saturdays at 2 The Strand, Croydon NSW 2132.