Sugar Rush. Sugar Crash. Review on Krispy Kreme, Church Street, Bangalore

Ah doughnuts. Or as the Americans spell it, donuts. They are a sweet treat and would definitely not be the first thing to consider if you are looking for something with sugar. After all, it is basically a sort of round bun with a hole in it, coated with sugar and / or filled with sweet fillings.

Till recently, they were a nascent and untapped part of the Indian Fast Food market. But recently, there have been an influx of entrants, from Mad Over Donuts, Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme.

Krispy Kreme Church Street – Location and Ambience

Krispy Kreme in Bangalore first launched at Church Street and I maintain it is till their best outlets in terms of space and ambiance. Yes, they are also located in malls like Garuda and Forum, but space there is limited and in many cases it is open and the tables are situated next to the walking areas.

Parking is a big issue on Church Street so you may have to park on Brigade Road(if you are VERY lucky), or perhaps in nearby Garuda Mall / MG Road and walk down a kilometer to get here.

The air conditioning is the first thing that hits you when you get inside. It is always cool and very pleasant. There are around 20 tables, the best ones being those which have the sofas attached to them. You can also see the convey belt cooking arrangement where they make and bake the donuts. Sadly, I have never been able to catch it in action.

The Donuts

It’s all about the donuts here. They all come in one size and there is nothing else on the menu to distract you. Personally, I find the Dunkin Donuts menu to be more versatile as they have mini donuts and burgers / sandwiches if you don’t really want to have donuts.

Anyway, back to the donuts. There are over 15 varieties, and I have rated the ones I have tried:

1. Original Glazed(Rs. 44) – The Original, cheapest and perhaps the best product in their line-up. It is a simple plain donut with a sugar glazed coating. It is the softest donut of them all and quite literally melts in your mouth. It’s sweeter than Mad Over Donuts or Dunkin Donuts similar products, but mercifully not as sweet as the other items on the menu.

   
   




2. Cinnamon Glazed(Rs. 57) – Similar to Original Glazed, but with a sprinkling of powdered cinnamon on top. Some people said they could taste the difference. Personally I could not find any difference.

   
   




3. Chocolate Iced Glazed(Rs. 57) – Original Glazed with a layer of melted chocolate sauce on top. Since the donuts are served cooled, the sauce hardens and layers the top. This is one of my favourites as well, given that it has chocolate which adds a new dimension to the base flavour but does not overpower it.

   
   




4. Cinnamon Apple Filled( Rs. 57) – I am not really a big fan of their donuts with filling. Cinnamon Apple contains a jam like filling in a round kachori shaped donut. Personally, it is way too sweet and I could mostly taste sugar more than anything else.

   
   




5. Red Velvet(Rs. 57) – Terrible. This is one of three donut ‘cakes’ Basically a cake in donut shape coated with different flavours. I could not eat more than 2 bites since it was too dry and too sweet.

   
   




6. Chocolate Dream Cake(Rs. 62) – First, a proviso. I can just about finish a Death by Chocolate at Corner House Ice Creams, so a chocolate filled donut should not be a problem. Right? Wrong. Imagine this to be like a chocolate lava cake inside a donut. There is the thin donut layer and as soon as you bite in you hit the thick gooey molten chocolate core. But the chocolate is overpoweringly rich and I could not finish this donut at all. And I love chocolate.

   
   

Issue – Donuts not served hot

One issue with the donuts is that you never get hot ones. They are served chilled and they refuse to microwave them. Personally, I take them home and microwave them for 10-20 seconds. It vastly improves the taste and makes donuts much softer.

The Drinks

There are a selection of drinks like coffees, teas and shakes. Personally, I have only tried their Espresso Chocolate Shake and it was like their donuts. Too sweet. I’d rather want a glass of water after eating that much sugar, not another sugary drink on top.

Offers

If you are ordering for a party or a function, or simply have friends and family over, you can order a dozen Original Glazed Donuts for Rs. 400, or a box of assorted flavours for Rs. 510, thereby saving around Rs. 200 in the process.

Issue - Donuts too sweet

As noted above, the biggest issue I have with the donuts in Krispy Kreme is that they are simply too sweet for my palate. I cannot eat more than 1 to max 2 of them at a time before I feel sick of them. I can only hazard how much sugar they contain as I normally feel a surge of energy after having one, only for it to crash after an hour. Personally, I think having this regularly will make you obese really quick and increase your risk of Type-II Diabetes. As a very occasional indulgence it is fine, but you can get addicted to the sugar especially if you already have a sweet tooth.

Verdict

I shall consider Donuts to be more of a sweet dish than a fast food like burgers. Personally, Krispy Kreme is fine if you want to eat something after a meal or just hang out for a bit. But I would take Dunkin Donuts over it, as you do get savoury treats like burgers as well over there.