For some odd
happenstance, I just found myself in a cafe that invited me through its distinct
aroma that had notes of vanilla, caramel and fruit compote harmoniously playing
underneath the delicious sugary scent. Picture that transform into an imaginary
rope that ever so gingerly tied itself around my neck pulling me to come over and
experience something new that this café has to offer. It was the culprit that
drew me to park my car by the perimeter, involuntarily walk towards the store
to stay in for a good hour and a half.
It all started when I passed by a structure situated along Reliance St., cor Sheridan in Mandaluyong that I didn’t miss to keep an eye on.
The walls of the building were predominantly painted with bright pink, orange and gray, beaming with photos of various donuts, sprinkles, nuts, chocolate, etc.
cascaded across its facade. Driving further down the street made me learn that it
happens to be the factory where the magic of Dunkin Donuts takes place and beside
it lies the existence of its flagship café in the Philippines.
At that point,
my head was already debating whether I should drive straight ahead enroute to
my destination or turn right along Sheridan St., so I could dive right into
donut wonderland. C’mon, Khaye! It shouldn’t be that hard! How could you say no
to those colossal donuts eagerly waving at you? How could you possibly pass on
that chance? How could you not give in? Duuuuuhhhh! Fine.
It was 7am then
and my being was barely awake when I stepped foot in the store. Before I could
even breathe, the guy at the counter bellowed a clear and loud “Hello! Gooooood
morning, Ma’am!” that was right to perk my senses. I did appreciate the gesture
as a form of customer service but it’s 7 freakin’ am for chrissakes! He could
have toned his voice down a little. Mind you, I was quick to acknowledge in a
nice manner albeit a little irked. Anyhow, next instinct was to scan through
the glass display of donuts available. From afar, I knew that there was something
new as there was an obvious addition to the display. I could see some familiar
looking pastries aptly lined up on top of the shelf that were never there. Could
it be that much coveted, much talked about, bizarrely photographed cronut that
people have been musing about for a while now? I took a step closer while
rubbing my eyes to ease away the blur of my half-awoken existence. In a matter
of seconds, my eyes lit up. Kilig started
to rush through my veins and everything turned clear and bright! My excitement
built because finally, it’s the day that the Lord has made! I was about to sink
my teeth into one of those cronuts!
 |
| Hello, cronuts! |
A cronut is basically a cross between a croissant and a donut that has recently gained
popularity here in Manila. It wasn’t long after it reached the shores to make
it to every food purveyor’s tummy. It has been featured countless times on
glossy magazines, lifestyle TV shows, blogs, social media, and all other
forms that contribute to its overexposure. Everyone wants it; everyone has
got to get it. It has been elevated to a pedestal that it’s a privilege for a
cronut to be touching someone’s lips. If you want to know more on the nitty
gritty of a cronut, it’s origin, flavors and the frenzy it has caused,
Mr.Google would be happy to assist.
I studied the
cronut before cutting myself a bite. My eyes were telling me that eating an
entire one would hurt but just like anyone, I had high hopes. As you can see
through the layers of its flaky bread (see photos below), it does resemble a croissant except that
it’s shaped like a donut covered with Dunkin Donuts’ famous honey glaze. As
if it was not sweet enough, strawberry jam was spread in between the layers then topped with shards of strawberry and vanilla crème. And for
the heck of it, embellished with chopped walnuts for added texture and flavor.
 |
| Strawberry Cranberry Cronut, P75 |
 |
| Sugar laden cronut.. Too sweet! |
I already
crafted my presumptions about what a cronut tastes like before I tried it out.
I’ve certainly eaten a croissant and a donut before and based on the name
itself, it’s safe to set expectations. Indeed, it was a cross between the two.
I found that it's more of a croissant than a donut. It’s a dessert type of
croissant-the thoughts that came to mind as I took my time ingesting my
first bite until.. Its taste struck the hell out of me.
My verdict? It was
sickeningly sweet. It almost gave me a headache! Not that I despise it, I
tell you, I have a love affair with sweets. But this particular one was too sweet for my liking. Okay,
let’s give it to them that the cronut was moist and all and that the presence of
every flavor was felt. But the bread was drenched in so much glaze that it
oozed as I worked my teeth into chewing it. If you have sensitive teeth, the
sugar would definitely make it hurt. Sadly, I didn’t get to finish it as I
bailed on taking the rest after the first bite. I think my blood sugar level
skyrocketed to the heavens, much thanks to that cronut.
Will I be
forgiven if I say that I am disappointed? I feel this way now not at the
thought of spending P75 for a bite of a cronut, but on the fact that I feel
like a fool. I knew right before I took a leap on the cronut craze that eating
it would hurt but I still set my hopes up. It’s human nature, I guess, that we
tend to set high expectations that’s why we hurt more if it results to an
unpleasant turnout.
Despite the
dismal state of my thoughts on cronuts right now, and the fact that the
sweetness still lingers in my tastebuds 10 hours after eating a bite
out of one, I’m all for giving it the benefit of the doubt. Next time, I’ll get
myself some from the very same place where celebrities get theirs. I’ll try to
choose wisely from a wider selection and hopefully I’ll come out with a smile
on my face for I have gained an enjoyable understanding of the cronut that's loved by many. After all, it’s human nature too that we learn from our mistakes
and make better the next time we face the same situation that we experienced
before. In consonance with what a wise man that made his mark in this world once
said, “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”, it’s true that we must not settle. We owe
it to ourselves to constantly seek, learn and never get satisfied. We should not let opportunities pass us by and just start to live every aspect of our lives.
And oh, I still love you,
Dunkin Donuts. I hope that you'll forgive me. It's the cronut that I hate. Not you.
 |
| Dunkin Donuts' individual carton box |
For reference on where to find cronuts in Manila, here's a useful advice from Spot.ph: http://www.spot.ph/eatdrink/54041/trend-alert-meet-the-crookie-and-croclair-and-the-10-places-you-can-get-the-cronut
Stay Happy,
Khaye :)
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