Last week, US chain Dunkin’ Donuts opened its first outlet in Khar. While the savoury items are filling and flavourful, the donuts are way too high on sugar, finds Phorum Dalal
Chocolate Donut
That cousin from New Jersey, the school friend from San Francisco and our innumerable neighbours had been singing Dunkin’ Donut’s (DD) praises each time they boasted about their trips to the US. They couldn’t stop raving about how the ‘donuts were to die for’. With the American doughnut giant’s first outlet opening in Khar West last week, it was time for us to decide whether the ‘sinful indulgences’ were worth every penny.
Alive by Chocolate Donut
On a Wednesday afternoon, we stepped into Dunkin’ Donut’s outlet which was replete with a bright orange decor that instantly lifted our spirits. We ordered a Chef’s Special Veg Burger (Rs 156) and a Bagel Chicken Tough Guy Burger, (Rs 212) along with a Chocolate and Caramel Dunkacinnos (Rs 135 each). The server informed us that two ring donuts came free with our order. So, we chose a Cookie Cartwheel and a Tripple Chocolate Crunch along with an Alive By Chocolate Shell donut (Rs 65). We decided to end our meal with a regular Cinnamon Cappuccino (Rs 123).
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Bagel Chicken Tough Guy Burger
We settled ourselves in the outdoor seating. When the server placed the tray on our table, I didn’t see any ketchup on the side to go with the burgers. I went up to the person at the counter and asked for some. He smiled and said politely, “I’ll give you ketchup, but please try our burger without it once. Ketchup interferes with the DD flavour.”
Dunkin’ Donuts at Khar West is the first outlet in Mumbai. Pic/Phorum Dalal
I returned to my table, and gave the burgers a real chance sans the ketchup. The veg burger had three hash browns on a bed of mayonnaise amid onions and tomatoes. I took a bite and slowly let the flavours sink in. The bland-looking mayo was a disguise. There was a burst of spice and tang. It was different but delicious. The chicken burger was rightly named tough guy. Peppered with white and black sesame seeds, the patty was well-marinated and the dash of mustard uplifted the burger experience. We relished both the burgers, as the ketchup sachets sat ignored on one side of the tray.
Around us, we could hear people chatter and chomp away at one go. “People seem to be on a sugar rush,” my fellow companion commented. Both the chocolate and caramel milkshakes were chilled, and it was great that they weren’t too sweet. We only wished they were a bit thicker. Mid-way through our burger, we couldn’t resist the three musketeers (read donuts) sit idly, waiting their turn. I took a greedy bite of the Cookie Cartwheel. A sweet rush of sugar captured the senses. While the cookie topping was way too sweet, we loved the doughnut base, which melted in our mouth. The Tripple Chocolate topped with white and dark chocolate chips, on a bed of chocolate sauce, had an OTT sugar content.
The out and out winner was Alive By Chocolate. Topped with a cakey crumble, it oozed dark chocolate sauce. Overall, we recommend you share the doughnuts and team them up with a bitter coffee or a spicy bread dish so that it compliments each other’s taste and doesn’t end up being too sweet for your taste buds. Only if you balance your sweet and savoury options, Dunkin’ Donuts can be a happy destination.
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