Tohato

Oh, man.  Things I love?  Snack foods.  Popcorn or other crunchy sweet things.  Fun flavors from other countries.  

Enter Tohato.  A Japanese snack food maker.  They make a few product lines, but I focused only on their most popular: the caramel corn.

But this is not caramel corn as Americans think about it.  No take me out the ballpark moments here.  In fact, if you are expecting, well, coated popcorn in any way, you'll be let down.  While I adore popcorn more than most snack foods, this completely different version of caramel coated puffed corn won me over pretty instantly.  The base of these is made with corn, but, they are big puffy corn snacks, like giant bamba (iykyk) or similar products from European countries.  A void in the US snack market if you ask me.

Tahato has an extensive lineup of flavors of said caramel corn.  And by extensive, I mean, extensive.  On the Japan Candy Store website for example they have a whopping 110 varieties available.  110!  Tohato  lean heavily in to seasonal limited flavors and collabs with other hot brands of the moment.  Some are even just special bags with the same original product inside, just, differently branded for a short time.  Also note that just like these aren't caramel corn as in, not popcorn, they also don't all have caramel (or even caramel adjacent) coatings ... yet are all called caramel corn.  So, expectations set, let's dive in.

Regular Flavors

I won't try to enumerate all the standard flavors Tohato offers, but let me assure you, they range from the expected caramel-esque flavors, to fruity creations, to beverage inspired such as matcha or mango lassi, or even fried chicken.  Yeah.  So many fun varieties.  Their original basic flavor, the simple caramel corn, is a lightly caramely flavor with nuts included too.

Bitter Caramel Corn.

"Have a blast snacking on these bittersweet crunchy corn puffs! Each piece has a unique combination of charred caramel paste and roasted peanut flavors."

"A bag of charred caramel and roasted peanut-flavored corn puffs."

My first bag was the bitter caramel corn.

I was drawn to these because 1) they were caramel corn and 2) I was fascinated by the idea of "bitter" caramel corn.  I was curious what sort of interesting possible translation issue this was.

Like all of the Tohato products, I loved the form factor.  Lightly airy, super crispy, great crunch, corn grit base.  These are the sort of thing it is far too easy to scarf an entire bag of in one sitting.  4/5 just for the form, as is true for all their varieties.

Then, the flavor.  What does "charred caramel paste" "roasted peanut" and "bitter caramel" translate into?  I found it to be a more complex and sophisticated flavor than standard caramel, still sweet, but definitely not cloying.  Deeper, darker, richer.  Just on the edge of bitter.  Caramel that left a tiny bit longer would turn burnt, no question.  I didn't taste anything peanut-like in the coating, which I didn't mind, as I really liked the flavor.  4/5 for the flavor.

There were some small roasted peanuts in the bag too, which I didn't discover until nearly at the end, as they were smaller than average peanuts, and had all settled to the bottom of the bag.  I considered them a bonus snack for later, but if you knew to dig for them, you could eat in unison with the puffs, a la Cracker Jacks. 4/5 for those too.

I'd get these again, although I did wish they had a touch more salty quality too.  I appreciate that they seem to be made with real caramel - the ingredients include sugar, margarine, cream (and honey), although they do have "flavoring", "seasonings", and "caramel pigment" too.

Salty Caramel Corn.

"To enhance the sweet caramel flavor, a perfect amount of salt is added to bring out more savory taste! It will definitely have you licking your fingers afterwards."

"Take this pack of yummy corn puff treats to the picnic! These Caramel Corn snacks are lightly seasoned with Guérande salt which brings out the sweetness of the caramel. Not only that but it's also made with fermented butter that adds a luxurious richness to the corn puffs. "

Next I went for a more classic caramel corn flavor, the "salty" caramel corn.  I again *adored* the form factor, so crispy, and I love how they sorta dissolve in your mouth.  The flavor was, well, caramel, definitely less bitter and complex than the bitter caramel flavor, certainly sweet, and I guess a touch salty.  The margarine, sweetened condensed milk, and real caramel really make these a top notch, decadent in a good way, treat.  Love them.  

Serving size: 1 bag, I'm sorry.  I'm incapable of not finishing a full bag in seconds flat.  They are just THAT good!  Another 4/5.

Sweet Potato Caramel Corn.

"Take a bite out of Tohato Caramel Corn Sweet Potato, where crunchy caramel corn meets delicious Japanese sweet potato. Crafted with Annou sweet potato powder, fresh cream, and brown sugar, this delightful snack is deliciously sweet and umami!"

"When you open it, you won't smell the usual sweet caramel scent, but rather a rich aroma reminiscent of a fluffy roasted sweet potato. The moment you put it in your mouth, it's sweet, and the fluffy and crispy texture that is unique to caramel corn. The flavor of the sweet potato spreads throughout your mouth immediately, and you'll be delighted with the autumn taste. Even after the caramel corn melts, the sweet potato flavor lingers, making you long for the next bite."

I had no idea what to expect from this one, besides the addicting form factor of course.  As always, I loved the crunchy, airy puffs.  I loved the decadence from the butter and cream and sugar.  That was all expected.  The sweet potato flavor was ... subtle.  Less dominant than some of the other stronger flavors, and definitely not one that I'd know was sweet potato if you didn't tell me.  It made sense and I could kinda taste it knowing it, but the flavor isn't one that immediately strikes you.

I did enjoy these, but found they trended a bit too sweet for me overall.  I wanted to dunk in whipped cream, or mix with something more plain, in order to keep eating them (or, you know, just eat a small portion and have some self control ...).  4/5 form factor, 3.5/5 flavor for me though.  Not one I'd seek out again, but I certainly wouldn't turn them down.

Seasonal / Limited Edition Flavors

Tohato goes all in on limited edition flavors.  Holidays, seasons, random Tik Tok trends ... they seem to embrace all as an excuse to create a limited time flavor, usually with some very cute branding and graphics.

Christmas Caramel Corn - White Milk.
(Seasonal).

"Enjoy these satisfyingly sweet corn puffs in their cute holiday season packaging! The crunchy pieces look like snow with their white milk flavor coating. Taste the rich milk flavor, thanks to the combination of fresh cream and honey."

The next flavor I tried was another variation on caramel corn, this time a special Christmas "white milk" flavor.

ZOMG.  I couldn't believe how much I liked these.  Same great base form factor, and pretty classic caramel corn taste to the base, and then ... well, sweet white chocolate-esque milky coating, but not a drizzle or shell, rather, a powder.  They were super sweet, but also creamy, and yet so crunchy, that I actually ate the entire bag in something like 2 minutes, stopping finally at the end to take a photo so I could write my review.  They were *that* good.  Wowzer.

What makes them that delicious?  Well, the ingredients.  Besides the corn grits that form the base, sugar, margarine, sweetened condensed milk, condensed milk, cream, "milk seasoning", and salt (plus a few emulsifiers and the like).  No wonder these were so tasty!  

Anyway, incredible.  And sadly seasonal, and sadly gone from my pantry now.  5/5.  No edits needed.

Mont Blanc.
(Limited Edition).

"Enjoy the taste of Japanese chestnut Mont Black when you bite into these delicious corn puffs! Each piece of Caramel Corn is crispy and soft at the same time that it actually melts in your mouth. These corn puffs are made with Japanese chestnut paste and fresh cream that give them a nice mellow but rich flavor."

I was very excited when I moved on to the next flavor: mont blanc!  I have had very few of this dessert in my life, mostly actually in Tokyo where it seems to be quite the thing (like even the soft serve Mont Blanc parfait at Mother Farm Milk Bar or the one from Silkream), but I adore it, and wish we had more chestnut inspiration in the US.  The ingredients even included chestnut paste, so I was quite hopeful the chestnut would deliver.

Sadly, these really didn’t taste like chestnut.  The form factor was still that perfectly addicting very crispy yet airy and puffy corn grits base, and it was still caramel corn with sweetened milk, margarine, and cream, so sweet and creamy, but … truly it just seemed like regular caramel corn flavor.  Tasty, absolutely, and this bag was definitely just one serving for me, but, mont blanc they were not.

I’d give this a low 4/5 IF it wasn’t marketed as being chestnut flavored, but since it was, and didn’t deliver even a tiny bit of chestnut flavor for me, I have to deduct a star.  3/5.

Hinamatsuri (Peach).
(Limited Edition).

"Crafted with pureed Japanese peaches, this snack boasts a charming blend of white and peach colors, reminiscent of traditional hina-arare sweets enjoyed during Japan's Girls' Day Festival."

"The Tohato Caramel Corn Seasonal Limited Peach Flavour is a new addition to the "Caramel Corn" series of Japanese snacks. It is a limited edition flavour for the Doll's Festival, also known as Hinamatsuri. The snack features an enhanced peach flavour made with Japan's domestically produced peach puree and a rich taste achieved by adding condensed milk as a secret ingredient. "

Well, this may be the most unique flavor I tried.  Another limited edition, made only for Hinamatsuri, the Japanese Doll's Day, which is a rather fascinating actual holiday.  Peaches are a symbol of this festival, and thus, the feature of this flavor.

The shape and base makeup of these is the same as the others: puffy, amazingly crunchy corn grits infused with sweetened milk, margarine, and sugar, decadent and impossible to put the bag down.  The pieces are actually light pink and rather pretty.  And the flavor?  Yup, wow, that is peach!  The flavor is not generic sweetness, nor does it taste artificial.  It tastes, well, like fresh peaches.  Rather impressive, really.  The secret (or, not so secret I guess) is in the ingredient list: peach puree.  They don't use anything artificial to get that peach flavor, it is actual peach puree.  And you can tell.

I didn't think that fruity peach would be a great match for these snacks, particularly as they are still caramel corn under that all, but, it really does work.  A fascinating and enjoyable flavor.  I'd love to try their other fruity flavors. 4/5.

Sanrio Characters Strawberry Caramel Corn.
(Special Edition).

"Introducing the delightful Tohato Sanrio Caramel Corn Strawberry, a taste sensation straight from the heart of Japan. This unique and charming snack combines the irresistible flavors of sweet caramel and luscious strawberries to create a treat that will transport your taste buds to a world of pure delight. Whether you're a fan of Sanrio's beloved characters or simply a lover of delicious snacks, this Japanese treat is sure to captivate your senses."

Wow, these were unique!  A collaboration with Sanrio to have Sanrio cutesy characters on the package, and a pack of Sanrio stickers hiding in the bag.  I believe they had several styles of packaging and stickers on offer.

The first thing that surprised me was the form factor.  While the shape and format is the same as all the others, they are tiny!  The cutesy little mini form kinda matched the whimsical branding, but I'll admit that I do prefer the bigger puffs.  These were just slightly bigger than popcorn pieces.

Once I got over the adorable tininess, I took in the taste.  Much like the limited peach flavor, the strawberry flavor was intense, and definitely not just an afterthought or something that comes through on the finish.  They were super fruity, in a good way that didn't taste fake nor cloying.  There is real strawberry puree used, and you can tell.

Sweet, fruity, crunchy, and gone in an instant.  4/5.

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Jessica Little Fu

It is rare for me to really be impressed with a baked good or dessert these days.  I was spoiled by years of having an ex-Michelin star pastry chef creating nightly desserts for my group at work (and a succession of equally talented pastry chefs before/after that) and by having a couple years of doing extensive fine dining.  That is all in my past, but more recently, I've spent my last three summers in New York City, where I've made eating top notch pastries and baked goods a priority.  So most things I encounter in everyday life in San Francisco just don't really wow me.  Sure, there are some that stand out (e.g. yes, Arsicault), but most, even if good, I'm not like "ZOMG" about.

So I had no expectations when I recently attended a tea and dessert event featuring a popup vendor I'd never heard of: Jessica Little Fu.  Let me tell you: um, you should pay attention to this pastry chef.

Jessica Little Fu is a pastry chef and baking instructor, and hails from a background working at the Michelin starred restaurants State Bird Provisions and The Progress (and later, Stonehill Matcha).  She now sells at popups, and special orders from her website.  I know little else about her, besides that, well, she's crazy talented.  

"Today, I can be found at occasional pop ups around the bay area, working on passion projects and teaching what I have learned to baking enthusiasts. My pastries showcase California seasonal produce and often have a touch of Chinese pastry nostalgia."

She's sorta low profile, just doing her thing it seems.  Her work features a lot of Asian flavor profiles, but modern unique creations, with high level of mastery of technique.  She incorporates a lot creams, fruits, cakes, and flavored whipped creams.  Mmm, all things I love.

Our event had 6 items: 1 sheet cake, 2 types of pie, 2 kinds of panna cotta, and one individual sized cake/mousse.  I read through the menu with my eyes getting wider and wider.  I wanted them all.  As a first pass, I selected my top two choices, but when it was clear that there was plenty, and that most people were loading up platters and taking some home, I returned to get more.  In the end, I had 5 of the 6 items, and all were ... flawless?  To say I was impressed is an understatement.

Black Sesame Banana Cream Pie.

"A pie filled with layers of silky black sesame mousseline, malted milk sweet cream and bananas encased in a flaky pie crust with a thin layer of milk chocolate."

The one I went straight for, my first pick to try, was the black sesame banana cream pie.  I love banana cream pie.  I adore black sesame.  This sounded, well, perfect.  I loved that it came pre-sliced into 8 very large slices.  I also loved that other event attendees didn't seem inclined to try to cut them in pieces, so taking a full slice seemed appropriate.

Black Sesame Banana Cream Pie: Close up.

"Flaky butter pie shell brushed with milk chocolate and filled with black sesame mousseline, bananas and malted milk whipped cream."

The pie was a stunning 3 layers of bananas and black sesame mousseline, plus a very generous layer of the malted milk whipped cream, all sprinkled with some black sesame seeds.  I was impressed with the structural integrity as I took a slice.

The crust was everything I want in a crust: super crispy, super flaky, high butter, fantastic.  I suspect the light layer of milk chocolate lining it helped keep it crisp against the filling.  The crust alone had me impressed.

But this pie kept on giving.  It was loaded with bananas, fresh, ripe, not too mushy.  Very strong banana focus, as you can see visually as well.  The bananas were enrobed in the glorious black sesame mousseline.  It was creamy, rich, and sophisticatedly nutty.  As someone who grew up eating a lot of bananas with peanut butter as a snack, this immediately worked for me, and just felt like a grown up spin on a flavor profile that sparked comfort and nostalgia.  And then, the very generous layer of whipped cream on top, which was not just any old whipped cream, but, malted milk whipped cream.  It had just that extra touch of depth and again, sophistication, that felt both familiar and a bit upscale all at once.

Put it all together and you have a very unique and complex spin on what is otherwise a fairly basic nostalgic comfort food pie (banana cream) and childhood snack (nut butter on bananas), melded together into a showstopper.  There is literally nothing I'd suggest be done differently with this, the flavors, textures, and technique just all were top notch.  4.5/5, tied for first place for me in favorites.

Passion Fruit Mochi Mousse Cake.

"Mochi, passion fruit mousse, strawberry sauce, whipped cream and vanilla chiffon."

My second pick when honing in on selecting just two to try to start was the mochi mousse cake.  It was certainly the most unique looking, and I was fascinated by what it might be like inside as well.  The mochi blanket embracing it was so soft and pliable, and really quite pleasant to eat, just a subtle rice taste.

Passion Fruit Mochi Mousse Cake: Inside.

And then, within.  The base was a very light vanilla chiffon.  It was an uninteresting component of the desert, and I'd prefer some other kind of base, but there was nothing wrong with it, and its plainness did offset the intensity of the other elements.

The majority of this was a stunner, a sensational passion fruit mousse.  It was fluffy and creamy, fruity and tropical, slightly sweet and slightly tart, and studded with sooo many passion fruit seeds for lots of crunch.  It never seemed too heavy nor too sweet, and had just the right level of intensity, all from real passionfruit, no fake taste to it.  I adored the mousse.

The whipped cream was a minor component on top, and was nice to balance the mousse a little, but the mousse was so good I barely felt it needed it.  The strawberry sauce turned out to be just that dot on top, none within, so it added a sweet additional fruity burst, but then was gone. 

Overall, such a unique item, and it did all work together well, but I almost think I would have enjoyed it more if it was just mochi filled with passion fruit mousse.  Still, I devoured it, and would get another in a heartbeat. Strong 4/5, the passion fruit mousse though was an easy 5/5.  My second favorite item.

Chestnut Oolong Cake.

"Three layers of vanilla chiffon, Phoenix Honey Orchid oolong tea pastry cream, chestnut whipped cream."

After securing my top two choices, I moved on to take a look at the large format cake.  The cake looked slightly more homemade than professional (obviously by a talented home baker, but it didn't scream out professional at first glance), and at first I thought this might be a different source than the other items.  But then I saw the description, and saw how it fit right in.

While the cake and oolong components, and the less polished look of it didn't quite draw me in, the mention of chestnut is all it took for me to slice off a small piece, to at least give it a try.

Chestnut Oolong Cake: Close up.

The cake had three very equal layers of chiffon, and what seemed to be the same filling (albeit studded with chestnuts) and frosting.  I had somewhat expected the inside to be the oolong tea pastry cream, and outside to be the chestnut whipped cream.

I often comment on how chiffon cake is my least favorite style of cake (I may adore Asian flavors and desserts from around the world, but, American style dense butter cake is still my preferred cake, chiffon, sponge, genoise ... eh).  However this was moist and light as air, and really did seem appropriate with the delicate flavors of the oolong pastry cream.  This was actually the first bite of anything I had (before the previous items), and I was immediately impressed.

Then, the pastry cream / whipped cream.  Light and fluffy.  There was a mild hint of tea that lingered on the finish, but it was very mild, as you'd expect from oolong.  The filling within the layers of cake was studded with little bits of chestnut.  At first I thought they were red bean actually, as the taste and size of the bits immediately connected in my brain as red bean, but actually, this was the chestnut.  It was more ... nutty? Legume-like? than I expected.  It was quite savory, and the pastry cream/whipped cream wasn't very sweetened either, so this really was not a sweet dessert.

Overall this was my least favorite of the items I tried, as I prefer things a bit sweeter, I prefer non-chiffon cake, and I'm not excited about oolong, but it was still a very good cake.  4/5 on execution really.

Hojicha Dulcey Cream Pie.

"Cocoa cookie crumb crust filled with hojicha dulcey chocolate cremeux and caramel whipped cream."

In my initial priority stack rank of items to try, I had this near the middle of the pack, after the cake.  I adore dulcey chocolate, but I'm not really a tea lover (I don't mind it, just, not my top choice of flavor to go for), and the cocoa cookie crumb crust seemed less interesting than the elements of the other desserts.  I still was curious to try it though, given how successful everything else was, so when there was still a bunch of slices of this left, I broke the mold of taking full slices and actually cut one in half, so I could just try it, but not take a full slice (which, totally mangled it, alas).

The cocoa cookie crust was actually pretty good.  Crispy, compressed, deep cocoa flavor, slightly bitter in a good way.  It was a nice thickness to really taste the cocoa, but not too thick to easily break through with a fork.  But as I expected, it just wasn't all that exciting to me on its own (but, I also hate Oreos, so, consider that fact).  When you combined it with the  caramel whipped cream on top though ... brilliant!  There was no denying the fact that it was caramel, so sweet, so intense.  I loved it, and it did indeed go well with that crust, in a way that elevated both elements when consumed together.  I would be happy with just this crust and topping as a pie!

But there was more.  The main body of the pie was actually the hojicha dulcey chocolate cremeux.  Oh, wow.  For all the lack of intensity in the oolong pastry cream in the cake, this one had in spades.  The tea flavor was strong, and really kept drawing me back in.  It was bitter but tempered by the dulcey which gave a hint of caramely sweetness (and of course, it was balanced out with the crust/whip as well if you ate it all together).  The consistency of it was remarkable too - soooo smooth.  It was quite thick, far thicker than the passion fruit mousse, the oolong pastry cream, or the black sesame mousseline, yet velvety smooth.  It really was exceptional, and I found myself wanting more and more of it.

I ended up liking this quite a bit, and would have easily consumed a full slice (perhaps saving half for the next day).  I actually preferred the crust/whip as one dessert, and this cremeux as its own thing, as I felt the flavors were allowed to shine a bit more that way, but, such a surprise hit for me.  Shockingly tied for first place. 4.5/5.

Elderflower Panna Cotta.

"St Germaine panna cotta with fresh berries and passion fruit."

And finally, the last item I grabbed, a panna cotta.  This may come as a surprise that it was the last thing on my priority list, given that my blog has a label dedicated to pudding AND one exclusively for panna cotta, and I do love it, but, I actually just thought it was the least likely to impress compared to the more elaborate items.  Plus, the St. Germaine didn't draw me in.

It came topped with a few berries (raspberries, blueberries) and fresh passionfruit.  

The panna cotta was, as you may have guessed by now, executed flawlessly.  Well set.  Thick.  Rich.  Smooth.  Fresh cream taste, mildly sweet.  The vibrant fruit on top, particularly the passion fruit, offset the slight plainness of the base panna cotta.  As for the St. Germaine, I'll admit I didn't taste it.  But it really was a fantastic panna cotta nonetheless.  If I had one note it is that I would have preferred some additional flavoring, be it the St. Germaine or something like buttermilk, but still, this was very, very good.

This really was textbook execution of panna cotta, you can tell the pastry chef is a master of her craft from this simple dish alone.  4/5.  My third pick, only because the others were more interesting, but, yeah, flawless.

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Evil Snacks

I'm an avid snacker.  Particularly crunchy, munchable snacks.  And because snacks are such a considerable part of my diet, I do care to sometimes find ones that are relatively healthy.  Which lead me to Evil Snacks, a brand of snack food mushrooms.  

"Vegetable chips packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, mushrooms offer a nutritious boost to your diet, supporting overall health and well-being."

Yes, mushrooms.  Whole oyster mushrooms to be exact.  Snackable, crunchy, mushrooms.  They currently come in three flavors, all of which I tried. All flavors are gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, etc, etc.

"NATURAL UMAMI EXPLOSION - All-natural mmm’s with no artificial flavors. Seriously Satisfying. ALL 'SHROOM, NO MUSH - Crunchy kettle-cooked whole caps. Crunch Crunch Crunch."

The form factor of these was kinda fun.  Super crispy.  Assorted size and shape pieces, all fairly large (as they are whole mushrooms after all).  They were almost like tempura fried, as they are batter coated (with rice flour, so still gluten-free), not just the mushrooms like other vegetable chips.  I found them really quite fun to snack on.

Shroom Original
(now branded Sea Salt Umami).

"Enjoy the rich, earthy umami crunch of our Sea Salt Umami flavor!"

The first flavor I tried was the simple "original" flavor, described as "natural umami".  The batter was seasoned only with salt and sugar, so basically, you really tasted the mushroom and batter clearly.  I found the taste ... not particularly enjoyable, and I'm not sure why.  I love oyster mushrooms, so this really was a let down.  They were nicely salty though, and indeed, umami as advertised.

Great form factor, fun, but really only 2/5 as I wasn't into the taste as much as I thought I'd be.

Sour Cream.
(Tangy, Tart Umami).

"Enjoy the tangy, tart, umami taste of our Sour Cream flavor with crunchy bursts of natural umami."

I opened the bag of sour cream and expected to be met with the same mediocrity.  But actually, these were considerably better!  I again liked the form factor, and appreciated the variety of shapes and sizes.  Great crunch, so much umami.  The base of these is exactly what I had wanted from the previous flavor.

And then, the sour cream.  While it wasn't necessarily identifiable as sour cream, there was definitely a savory dairy thing going on, and some nice spices.  Except, well, it wasn't dairy, as they are vegan, but it did have that kind of creaminess somehow.  

I devoured a bag of these in seconds flat, and was surprised by how much I loved such a savory snack.  They go great with mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash somehow too.  4/5.

Fiery Thai.
(Mildly Spicy, Tangy Umami).

"Enjoy the mildly spicy, tangy, Thai-inspired flavor!"

These were exactly the same form factor as the others that I have come to expect.  I loved how crunchy they were, and liked the assorted sizes.  They were well coated in seasoning too, and didn't have the odd taste of the originals.

The flavor was pretty generically Thai-inspired, as advertised.  I didn't find them spicy really, and definitely not Thai spicy, but, they were quite savory, and the flavor was complex, in the way Thai flavors are, although they sorta had a soapy taste on the finish. I finished these, but I preferred the sour cream flavor. 3/5.

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The Jelly Donut

Update Reviews, 2025

Another day, another box of donuts from The Jelly Donut, another happy Julie.

Strawberry Old Fashioned.

I've had this one many times before, so I was happy to see it remaining in the box when I arrived to snag my donut.  As always, nicely crisp exterior, soft inside, and remarkably flavorful fruity icing that isn't too sweet or cloying.  Just a really enjoyable donut. 4/5.

Blueberry Raised.

Another one I've had before.  It was again very good - light and fluffy raised donut, very fresh tasting, not greasy, light fruity glaze.  4/5.

Update Reviews, 2023-2024

If you mention The Jelly Donut to someone, chances are, if they have visited, that they'll immediately tell you about how friendly the store owners are, how they always get a few extra donut holes thrown in their bag, and even launch into stories about forgetting to have cash (they don't take cards) and getting their donuts for free, trusted to come back and pay another time.  Everyone seems to have stories of kindness on the owner's parts, and, of adoring the donuts.  The donuts are also ridiculously well priced, regular donuts are still only $1.25, crullers are $1.75, bars or jelly filled are $2, filled bars are $2.25, and fritters or cinnamonr olls are $2.50.  $13 for a dozen.

I didn't have any donuts from The Jelly Donut for 5 years, but rediscovered them when we started back up a donut rotation in my office in 2023, and one member of the rotation brought in their goods several times.

May 2023 

Incredible Donuts.

The Jelly Donut offers all the classic styles of donuts: raised, cake, filled, old fashioned, plus specialities like fritters, cinnamon rolls, and french crullers.  One thing that sets them apart from other donut shops is the variety of toppings they offer, e.g. not just basic sugar/glazed/iced, and variety of fillings for the signature jelly donuts.  They don't go in the trendy direction, or decadent, no ube/taro/pandan, no donuts with candy all over them, etc, but, offer up some unique, generally fruity, options.

My co-worker brought in a box loaded with goodies, of all different styles.  I still can't get over how incredibly good these donuts all were.  And yes, I tried many.  I enjoyed the filled donuts, really liked the fritters, and loved the old fashioned and crullers.

Filled Donuts.

The filled donuts are obviously their namesakes, but don't just expect standard berry goo inside.  Yes, they do have raspberry filled, but they also fill them with custard, lemon, apple pie, pineapple, mango, guava, and more.  Filled donuts are available glazed or sugar coated as well, and all are very, very generously filled, the donuts are sliced in half and filled, rather than just injected, so they are loaded.

I tried a little of the lemon filled one, just to try it as I don't generally care for lemon desserts, and enjoyed it more than most, not too tangy.  ***+.

Apple Pie Filling!

Next I went for the apple pie donut.  

This one was loaded full of apple pie filling, with nicely diced apples, well spiced, a little goo.  The apples still had a bit of bite to them, which I liked.  A great donut for "have your pie and donut too".  Wonderful warmed up with a bit of vanilla ice cream stuffed inside as well.  It was very good, but not as exceptional as some of the others.  ***+.   My 6th overall pick of the day.

Pineapple Filled.

Next I went for another fruity one, that I think was pineapple filled?  Super fruity and sweet, and quality filling.  Light fluffy donut.  Unique, and quite tasty, albeit a sweet choice, particularly with the glaze.  ****.  My 3rd pick of the day.

Boston Cream.

Chocolate glazed and bavarian cream filled was next, known in my world as "Boston Cream", and this was an excellent version.  Very rich, smooth, creamy, vanilla pudding inside, light fluffy donut, quality darker chocolate glaze.  I'm not wild about Boston Cream donuts in general, but this pudding inside was definitely top notch.  ***+.  Fifth pick overall.

Strawberry Glazed Old Fashioned.

Moving on to old fashioned donuts, again, Jelly Donut offers a slew of glazes on them.  I took a hunk of the pink topped one as it looked the most novel, and immediately went back for the rest.  Wow, this was a fantastic donut!

The base was far above average for a old fashioned.  I loved the texture, moist inside, but crisp outside.  Loved it.  Even without the glaze, this would be a **** for me, maybe more.  But that glaze?  What a flavor powerhouse!  It was so intensely fruity.  Truly wonderful.  It took this donut into near perfect ***** territory, but I'll stick with ****+ for now.  But, great texture, fantastic glaze, one of the best old fashioned donuts I've had.  My favorite of the day.

Strawberry Glazed Old Fashioned.

When it was donut day again a few weeks later, I immediately went straight for the raspberry glazed old fashioned again (as there were no filled donuts nor fritters available).  I again loved it.  Such a great crust/slightly crisp edge, very fruity (and very sweet!) generous glaze.  This is the perfect donut to have alongside a black coffee, and even better if you dunk it in.  Love it.  ****+.

Maple Glazed Old Fashioned.

After the success of the strawberry glazed old fashioned, I went back for another, this time, maple glazed.  The base was equally good, and the maple flavor was more standard, very sweet.  A good old fashioned, for sure, but I wasn't as in to the sweet maple glaze.  ***+.  Probably my least favorite of the bunch I tried, but it was still a perfectly good donut.

Vanilla Glazed Cruller.

A slightly rare style of donut around SF, The Jelly Donut specializes in French crullers as well.  Like most of the styles of donuts, The Jelly Donut offers up a variety of glazes for these, such as chocolate, maple, regular, vanilla, etc.  This one was vanilla glazed, rather than just regular glazed.

The donut base was light and airy, slightly eggy, quality pâte à choux.  The glaze was sweet and was somewhat more vanilla-like than the regular glazed donuts.  A really nice lighter offering, and given the plethora of donuts I was sampling, I appreciated the less dense donut.  My forth pick overall. ***+.

The fact that The Jelly Donut makes such excellent raised donuts, and old fashioned, AND crullers is really notable, as they are a made with different techniques, and they seem to have mastered them all.

Crumbed Apple Fritter.

Like most donut shops, the fritters are massive - this is less than half of one.  Easily 4x the size of a regular donut.  And like most donut shops, The Jelly Donut offers a glazed version, but also, a sugar coated one, and this, the crumbed fritter.  I've never seen that before.

It was an excellent fritter.  Very moist, doughy, good cinnamon flavor, chunks of apple.  The crumb coating was actually great - it made it not as sweet as a standard glazed fritter, and reminded me a bit of a crumble topped apple pie.  Definitely a winning fritter.  ****.  My second pick of the day.

Glazed Apple Fritter.

I didn't try it originally, but when there were still so many donuts left midway through the day ... I couldn't resist trying the more common glazed fritter too.

It was much like the crumb coated one, moist inside, little bits of apple, good cinnamon flavor, lightly crisp outside, but, coated in lots of glaze, which made it even crispier, and considerably sweeter.  I found that I preferred the crumbed one as it was less sweet, but once I warmed this up and served with vanilla ice cream to tamper the sweetness, I enjoyed it nearly as much.  ***+, tied for 3rd place.

January 2024

A few months later, the Jelly Donut was back on the rotation.

Assorted Donuts.

There were no crullers nor old fashioneds in this mix, but we had plenty of raised and filled, along with some cake donuts.  I of course tried several.

I first tried a bite crumbled cake donut right on top here, after someone else cut into it, and was impressed with how moist it was.  Next time, I'll try more of a cake donut ... ***+.

Strawberry Iced Cake.

And by next time, I mean .... about 4 hours later.  I don't generally go for cake donuts, but I did try a bit of the strawberry iced one, after remembering how much I liked the strawberry iced old fashioned, and seeing these still untouched.  The icing was thick, sweet, fruity and enjoyable.  The cake base was better than most, quite moist, but it did remind me that I just generally don't prefer cake donuts.  ***.

Mango Filled.

For my first donut though, I went right for the filled one that someone else had cut in half.  I remembered how glorious Jelly Donut's filled donuts were before, and this one looked like it was going to have an interesting filling.

This was just as glorious as I wanted it to be.  The donut itself was lofty, light, airy, not too fried nor greasy tasting.  Excellent raised donut, well glazed.  The donut itself was far above average, ****.

But the filling.  <3.  I believe this was the mango filled.  It had plenty of filling (even if it doesn't look that way here).  It was sweet, fruity, and tropical.  Fantastic.  I'd love to just buy this filling to use as a spread on toast even.  So good.  ***** filling.

Overall, one of the best I've had from Jelly Donut, ****+.

Classic Raspberry Jelly Filled Glazed.

After the joy of the mango filled, I went for the more standard jelly donut that you'll find at donut shops everywhere: raspberry jelly filled.

To be honest, it was quite a letdown.  The donut seemed less lofty, although it was still very fresh tasting and well glazed.  The raspberry jelly filling was fairly average.  Sweet, fruity, not totally goo-like, but, not particularly special at all.  If I hadn't just had the previous donut, I'd say it was a very good filled jelly donut, but after the previous, it really was just a downgrade.

***+, because it still was a touch above generic donut shop average.

Blueberry Iced Raised.

Another great fluffy raised donut.  Sweet fruity icing.  I didn't necessarily taste much blueberry, but, it was very good. ****.

Apple Pie Filled.

I was late to the office on this donut day, and thus, the only filled donut left was the apple pie one.  I hadn't loved it before, but, it was still a donut from The Jelly Donut, and it was still a filled one, so I snagged it not too unhappily.

I still wasn't in love with the apple filling - I appreciated that the apples weren't mushy, and the spicing was too aggressive, but, compared to other filled flavors from The Jelly Donut, or compared to actual apple pie with slices or bigger hunks of apple, it just didn't measure up.  Fine, nothing wrong with it, but it certainly didn't shine.

The donut however did.  Again, just so fresh, so lofty, great glaze.  I adore these base donuts!  **** donut, *** filling, ***+ overall.

October 2024

Another week, another round of donuts, and as always I was thrilled to see they came from The Jelly Donut.

Mango Filled.

The first one I grabbed was a raised, glazed, split in half, mango compote filled one.  I remembered this from a previous encounter, and it was my top pick.

The donut itself was wonderful - nicely lofty, soft, very fresh, well glazed, not too sweet.  It was filled with plenty of the mango filling, the technique of cutting it in half to fill it meant great distribution.  And the filling was just as good as I remember, fruity, sweet but not cloying, just really flavorful and unique to have in a donut.  Truly a great donut, and one I'll gladly get again and again.  ****+.

Raspberry Jelly Filled.

Later, when there were more still left, I went for a more classic red jelly filled donut.  This time, a powdered sugar coated raised donut, injected with the jelly rather than cut in half.  I'm not sure why they choose to do some via injection, and others cut in half?  Maybe due to the thickness of the filling?

Anyway, this was also a good donut, the same fresh, lofty, nice base.  I think I do like the light glaze coating more than the powdered sugar, but that might have been a bit too sweet with the sweeter red jelly in this one.  The jelly was a smooth style, no seeds or bits of berries.  Sweeter than the mango filling, very classic jelly taste, I think raspberry?  It was good, but a bit more average of an overall donut.  ***+.

Butterfinger Topped Cake w/ Vanilla Glaze.

And when there were still more donuts left ... time to experiment a bit.  I had no idea which kind this was, but it looked potentially seasonally appropriate, as it was October, and the candy (butterfinger?) topping seemed Halloween inspired perhaps.  I also wondered if there might be any pumpkin spicing going on.

I think it was just a regular cake donut base, and I was again pleased with how good of a cake donut it was, as cake donuts aren't usually what I go for.  It was very soft and moist, and had a nice flavor to it, just some light spicing of some kind.  It was well coated in white (vanilla?) glaze that wasn't too sweet, a thicker style than what is used on regular raised glazed donuts.  Yay for bits of candy on top, although they really weren't needed.

Overall, a very nice cake donut, although I think I would have preferred it without the butterfinger.  ***+ ... maybe ****.

Peanut Topped Cake with Vanilla Glaze.

And finally, a took a hunk of a similar cake donut with the same vanilla glaze, this time covered with bits of chopped peanut.  I liked the crunch, and the peanut flavor was strong, but I actually again thought I'd probably prefer it without the topping.  ***.

Original Review, May 2017

Donuts are a big part of my life.  I have them at least once a week, usually more often.  It isn't that I seek out donuts though, donuts just seem to find me.  Particularly on Fridays.  When my office has donuts all over the place, and I can't help but have one.  Or two.  Or bring one home to waffle the next day.  It is a hard life.

Like one Friday, when I already had a full breakfast, and a co-worker sent out a message to our group chat: "Donuts on my desk!"  She called me out by name, knowing I'm a donut girl, which prompted a popup on my computer and my phone.  "They are from The Jelly Donut on 24th street," she continued.

I was delighted and sad at the same time.  I had never had a donut from The Jelly Donut before, but, it has certainly been on my radar for quite a while.  My understanding, not from visiting myself, is that The Jelly Donut is a total hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop, cash only, no-frills place.  They are known for throwing in some free donuts if you get a dozen, or free donut holes if you just get a donut or two.  Generally well regarded, and I was eager to try the donuts.  Except I was just not hungry at all.

Box-O Donuts.

I took my time making my way over to the box of donuts, sorta hoping that they'd all be gone, sorta hoping that I'd magically gain an appetite.  And by took my time, I mean that I finished the meeting I was in, and then arrived at the box of donuts about 6 minutes after the initial donut message went out.  For me, this is restraint.

Three of the donuts had been cut in half, and maybe one or two were missing, but, the box was still mostly full, with an assortment of donuts, including two large filled, glazed bars (one maple, one chocolate), two glazed old fashioned (again, one maple, one chocolate), a couple cake donuts (crumb, maple glazed with sprinkles), raised (chocolate glazed), a glazed buttermilk bar, and, a namesake jelly donut.

I had no choice but to try something.

Glazed Buttermilk Bar (half).

I opted for the glazed buttermilk bar, which had already been cut in half.  The chunk was still the size of a regular full size donut (which you can see better in the above photo), so it must have been quite massive in its full form.

I tried a few bites then, but saved the rest for after lunch.  It held up fine*.

It was a good buttermilk bar.  The glaze was thick and sweet, and I liked how it soaked into the donut.  The exterior was crispy just like I like, and inside it was nicely moist.  It didn't taste too fried or oily.

There was nothing earth shattering about this donut, but, it was a well executed classic.  I did wish for more buttermilk tang however.  ***+.

*Note: buttermilk bars, and cake donuts in general, don't tend to hold up well past a few hours.  These really need to be consumed fresh.

Boston Cream Bar.

I walked by the donut box a while later, and there were still donuts remaining, including the massive Boston Cream bar, Ojan's favorite.  I had to get it for him, and, of course, try a bite myself on my way to deliver it.

The donut was a raised fluffy donut, light and airy.  The filling was vanilla custard, quite creamy, and it was well filled.  Good chocolate coating on top, although some of it broke off where the donut made contact with the maple sprinkle donut in the box.

Again, nothing earth shattering, but, well made and obviously fresh.  ***.

Maple Glazed Bar. 

I have one co-worker, who really loves donuts, but was not coming in to the office until lunch time.  He was sad to be missing out, so  I suggested that I save one for him, and picked the maple glazed for him.

It had lost nearly all its glaze though, from being against the edge of the box.  The Jelly Donut really could work on their boxing skills so as not to have all the donuts touching each other/the box and losing their toppings!  I used a knife to scoop all the glaze off the box and back onto the donut.  It didn't look very pretty, but hey, he got his glaze.

I didn't try this donut, but, he said it was great.

Jelly Donut.

I walked by the donut box again, after lunch.  (Hmm, maybe I do seek out donuts?)  There were still 3 full donuts left, including the jelly donut.  I don't understand how this was possible.  My co-workers clearly have more restraint than I.  There weren't that many donuts to begin with!

I still had most of my chunk of buttermilk bar waiting at my desk.  And I had carrot cake and a fun Filipino dessert at lunch already.  I surely didn't need more sweets.  But ... I knew that it would waffle great in the morning, so if I didn't manage to eat it during the day, I could save it for waffling purposes.  (Seriously, try waffling your leftover donuts, I promise, it is transformational!  My favorite waffled donut to date was a waffled jelly donut, so I knew this would work well.)

But of course I tried it fresh, for evaluation purposes.

Like the Boston Cream Bar, it was a fluffy, light, airy, raised donut.  It was not too fried.  The glaze on top was sweet and good, but it only covered the very top.

The best part was the filling though.  Sweet raspberry jelly.  Lots of it.  It was gooey and very flavorful.  I really liked the jelly.

Overall, a very good donut, but I actually prefer sugar coated jelly donuts over glazed.  ***+.

Leftover Jelly Donut Panini!

I did save the rest of the donut until the next morning.  I took a bite of it then, day old, and, as expected it had gotten a bit stale.  So I turned on my handy Cuisinart Griller to waffle it ...

I realized once it was already heated up that I had the panini plates rather than the waffle iron plates in my Griddler.  Whoops.  I rarely use the panini plates, so I didn't even think to check.

Never one to back down from a crazy experiment, I just panini'ed it instead, and it was great too.  You'll be able to read all about that too, soon ...

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