On my maiden visit to a mall in India, it was not the designer stores that caught my eye, but this brightly designed donut store that made me stop in my tracks. I bought a box of a dozen donuts. Colors of the store are not very different from Dunkin Donuts. The pink is missing. What happened to India's love with pink? Diana Vreelend let the world know decades ago that pink was the navy blue of India. With MOD opening stores around India, I guess India is not that India which seduced Diana Vreeland anymore. Is the missing pink telling of what will soon be missing in India?
Even a sinister customer like me had to stop, look, gawk in awe and at least have some emotions drawn out by the offerings. Varied and staggering in number, MOD makes a big deal about donuts. Sadly, what I tasted was far from good. But way better than the worse offerings of Dunkin Donuts. But these are not the Donuts of King's Donuts, the donuts I crave when I want donuts. Nor are they the supernal donuts that my own mother and grandma made when I was a kid, that now Chef Stephen Durfee makes from time to time at the CIA in Greystone, Napa. Colorful and playful, gimmicky and cheesy, silly and fun are some of the words that came to mind. The photos are taken from my iPhone. The sun was shining bright, the shadows strong like the emotions MOD left me with. Questioning what next for India? Cinnabon? I was not shocked to hear yesterday, that Cinnabon too has made it here, and is now a very popular chain, changing the way Indian eat.
When was the last time any of us saw such a varied offering of Donuts in the US? Is there any place selling such stuff? MOD must keep their marketing and graphics team rather busy.
There are two savory donuts offered. Photographed above. Did nothing for me. But I am not the harbinger of good taste. And not someone housing my body and soul in India. Maybe that would change how I enjoy and savor the offerings served up in this land.
The Original Donut was my least favorite. Better than the Dunkin cousin. But still no patch to Krispy Creme and certainly no where close to King's Donuts or Stephen Durfee's (he is the God of Pastry) or those made by our friend Zoe Francois.
What made the experience truly special was the great energy and the effervescent aura around everything the staff said and did. They made me feel for a few minutes that I was the most special man in all of Delhi, and that I was about to take in a box the best treats the world had to offer. MOD certainly values its employees and trains them well. Or perhaps the magic of the Indian mindset is yet to lose the magical "pink" that keeps Indians always smiling and ever hopeful. Thanks are due to the powers that be for small mercies.
The question that begs to be answered is why do countries far, far away feel the need to have these shops? McDonalds everywhere.....at least the Parisians tried to run them out. LOL.......
Posted by: Anthonysgodfather | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 12:19 AM
I agree.... but then I wonder if life tarries with yesterday, or a tomorrow we may never know, not even in our wildest dreams, and that what life sees is a picture that is very different from what we imagine.
Would much rather want to see beautifully designed, chic shops, selling modern day versions of Indian street food, that should become the trendy "donuts" if you will of tomorrow. But perhaps I am a mere dreamer.
Posted by: suvir saran | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 12:23 AM
what do you think of the offerings?
If this were not India, and if this were not a world where we are worried of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol et al, what would you say your reaction would be, if you had found a store selling donuts like you see above?
Posted by: suvir saran | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 12:30 AM
I probably would have been horrified. When I travel I want my experience to embody the city, state, country that I am visiting. I will admit that in Paris I had a hankering for a Coca Cola and bought one at McD's.....otherwise I ran from any Amurican "shop" in England and France! Am I making sense?
Posted by: Anthonysgodfather | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 01:24 AM
Oops..I went another way an answer to your question.
Not India? No worries about health? Found this shop? Not sure, we have a few iconic donut shops in the San Fran area. When I want a donut, I want a donut....and dont' mess with it. Donuts imitating savory delights I don't want. I want the actual delight it is imitating.
Posted by: Anthonysgodfather | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 01:29 AM
Oops..I went another way in an answer to your question.
Not India? No worries about health? Found this shop? Not sure, we have a few iconic donut shops in the San Fran area. When I want a donut, I want a donut....and dont' mess with it. Donuts imitating savory delights I don't want. I want the actual delight it is imitating.
Posted by: Anthonysgodfather | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 01:29 AM
Mango mayo donut? This is wrong is so many ways! Interesting that the signs are all in English - are they pandering to tourists, or have the locals embraced this dubious development? Brings to mind the time I saw KFC in Paris -made me want to cry. BP is not the only one polluting the planet.
Posted by: Sally | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 08:11 AM
I agree with you that I like things to be what they ought to be. And not be something they are trying hard to pretend to be.
Did you check out the link above for King's Donuts? You should come try them sometime. They are the very best.
Posted by: suvir saran | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 06:13 PM
does it not sound awful!
Sally, most Indians will use English as the language to communicate with each other. I am sure some tourists must make it into the mall, but I doubt they are the backbone of any business in the mall.
BP may be much better in some ways....
Posted by: suvir saran | Monday, June 14, 2010 at 06:14 PM
Kings Donuts!! Wow, that looks like a trip well worth making from the West Coast.
I find Mark Isarel at The Donut Plant in NYC and interesting character and the fact he's honoring his grandfather by having gone in to the donut business.
Posted by: Anthonysgodfather | Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 12:30 AM
they are the best donuts I have eaten in any commercial setting. And this is not too commercial as you might have gathered.
Mr. King is a pilot by day and donut-creator by weekend. And only during the summer. He too is keeping up tradition and family legend.
The Donut Plant is a good idea, good enough donuts, but no patch to King's Donuts.
And then the donuts that Stephen Durfee makes.. Dreamy!
Posted by: suvir saran | Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 12:40 AM
Okay, you've built a strong case for a visit to your neck of the woods - in many ways actually.
I have no doubts Chef Durfee makes wonderful donuts. That said a friend of mine had such an "intereseting" experience with him in the kitchen of that world reknowned restaurant he worked in (she called me when she escaped on the streets of St. Helena and....well, I'll excersise good manners here) that I have trouble thinking of him in any other way. LOL
Posted by: Anthonysgodfather | Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 03:51 AM
I have to give them points for interesting decor - both the shop and the donuts. The colors are definitely eye-catching. And I may be a hardcore Italianophile, but that Mamma Mia donut looks downright peculiar! Did you partake? Don't think we'll be seeing that on Arthur Avenue anytime soon.
Posted by: Stacey | Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 12:19 PM
D, I love it when people exercise good manners. Makes me feel very good about them and myself. Thanks for doing that. Come visit anytime. If you come over a weekend, we can take you to King's donuts.
Stacey - I agree that they did invest in the look of the space and the donuts. Maybe a tad too much? Being facetious. They are proud of what they serve. Now only if we could teach them to serve better stuff. LOL!
I was not able to even fathom the idea of trying the Mamma Mia. Scary to me. And hopefully Arthur Avenue shall never have to serve those. Not that Arthur Avenue does not sell some stuff that Italians in Italy would cringe about.
Posted by: suvir saran | Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 10:28 AM
I have to cringe at the imagined sugar and fat content in one of these gut bombs. It makes me sad to see this kind of food following the horrible example we have set in the US for fast food. This kind of food is the "Devil in a Blue Dress." I guess we won't rest until everyone on the planet is in a nutritional deficit. Ok--that's my negative comment. On the positive side, these donuts are little works of art , and the variety is amazing!
Posted by: Terri McCallister | Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 09:57 AM
"Gut bombs"? You should consider being a newscaster. They usually come up with such powerfully stirring words. Have you thought of doing that Terri? You certainly have the physical persona for being very successful at it, and it also seems you have a way with words. Intelligence and you seem to have always been friends... food for thought....
I agree with you that looking at these donuts incites negative and positive reactions. I was torn between disgust and also a sense of amazement that fast food could look this good. But still, it is the negative feelings that make me feel more furious. Beauty when skin deep only goes so far with me. What to do.. I am jaded.
Posted by: suvir saran | Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 11:21 AM
What mall was this in? location?
Posted by: DunkinLova | Monday, January 10, 2011 at 11:32 AM