(SPOT.ph) We peered into Molly’s Donut and Brunch café's windows, saw the half-empty brown trays of stern-looking earthy-toned doughnuts and said, “Let’s try somewhere else.” At the next restaurant, they didn’t have our usual. Then is started raining, which meant that walking to our car meant overcoming a frightening downpour. Left with no choice, we returned to Molly’s. Hey, sometimes, the universe knows better!
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Molly’s, right along Pioneer Street in the outskirts of Kapitolyo's food central, looks like a millennial’s dream café. Amidst the neutral tones of wood and industrial metal furniture, gray and white patterned tiles, and the quirky pair of mini fu dogs by the door, are splashes of graphic pops of color: from the hanging blocks of turquoise, the bright yellow espresso machine, right down to the drunk-tank pink serving plates. Meanwhile, at the counter, lies the unlit absolutely-zero-frills display of doughnuts.
Lighting the display unit would have made a big difference but we get the intention: the staunch integrity of homemade doughnuts sans unnatural inviting bright food coloring. Still, it can’t be helped given that their primary market is yuppie sweet-tooths with an affinity for cuteness. And speaking of their primary market, we're sure you've seen their ooey-gooey chocolate-y doughnuts floating around on Instagram. The hype surrounding these treats online doesn't exactly match up to the vibe in the restaurant, but hey, we haven't tried them just yet at this point.
Instead of cute, Molly’s doughnuts are rustic: earthy brown except for that bright green matcha (which ironically, probably tastes the earthiest). Weirdly, in this millennial-dream café, their monochromatic doughnuts don’t scream IG-friendly at first sight—at least not to the more rainbow-bright versions you’ll find at other shops of its kind. This doesn’t take away from the experience once you’ve sat down—trust us, after this taste test you'll have reason to look past its down-home storefront.
The stars of Molly’s Donut and Brunch Café: The Doughnuts.
Molly’s doughnuts, from the four we tried, make use of excellent-quality brioche dough—the kind that’s rich and buttery in taste, yet pillowy soft and airy as you sink your teeth in. As with most yeasted doughs, it’s slightly tart and sweet, with its own mild but distinct flavor that makes for the perfect canvas for a cornucopia of flavors.
We started things light with the Lady Grey Tea (P65). These Earl Grey doughnuts were good but there's always room for improvement. There’s a certain sophisticated appeal to earl-grey flavored desserts as the tea’s light bitter note complements the sweetness of sugar and offers a strong fragrance that tiptoes right at the edge of floral. You do get that distinct note from this doughnut when the unglazed side first hits your tongue and the scent shoots up your nose. However, after a few seconds of chewing, the sugar glaze soon overtakes those delicate notes. If you were to eat this whole doughnut in one go on its own, it would have been a bit lackluster, as the sugar would completely drown out the subtle flavor of Earl Grey and you might mistake it for a good, but rather plain glazed doughnut.
Using the same glossy melted chocolate glaze as their bean-to-bar doughnuts, the Nutty Chocolate (P65) simply adds nuts to the edges for texture. If you’re sick of subpar chocolate on your doughnuts and revel in a fruity milk-chocolate doughnut, then you’re in for a treat with this one.
The Roasted Brown Butter (P65) is one of our favorites from Molly’s roster. Brown Butter is a gift that keeps on giving and Molly’s takes full advantage of that. The yellow sweet and salty buttery glaze is speckled by toasted bits of browned buttermilk fat that give this doughnut a rich, creamy, nutty flavor. If you love butter, you cannot pass this up.
We are head over heels in love with the Bacon Bomb (P75) doughnuts; they’re practically life-changers. Molly’s uses bits of caramelized thick-sliced bacon on top of a brown butter glaze. It was, simply put, amazing. The salty, meaty, umami-packed juicy, slight crunchy bacon bits were cut to the perfect size and came generous enough to set off flavor bombs with every chew. It was incredibly rich and scrumptious. Yes, this doughnut is not for the cholesterol-phobic—but we say everything in moderation. (Including moderation.)
Does perfection exist? We’d argue it’s this doughnut, dubbed the Fluffy Donut Ala Mode (P165). All the goodness of Molly’s Bacon Bomb doughnut is topped with rich, fragrant, silky Mad Mark’s Madagascar Vanilla Bean ice cream. As a result, you get contrast in taste, texture, and temperature in every chew—and oh, it works.
The Fluffy Donut Ala Mode option can be applied to any doughnut available—and if vanilla ice cream’s not your jam you can also opt for chocolate.
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Not down for something sweet? Molly’s Donut also serves savory dishes and yup, coffee.
The Chick’n Pops (P125) were nothing spectacular, but it does the job and is a good example of a classic fried bird. It’s got buttermilk-brined chicken bits that are fried to a crisp, then seasoned and served with two dips. Then there's also the Guanciale & Mushroom Pasta (P245), which has our hearts. We know, we know—mushroom pasta isn’t exactly rare nor novel, but Molly’s version stands out. What gives this pasta its bold flavor isn’t just the big slices of shiny guanciale on top, nor is it even the unapologetically properly seasoned silky cream sauce.
Through some investigating (by which we mean eating), we found the secret that gave those random bursts of salt and umami as you chewed on the pasta: yup, it’s the generous bits of shiitake mushrooms and even more caramelized juicy-yet-crunchy guanciale scattered through. As you chew, they release more and more flavor, building from the light creamy crescendo and reaching crunchy umami-packed climax right before you swallow. Though the cream sauce used rendered bacon fat and starchy salted pasta water, we’re guessing the “bits” were tossed in at the last second—allowing it to retain its flavors (rather than diffusing them into the sauce) and unleashing itself only once you crush it between your teeth. Ah, what a masterpiece.
We tried two different flavors of coffee that both used homemade scratch caramel: the Iced Dutch Latte (P125) and the Iced Spanish Latte (P125). They’re essentially the same except the Dutch latte comes with a homemade spice blend of what we think has cinnamon and nutmeg. The caramel’s complex, deep sweetness allows for it to be tasted even when paired with sweet doughnuts.
However, if you’re looking for a good counterbalance to the sweetness, we recommend you go for the flat white. No caramel and no spices, but Molly’s uses quality fruity coffee and rich milk that still pack enough flavor without overloading you with sweetness.
The final verdict on Molly’s Donut and Brunch Café?
This was a five-star donut experience that never skimped on flavor. We are a hundred percent coming back—heck, we did just that the very next day.
For more information, check out Molly's Donut and Brunch Café's Facebook Page.
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