Attention to all foodies: cronuts have officially invaded Jakarta!!! Like any true Jakartans, I bet all my Rupiah that you are also intrigued by this up-and-coming delicious and delectable dessert. First thing’s first, what is a cronut? A cronut is a hybrid mix between a croissant and donut. This gastronomic craze originally started in New York city and has become a must-eat dessert for people visiting the big apple. It was first created by Chef Dominique Ansel back in the May of 2013 and has unexpectedly taken the world by storm.

Many restaurants around the world have taken this new concept and added a little touch of their own by personalizing the toppings and sauces for this cronuts. One might ask; why should one eat a cronut when croissants and donuts are, by themselves, already so divine? Don’t mess with a classic, people might say. To them, I say that this is one of the few cases of  food hybrids that actually works. Upon every layer that you bite through, there will be cream oozing out, making it extremely rich, but in a great way. Of course thanks to its donut genes, it is also deep-fried, making it extra flavorful.

News has it that not long after the emergence of cronuts, “bronuts” came about. A bronut is a cross between a burger and a donut. I am in no hurry to try this one out. Other food hybrids that come to mind are, ramen/spaghetti burger, croissant dogs, burger pizzas and the list goes on. For restaurant owners, the controversy of serving a hybrid in your restaurant can give you good publicity.  But only those that works are here to stay.

There are only a few places in Jakarta that sells cronuts, and Union is one of them. An addition to its popular cake range which includes red velvet, peanut butter & jelly and its pandan cake. There are three different cronuts that are sold at Union. However, when I visited the store at around 3.20 PM, the only ones that are available are the Cinnamon Chocolate Vanilla Flaky Doughnut and the Cinnamon Sugar and Caramel Peanut flavor. Naturally, I ordered one of each.

I will never forget my first experience with cronuts. My first was the Cinnamon Chocolate Vanilla Flaky Doughnut, it was a love – hate relationship. I wanted to marry it because for every bite it’s like a party in my mouth and everyone’s invited. However, since it is EXTREMELY creamy there is no way that I was able to finish it myself. The Cinnamon Sugar and Caramel Peanut cronut on the other hand does not look like the typical Cronut, but more like a kebab. But as the saying goes ‘don’t judge the book by its cover’. Despite looking less appetizing than the first one, I was thrown aback to find out that this one is much better than the first. It is not as overpoweringly creamy and not as sweet, making me less guilty that I finished the whole thing myself.

My final verdict: Union’s Cinnamon Chocolate Vanilla Flaky Doughnut is a hybrid that is here to stay. Distinctive in its appearance but as good as your typical cronut, if not better.

Food: |**** |          Ambience: |**** |          Price: |**** |

Opening Hours: Everyday (10 am – 10 pm)                      

Location: Plaza Senayan Courtyard, Ground Floor, Jalan Asia Afrika No. 8

Phone: (021) 5790 5861/2 (accepts reservations)

Posted by FidoDido