Another cute, cozy place where you can linger around with some sweets in Gading Serpong. I visited Donut Cult during Romadan holiday season. Only one staff was present. She apologized for the mess because she went solo on post-Ramadan shift. There was no mess though – she was just mopping the floor when I entered the cafe.
The first thing that I noticed was the extensive array of donuts, followed by a card with copywriting for each flavor. It’s easily overlooked since the text was very thin and small, but I really appreciated it! I love it when a small establishment shows a sign that the owner cares about the little things. I took my time to read several cards before proceeding with my order.
I chose the classics: Dark Choco Chic and Tiramisu Bombo. I admit that I should have bought one classic and one weird flavor though, considering they had several unsual flavors such as es teler and Seatlle snowy peanuts.
Each donut was made by order (the display was faux). The staff took the plain donut from the kitchen, then she would dip it to the glaze and put the toppings afterwards. I noticed that this procedure was a hassle for the staff due to the cafe’s awkward layout. The kitchen was too far from the dipping station (which was behind the cashier counter). The staff had to walk all the way from the counter to the kitchen at the back, passing through the dining area where the customers sat. Imagine doing this back and forth! I wonder what happened to the initial layouting when the ruko was being renovated!
Now, the donuts. Honestly, very average dough. Not soft, but (thankfully) not dry. It’s not chewy either. Dark Choco Chic was infused with rum, and it was quite a nice addition. The chocolate was kind of barely there – more layers of glaze would be great. Taste wise, it was alright. Sweet, but not overly sweet.
Tiramisu Bombo was less sweet. It was made with potato dough, but the texture was not significantly different. I liked the combination of slightly bitter cocoa dust, cold mascarpone cream and the chocolate flake once it was crushed.
While I could not say much about the food, I noticed one more good thing about the Donut Cult. Their Google Reviews page showed how attentive the owner was regarding customer satisfaction. For every negative review, the owner wrote intricate explanation to clear things out, and offered solution to make sure that the problem could be solved. The tone used was always nice too. (As a business owner, I know how hard it could be to maintain a poker face while replying to harsh comments…)
Final thoughts:
Food: 7/10 | Service: 8/10 | Ambience: 7,8/10
Donut is just okay, cozy place albeit the awkward store layout, nice service.
Donut Cult
Ruko North Jl. Goldfinch Utara No.86. Gading Serpong, Tangerang
Opening hours: 8 AM – 8 PM (Monday – Friday), 9 AM – 9 PM (Saturday– Sunday)
