McEwan

Bakery: McEwan
Address: Shops at Don Mills (38 Karl Fraser Rd, Toronto ON)
Website: http://mcewan.mcewangroup.ca/
Style: North American
Price: $$$ 

This past Friday was National Doughnut Day. Don't worry, I didn't know either until I saw it advertised in a grocery store flyer next to pre-packed, factory-made doughnuts. And while I could write a wonderful article on the absence of good and fresh doughnuts from your average bakery, I'll choose instead to write this review... which was up next regardless of Doughnut Day or not. It just seemed to work out that way. ;)

Nevertheless, a couple of weeks ago, one of my regular bakery purchasers went to check out the Shops at Don Mills for the first time and returned with two 'gourmet' doughnuts from McEwan, a high-end supermarket owned by celebrity chef Mark McEwan. In addition to gourmet, imported and overall "fancy" foods, they likewise have a bakery. Not big, but with cakes and pastries, available in both slices or as cakes -- when I heard that you could have a small Dobos tort for $8, I honestly began to wonder why I got stuck reviewing doughnuts.... Price-wise, it's expensive; however, it's not too over-the-top given the type of store and its location. If you go in expecting to pay more, then you won't be too surprised, not to mention products are clearly priced.

To the doughnuts ($3/each): truth be told, I'm not a big fan of so-called 'gourmet doughnuts'. Rather, I do like my fried dough ^^, but I feel like the only reason why gourmet doughnuts exist is because you've either got baked-from-frozen atrocities or nothing. Classic, freshly-made doughnuts that aren't ethnic (Polish, Portuguese, e.g.) are very few and far between, which is frustrating. I don't want bacon on it -- I just want a good doughnut!! *calms down a little*

Anyways, we got for the sampling two doughnut varieties. The first was a raspberry chocolate one, with a rather thick layer of raspberry icing (which actually tasted of raspberries -- quite yummy if there weren't so much of it) on top of a doughnut cut in half and stuffed with hearty dollop of a sort of chocolate mass somewhere in between a custard and a mousse in texture. This was good and the best of the two; however, it was too rich for a doughnut. The texture (especially notable in the second one) of the dough was fantastic though: soft, airy, and flavourful dough -- as it should be.

Same goes for the second one, which looked a little safer: a ring of whipped cream around what looked like a centre of cherry jam and glaze on top. Cutting it open, it was revealed that the inside was actually filled with cream cheese. This was perfectly fine without the cream cheese; with the cream cheese, it was just too much. Both doughnuts were divided into four so all samplers could give them a try and everyone agreed -- we're not sure how one person can sit down and eat this in one go without feeling sick afterwards. I know doughnuts aren't exactly healthy, but both of these were really out to push the boundaries...

It was nice to finally have a quality doughnut, since despite the richness you could instantly tell this was better than your usual jumbo chain, but next time, I'd stay away from the doughnuts and try something else. ;)

Rating: **1/2