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The donut which took Singapore by storm has now settled into a regular sweet indulgence that anyone can snack on without first battling mind-boggling queues.
While the closet Homer Simpsons relish and rejoice, there are still a good many others fretting over cavities and the sugar rush effects - which is cause enough for the smart donut-maker to dream of new ways to draw in the crowds.
Enter the team at Donut Empire who, short of creating a guilt-free donut, have decided to appeal to those who prefer the savoury side of life.
Being typically Singaporean, Donut Empire has christened its spicy and savoury “one-of-a-kind” creations as “Dovories” which is the combination of the words ‘donuts’ and ‘savoury’.
Tempted by the thought of a new taste sensation and the promise of a "soft, golden-brown donut dough, coated with bread crumbs and stuffed generously with mouth-watering fillings", a trip was made to Raffles Place where Donut Empire has set up a café outlet at OUB Centre.
When the Dovories were served up, they seemed nothing close to any of the good-looking, good-tasting temptations that have so far been signature of Donut Empire.
Oddly, the new and unique donuts appeared to be related to some familiar-looking ‘breads’ normally found in neighbourhood bakeries.
A bite into the new-styled donuts also seemed strangely similiar in taste and texture to the savoury buns churned out at the mom-and-pop bakeries.
The Donut Empire savoury line-up isn’t large, just Chicken Sausage, Curry Chicken, BBQ Chicken and Otah.
The spicy filling that is generously stuffed into the chewy fried dough isn’t fiery, which means the young ones and those who are not chilli-fiends can safely sink their teeth in one of the Dovories.
The Otah was so-so, while the chicken in the Curry and BBQ filling seemed a little smooth.
The reason, it turned out is because 'meat' is in fact the vegetarian replacement made of gluten.
“Our Dovories are made with mock-meat ingredients, but they taste as good, if not better, than genuine meat. Hence, our snacks are excellent for big parties and events because vegetarians, Muslims and health-conscious individuals can all enjoy them with a peace of mind,” said Sky Chiew, the CEO of Donut Empire.
While some carnivores may complain, this meat-eater appreciates the smart use of mock-meat in the Dovories - having a vegetarian in the family, I know how difficult it is to share a meal or snack as vegetarians are constantly being left out by food planners.
Whether Dovories will become the next big thing is a big question, since the Halal-certified savoury snacks cost slightly more than the standard sugary fare from Donut Empire at $1.50 each.
Another drawback for now, they can be bought only at selected outlets such as the Donut Empire outlet at OUB Centre and White Sands Shopping Centre.
Dough for dough, the sweets remain the winners, for looks as well as taste.
- CNA/sf
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