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Cookies have been all-the-craze this year, seemingly, with bagels and cinnamon buns following closely behind. Another trend-worthy sweet treat on the cards, donuts have seen a peak in demand in recent months, celebrated for their indulgent, doughy goodness. Updating the classic recipes with contemporary and fusion influences, ‘Ello Donut is currently doing a pop-up at K11 Art Mall, serving the best of the deep-fried goodness in a retro, holographic venue. Naomi Shannon stopped by ‘Ello Donut to try a selection of their recommended sweet and savoury specialities.
Image courtesy of Naomi Shannon | Cha Siu Papers Times
Location
Serving hand-crafted Donuts with a contemporary fusion flair, ‘Ello is holding a three-month pop-up stall at K11 Art Mall, holding the centre stage amongst its surrounding shops and eateries. Although it’s known for its iconic donuts, it’s the unique, holographic decor that will initially demand your attention.
Image courtesy of Naomi Shannon | Cha Siu Papers Times
I felt like I had walked into a photographer’s dream—the bright colours, metallic tables and sense of sparkle had me grabbing for my camera. The location of ‘Ello provided the perfect viewpoint for people watching, but also allowing you to seek a bit of space amongst the hustle and bustle of early Christmas shoppers.
Image courtesy of Naomi Shannon | Cha Siu Papers Times
The Drink
‘Ello serves a range of fruity and colourful concoctions on its menu. We opted for the mango and red dragon fruit soda and pineapple hibiscus tea with raspberry cheese foam. Both drinks used real fruit and were incredibly refreshing, with layers of colours creating the image of a sunset or exotic landscape.
Image courtesy of Naomi Shannon | Cha Siu Papers Times
The Food
The menu comprises a range of savoury, sweet and ice cream donut options, as well as drinks. I was particularly interested in the Flavours of Hong Kong menu, which gave ‘Ello a contemporary and exotic local flair.
Image courtesy of Naomi Shannon | Cha Siu Papers Times
The first dish we tried was the Mala beef and egg served in a donut roll. This was delivered to us in a metallic box, keeping to the holographic theme of the restaurant. The beef was perfectly seasoned, with a bit of an after kick. The spiced meat, runny egg and rich donut texture combined to make the perfect bite.
Image courtesy of Naomi Shannon | Cha Siu Papers Times
I can’t deny that for me, the desserts were definitely the main event. With so many options on the menu, picking one was definitely the most difficult decision I had made that day. In the end we settled for the PBJ semifreddo and the HK milk tea.
Image courtesy of Naomi Shannon | Cha Siu Papers Times
As a Hong Konger, the must-have item on the menu was the Hong Kong milk tea. The milk tea flavoured ice cream was contained within a sugary topped donut, and surrounded by crunchy biscuit pieces. The flavour was exactly that of a milk tea, perfectly sweet and comforting. The texture and flavours of the donut, ice cream and biscuits complemented each other beautifully. ‘Ello, I think I might be in love!
‘Ello Donut, B2 Atrium, K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, +852 6297 5835, ello-donut.com