andonand donuts
+ TOKYO, JAPAN

I ask, how far can you push a donut? There are the standards of course, chocolate glazed, original glazed, coconut, plain, etc. Then there are the experiment types out there, Valhronna chocolate, pistachio, peanut butter filled. Those experimental ones come at a price though, and for casual morning people, it’s a choice between spending you lunch money on breakfast and forgoing lunch, or spending it on lunch. There’s hope though, with a new player in town, if anyone’s even noticed them.

Enter “And On And”, in quotes to prevent from looking like a typo. In my opinion, this donut chain is the BEST balance of quality, price, and creativity. With only three locations, Jimbocho, Shibuya and Shiodome, it may be tricky for some to access, but for those within range, it’s well worth the trip. Trip aside, if you can even find them, that may be a challenge. The Shibuya location in particular is fairly hidden, on the road between Shibuya and Harajuku, just up the hill from “3 Minuntes Happiness”. And On And features two tiers of donuts, premium and classic. A 250 yen($2.20~USD) premium donut awards you fancier ingredients such as blueberry cheese, black soybean brown sugar, or maple almond. Downgrade to classic for only 180 yen($1.70~USD) and enjoy equally unique flavors like lemon tea, caramel almond or cassis orange. The donuts are a fairly standard size, comparable to Krispy Kreme, but slightly more substantial and far more satisfying in flavor. Apple cinnamon donuts are baked with little bits of real apple inside and blueberry cheese donuts are sprinkled with dry blueberries.


See above for their ongoing donut menu which I shamelessly scanned from their handout brochure(forgive me, And On And)

Go all out and drop 400 yen($3.80~USD) on their ultimate donut experience, a donut affogato, temptingly named, “Patisserie Donut.” You get a maple syrup filled donut covered in whip cream and crushed nuts with a shot of espresso on the side. Pour the espresso over the top and dig in to possibly the best, and likely only, high-end donut experience. If you’re done with donuts and want something else, their muffins and cream puffs are just as good as their donuts.

While the rest of America is purging donuts from their diets, donuts are making their debut in a big way in Tokyo, Japan. With chains competing for supremacy, it’s hard to believe this new, and generally quiet, donut shop hasn’t been picked up on the radar yet by sweets aficionados. What’s even more surprising is the one player that’s even more secret in these donut wars. Just who is And On And? A donut chain doesn’t just pop out of nowhere with such a good menu and fancy interior design. Possibly the only way anyone would ever find this secret is by reading the fine print on the back of their shop brochure. While Krispy Kreme and Donut Plant duke it out, Mr. Donut has done their homework, in spades, and produced a real winner. For those who know Mr. Donut, the chain donut shop that was, until recent years, the only establishment that specialized in donuts, the connection between parent company and “And On And” is almost invisible. Mention Mr. Donut to any Japanese person and they cringe at the thought of stale coffee. Times are changing though and And On And’s coffee is fantastic(and better and cheaper than Starbucks). They deserve a standing ovation though. While other Japanese chains try to reinvent themselves to keep up with incoming new Western chains, Mr. Donut got it right in all categories and exceeded my expectations. Worth the time and calories in my opinion.

and on and
URL: http://www.andonand.jp/index.html

Access: http://www.andonand.jp/access/index.html
(The access page is in Japanese, but the first map on the list is Shibuya, the second is Jimbocho, and the third is Shiodome. The stations are clearly marked and the path from station to shop is marked in orange)

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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