DONQ

DONQ
391 Orchard Road
#B2-03 Ngee Ann City

https://www.facebook.com/donqbakery/

Ham & Egg Bun (SGD $3)

Tasty But Pricey Breads

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 4
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $10 per person.

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Established over a century ago (in 1905) in Kobe, Kansai, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, DONQ Bakery, also known as DONQ Boulangerie Francaise, opened in Singapore in February 2012. With over 180 outlets across Japan, DONQ is a popular fusion bakery chain; using both French and Japanese baking and pastry making techniques to produce delicious breads, buns, cakes, pastries, and sandwiches.

Ambience at DONQ is bright, airy, and cheerful. The Singapore outlet has no seating, but the shades of white and blue contrast nicely with the clear glass-panelled racks of baked goods. The eye-catching display and fragrant aroma of fresh bakes catch the attention of all who pass by.

Service at DONQ is completely self-service. You pick out the breads you want from the display, and queue to pay over the counter. At peak periods, expect their wares to fly off the shelves, that's how popular they are. Staff are pretty friendly, cheerfully greeting all customers.

Food at DONQ is all about breads, pastries, and other baked goods. Made with French and Japanese ingredients or techniques, each bread is well crafted and tasty, all made fresh several times daily. Portions are sized for individuals. The good quality here means prices are expensive, budget about SGD $10 per person.

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DONQ Boulangerie Francaise Facade

The Scone Plain (SGD $2.40) is a triangular, medium sized plain scone. Has a fragrant bready aroma with a moist, slightly crumbly, slightly dense texture, and a buttery sweet flavour. While not as crumbly as other versions I'm used to, this was still enjoyable.

Scone Plain (SGD $2.40)

Scone Plain

Scone Plain

The Shio Pan / Salt & Butter Bread (SGD $2) is a hard, firm bread, rolled in salted butter, and sprinkled with sea salt. This give it a bready salty flavour, and each bite makes you crave more.

Shio Pan / Salt & Butter Bread (SGD $2)

The Yuzu Bun (SGD $0.80) has a soft, spongy, tearable texture to the bread, which is studded with yuzu peel. This gives it a delicate zesty tangy sour sweet flavour.

Yuzu Bun (SGD $0.80)

The Cranberry Bread (SGD $2) has a soft, spongy chewy texture to the bread, which is studded with cranberries, and topped with strawberries, almond cream, and icing sugar. It has a delicate fruity sweet flavour.

Cranberry Bread (SGD $2)

Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread

The Uji Matcha Cream & Chocolate Bread (SGD $3) features premium Uji matcha green tea, as a powder topping, and as a cream filling within the bread. Alongside rich milk chocolate cream, this soft, grainy bread is super messy to eat. It has an earthy chocolatey sweet grassy flavour.

Uji Matcha Cream & Chocolate Bread (SGD $3)

The Pain Aux Pistachio (SGD $3) features a crisp flaky round pastry, filled with pistachio cream and almond cream. This lends a bold nutty sweet flavour to this dessert treat.

Pain Aux Pistachio (SGD $3)

Their version of Cinnamon Roll (SGD $3) features a semi-soft, semi-dry, chewy airy bread base, rolled in cinnamon sugar crystals, studded with crunchy chopped walnuts, and topped with creamy cinnamon icing. Has a bold nutty floral sweet spice flavour. Best eaten warm.

Cinnamon Roll (SGD $3)

Cinnamon Roll

Cinnamon Roll

The Bamboo Charcoal Maple Butter Bread (SGD $3) is a monthly special, and features a semi-soft, semi-firm, moist bread infused with bamboo charcoal powder, giving it a black hue. Rolled with salt, then glazed with salted butter and maple syrup, it's delicious with a floral sweet salty flavour. Unique experience, because it tastes like pancakes, but looks nothing like it.

Bamboo Charcoal Maple Butter Bread (SGD $3)

The Maple Chestnut Bread (SGD $4.60) is a unique premium bread, whose soft, spongy, airy texture complements the filling of sticky maple syrup and crunchy chestnuts. It has a bold nutty sweet floral flavour, and is best eaten warm.

Maple Chestnut Bread (SGD $4.60)

The Ham & Egg Bun (SGD $3) features a soft chewy bun studded with tender pork ham and creamy egg mayonnaise. A perfect breakfast bread, with its salty savoury eggy sweet flavour.

Ham & Egg Bun (SGD $3)

Ham & Egg Bun

Ham & Egg Bun

The Sausage Roll (SGD $3.60) has a tender snappy chicken sausage, stuffed within a soft chewy bread, topped with tomato ketchup and mayonnaise. Has a savoury sweet flavour, but I didn't find this satisfying, as the sausage is weak.

Sausage Roll (SGD $3.60)

Sausage Roll

Sausage Roll

The Quiche Lorraine (SGD $4) has a crumbly pastry crust filled with a generous portion of soft flan (eggs, cream, cheese), tender spinach leaves, and tender pork bacon slices. Bold vegetal sweet salty savoury flavour here. Pretty decent rendition, not great, but still tasty.

Quiche Lorraine (SGD $4)

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine

The Double Cheese Pari Pari (SGD $3) is a popular pastry. This crisp flatbread is coated with 2 types of cheese; cheddar and parmesan. This lends a slightly chewy texture to the firm and crunchy flatbread. Has a mild cheesy savoury salty flavour.