Project J.Co

Working within Eastwood City has a lot of perks, one of those is my weak spot - FOOD. And it helps [or doesn't? Haha!] that I have friends who are more than willing to try out any food joint that tickles our fancy and tastebuds.

To welcome the new year back at work, we originally planned to do some damage at Sambokojin. But due to matters beyond our control [READ: uncooperative wallets!], the first food stop for 2013 was the newly-opened J.Co Donuts & Coffee.

Cross the street from McDonald's, and you're there. Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to this donut place's other branches, so I can't compare its space and interiors to them. But I'm surprised that for a donut place, it's extremely spacious. Couches outnumbered the usual tables and chairs, and if you're a big group there's no chance of feeling cramped even if you sit by the farthest corner. 

The one consistent thing I hear about this place is the insanely long lines - and it's true!

Maine and I were in line for about an hour, no exaggerations. We were saying to ourselves that the donuts better be worth wait and lining up. 

There are about more than a dozen flavors to choose from. Our group's [myself, Maine, Janelle and Dulsey] first choice was to get 'J. Pops', which are 24 mini donuts with different flavors [Php 250]. But as we got nearer the counter we had this feeling it wasn't available, so we went for Plan B - a dozen regular-sized donuts with a variety of flavors [Php 350]. Problem was, which ones to get? 

I guess the major cause of the long line is trying to decide which flavors to fill your box. But when it was our turn, Maine and I were surprised at how fast we picked out what we want. Since not all donuts had their names and descriptions [which was a bit of a down side], we just had to do a little 'Ano 'to?', especially for the not-so-ordinary-looking ones. 

And the chosen 12 are:

On a side note, why are there only 11 donuts in the breakdown?!

The three girls bought frappes, but I opted to just stick to water since I figured there was a guaranteed sugar overload waiting to happen.

The three that I sampled [from left to right] were 'Mr Green Tea' [but tasted nowhere near green tea? I just fell in love with the almonds!!!], 'Sugar Ice', and 'Jcoccino'.

LOVE AT FIRST BITE!

Sugar Ice had melt-in-your-mouth sugary texture, and I'm so glad that the base donut's sweetness wasn't so overpowering. Jcoccino is coffee-based, and with almonds too! #doesahappydance 

                                           

The last four donuts [clockwise, from top left]: 'Oreology', 'Caviar Chocolate', 'Coco Loco' and 'Al Capone'.

I got the Alcapone, which is topped with Belgian chocolate and almonds. I heard this is their bestseller, and I regret having this last!

Look at my fork!!

I got all the flavors that had almonds in them because Maine and Janelle didn't like having nuts in their food. #doesanotherhappydance

#bloggerproblems while waiting for the frappes

Happy kiddos: myself, Maine and Dulsey - the birthday girl! [photo from Janelle]

THE VERDICT: 3.5 / 5

The place is nice and comfortable, smelling of freshly-baked donuts all over. Their donuts are priced at Php 40 to 45 per piece, while the beverages range from Php 120 to 155. Reasonable enough for me, also because the price justifies the taste. They were definitely worth the long wait. [You can read up on how the other flavors fared on Janelle's blog].

The service could use some improvement though, as the cashier got Dulce's order wrong [frappe, instead of hot], and Maine and I sensed a bit of confusion from the barista preparing the drinks. And like I said, it would help if the donuts had labels on the tray or if there's a mini-menu that people can pick up while waiting in line. I think it will save a lot of time and avoid long lines. 

Definitely going back because it makes great pasalubong for the family, and perfect to bring to mini get-togethers with friends.