Missy Donut Should You Give It A Miss?
This is the second in a series of reviews of donut outlets in Singapore. In my previous review of the Donut Factory of Singapore, I wrote of the good quality of donuts from the chain and decided to write about Missy Donut this time (or should it be MissyDonut?), considered by many in the country to be the second best donuts sold in the Lion City. There is not much I would say to disagree with that assessment, although I must say there has been a noticeable drop in quality in certain branches of the Japanese donut chain.
Missy Donut came to our Singaporean shores from Japan, after they spotted a good opportunity for the revival of donut consumption and sales in the island country. They were not wrong in their decision and pretty soon you now have four Missy Donut outlets in Singapore, all of which opened to long queues and fanfare. The donuts are made in front of all to see, and come in over 20 different tastes and designs, including special ones made to suit local tastes such as the Kaya donut. When I tried it on the first day the Bukit Panjang Plaza outlet opened, the Missy Donut donuts were really fresh, soft and as with all donuts, when eaten warm, were simply lip smacking. What I really liked about these donuts was that they were not too sweet, yet did not lack any of that sugar boost that donuts traditionally provided.
For a couple of times after that first taste, I had to participate in long queues before getting my fill of Missy Donut. Now, months after the height of the donut craze in Singapore, the queues have disappeared mostly and apart from the Plaza Singapura outlet, the traffic at the other Missy Donut branches have basically died. This is not wholly unexpected given that it was not called the donut fad for nothing. It would be interesting to see how long the chain can survive here in Singapore, given that despite having a huge array of designs, the Missy Donut selections are not the best in uniqueness and often end up looking quite bland, compared to the more interesting donuts that the Donut Factory has produced.
On top of that, the service provided by Missy Donut in the Bukit Panjang outlet is pretty standard of customer service in Singapore - unsmiling, cold and sometimes rude. The person serving you anytime looks disinterested, as if they cannot wait for you to disappear so that they could resume their chats with co-workers. The donuts made by Missy Donut also do not hold up to taste quality an hour or two after they are made, as they turn cold and hard. Now, donuts always come with a disclaimer that you should heat them up in a microwave to enjoy them soft and delicious, but if the ones from Donut Factory and Krispy Kreme can remain soft and delicious after a day without a need to reheat, then surely Missy Donut can come up with a way to do the same. They have been around since 2000 in Japan and that is quite a long time in terms of surviving in the donut business.
So, is Missy Donut worth your time? They certainly are, if you intend to consume them fresh and piping hot after they have been made and immediately after you have purchased them. Perhaps just before that movie at Golden Village in Plaza Singapura, or during a family day out in Compass Point. But they do not last well, and while they are not bad, the standards have dropped somewhat since they opened, and I am still undecided as to them being considered the second best tasting donuts available in Singapore after the Donut Factory.
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