“Amazement of Matcha” collection throws away the rulebook when it comes to making doughnuts. 

When you think of doughnuts in Japan, you think of Mister Donut. The hugely successful doughnut chain can be found in both busy cities and quiet country towns across the country, drawing lines of customers to their doors with special limited-edition collections.

The latest range to cause a stir is a collaboration with two very famous names in Japan: Toshi Yoroizuka, an acclaimed patissier, and Gion Tsuijiri, a famed tea specialist based in Uji, Kyoto, that’s been in business for 160 years.

Yoroizuka, who hails from Uji, has really thought outside of the box for this new collection, adding unique elements to Mister Donut’s classic doughnuts that have never been seen before. The series is being called the “Amazement of Matcha”, and looking at the items available, they really do live up to their name.

▼ The wow factor begins with the packaging, which protects each doughnut as if it’s an expensive pastry from a posh patisserie.

The first doughnut in the four-piece lineup is the Pon de Pie Uji Matcha (200 yen [US$1.86]). At first glance, this looks like Mister Donut’s regular “Pon de Ring”, one of their signature products made up of connected balls of dough with a chewy, mochi-like texture.

However, upon closer inspection, you can see that this is no ordinary Pon de Ring, as it’s attached to a piece of chocolate pastry on the bottom. For Mister Donut fans, this is a really unique addition to a familiar favourite, and when we took a big bite of both together it was…just wow.

According to Mister Donut, this special sweet has been designed so that customers can enjoy the contrasting textures of chewy, mochi doughnut and crispy mille-feuille puff pie pastry at the same time. We recommend eating this with a knife and fork, as you would if you’re eating a pastry dessert at Yoroizuka’s famous cafe, and the texture and taste was absolutely top-notch, more like a cake than a doughnut.

▼ A very fancy doughnut experience.

Next up is the Pon de Pie Chocola (200 yen), which swaps the Uji matcha whipped cream in the centre for a mound of chocolate cream. This one marries the worlds of matcha and chocolate perfectly.

Next up is the Crisp Uji Matcha Chocola (230 yen). This one is more of a puff pastry creation than a standard doughnut, presented like a work of art with a vivid green matcha sauce coating one side of the square pastry, and a topping that includes nuts, whipped chocolate cream and an extra slice of pastry.

When cut in half, you can see that even the laminated dough inside has been imbued with matcha, giving it a gorgeous colouring. This gives you a satisfying crunch as you bite into it, before you get to enjoy the chewy texture of the dough, and the taste was surprisingly sophisticated, showcasing the flavour of green tea leaves. It was unlike anything we’ve ever tasted at Mister Donut.

Rounding off the collection is the Pon de Pie (230 yen), which also exudes a sense of sophistication in both look and flavour. This matcha whipped cream, however, dials down the taste of tea leaves and amps up the sweetness slightly, making it a good pairing for the dark chocolate coating.

This is the second Mister Donut x Toshi Yoroizuka release in less than a month, and we’re certainly not complaining. While last month’s release was a little more conventional, and suited to handheld eating, this new release is much trickier to eat by hand, and more suited to being eaten on a plate with cutlery.

More like expensive pastries than chainstore doughnuts, these new products will only be available for a limited time until the beginning of July. With Mister Donut continuing to think outside of the box for their collaborations, even teaming up with Michelin-listed ramen restaurants, who knows what their next collaboration will bring!

Related: Mister Donut Japan
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