Wildly popular Indonesian “lifestyle café” J.CO Donuts & Coffee has finally opened a shop in Hong Kong! After the first shop was launched in 2005, J.CO has expanded rapidly in Southeast Asia, operating over 250 stores in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and, as of yesterday, Wan Chai.
Touting themselves as experts on donuts, coffee and frozen yoghurt, J.CO’s an indecisive person’s worst nightmare (you know, provided that they’re okay with carbs and sugar). Customers can either pick their own combinations or let the knowledgeable staff suggest donut-coffee pairings (like wine pairings, but actually acceptable for children/teetotallers).
(L-R, top to bottom) Jacky Chunk, Sugar Ice, Al Capone, Cheese Cakelicious, Jcocinno, Berry Spears, Glazzy, Crunchy Crunchy, Heaven Berry, Meisisipi, Choco Caviar Chocolate, Avocado DiCaprio, Why Nut, Marble Hazel, White Desert
Just like in their other stores, J.CO’s local outlet will feature a donut menu full of quirky, celebrity-inspired names, such as the Avocado DiCaprio with chocolate crunch, the strawberry-and-cream cheesy Berry Spears, the nutty, chocolate Jackie Chunk, the fruity Blueberrymore, and the “most-wanted” Al Capone, a white chocolate ring donut encrusted with toasted almonds… because who has time to think about the detrimental effect of romanticising Prohibition era crime when you have a donut in hand, right?
Other delicious sounding confections include the Cheese Cakelicious, an Oreo and cheesecake combo, and the White Desert, a jam donut filled with kaya spread and topped with coconut flakes (goodness knows we love Coconuts!).
Baby donuts/donut holes, for those who want every bite to taste different
Donuts are HKD15 for one, HKD88 for six, HKD148 for 12, and HKD258 for 24. If you, like us, want to try all the flavours but don’t fancy eating 24 full-sized fried dough rings, you can opt for the 24-piece box of mini donuts (also adorably called “baby donuts”, cos why not), which will set you back HKD98.
Visual proof that the “coffee” in their name isn’t for nothing
But, after all, J.CO isn’t just about the donuts – their extensive coffee menu, brewed entirely from medium-roasted Arabica beans, includes the classic hot Americano, a “Hot Tiramisu” (we guess Liquid Tiramisu doesn’t have the same ring to it), and icy frappé drinks in the flavours Cappuccino Chip and Ice White Chocolate Frappe, to name a few.
J.CO Donuts & Coffee, Shop 1 & 2, G/F, 55 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai (Google Maps)
Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co
