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MANILA, Philippines – This doughnut could give cronut creator Dominique Ansel a run for his money.
Manila Social Club, a Filipino restaurant in New York, is selling the Golden Cristal Ube Donut – filled with ube (purple yam) mousse and champagne jelly, topped with champagne frosting, and covered in 24-karat gold – for $100 a piece.
According to First We Feast, the doughnut has become popular ever since Manila Social Club Executive Chef and Co-Owner Björn dela Cruz posted a photo of it on his Instagram.
In an interview with First We Feast, Björn explained that Manila Social Club makes doughnuts every Friday.
On its website, Manila Social Club has a page dedicated to its “Ube Bae Donuts.”
They only make doughnuts once a week, Björn said, because they aren’t a doughnut store. Manila Social Club serves American, Filipino, and French cuisine, according to its Facebook page.
One Friday, Manila Social Club held a party with a brewery called Braven Brewery. It was there that Björn unveiled a doughnut with icing made with Braven White IPA, dusted with gold.
“The reason that gold leaf and Cristal were added was because I love all different champagnes. I wanted to add something [to the menu] for the new year to celebrate how long we have been going,” explained Björn.
“I didn’t know people would go and order a dozen [of these] at a time!” he added. “But then again, it is New York, and there are people willing to put down a grand for a dozen doughnuts.”
Manila Social Club sells a dozen of the Golden Cristal Ube Donut for $1,000.
Björn also shared that he chose Cristal over other champagnes because the honey notes complemented ube.
The Golden Cristal Ube Donut is just one of Manila Social Club’s creations that mix traditional Filipino ingredients with more expensive ones.
To First We Feast, Björn shared, “I make this rice porridge called Arroz Caldo—it’s like comfort food. There has never been an Arroz Caldo dish with truffles. But truffles go so well with chicken and so well with rice. Filipino food has always tasted good but it’s never been pretty. Now, we’re making it a little bit prettier and also tasting good.”
Björn, according to the New York Times, was born in the Philippines (his grandmother has a farm in Davao Oriental), raised in Indiana, USA, and then moved to New York to become a violinist.
Today, he owns Manila Social Club with his siblings, Catherine dela Cruz and Samuel Ware.
What do you think of Manila Social Club’s Golden Cristal Ube Donut? Would you shell out $100 for one of these? Let us know in the comments! – Rappler.com
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