Underwest Donuts
Banana Milk
Halva
Maple Waffle
Brown Butter
Strawberry Oat
Jasmine Green Tea
Famously known for its origins in a Carwash, but since opening a difficult-to-find kiosk at Two Penn Plaza, just to the left of the main entrance of Penn Station out front of Madison Square Garden, Underwest Donuts continues the small-batch trend started by Doughnut Plant with eight Cake-based choices offered daily, each $3.25 ring only differentiated by the style of the Glaze.
At one time a critical darling with each small-ish Donut priced at less than $2, but since taking advantage of its notoriety to expand the brand and the cost, Memorial Day weekend found one young woman working in tight quarters just 15-minutes after the 9am opening, the racks freshly filled with a variety of colors glistening beneath the ceiling lights.
A to-go only operation, the recently opened PENNSY and its outdoor patio not available till 11 o’clock, seating choices include nearby pavement or the transit station itself, those looking for something a bit more comfortable also enticed to grab a seat at the Starbucks across the street, though it seems a popular space for the homeless to nap at tables in the upstairs loft.
Unboxing and tasting the Donuts amidst a family of German tourists, the picture taking generating some stares, first bites of a ring described as Banana Milk showed a base that eats something like Poundcake with about 1/4cm of Oil penetration all around, the frosting at first quite sweet but then mellowing to a more natural Fruit flavor, the Halva not really tasting like anything specific aside from Sugar and a touch of Salt.
Leaving behind both Double Chocolate and the Lavender ‘Carwash,’ the server stating that it was “pretty floral,” it also turns out that the Jasmine Green Tea tasted mostly like a perfume bottle with a grassy finish, one bite more than enough before moving on to the sliced-Almond topped Brown Butter ring, this one pretty delicious as was the upscale Maple Dip topped in crunchy Waffle pieces.
Still advertising Raspberry Oatmeal, but in fact selling Strawberry, it would seem as though this would be a good place for Underwest to do something a little different in terms of its base, but in fact this one was the same as the rest, the glaze essentially identical to a ripe Berry straight from the field though it was difficult to see or taste the ‘Oatmeal’ influence.
https://www.underwestdonuts.com/
