Twisted Donuts & Coffee
Cream Puff
Vegan Cake Donut with Lemon Icing
Coconut Guava Donut
Glazed Buttermilk Bar
Raised Donut with Chocolate Frosting
Ube Cake Donut with Shredded Coconut
Glazed Old Fashioned Donut
Glazed Blueberry Cake Donut
Raspberry Filled Donut
Nutella Fruirrito
S’mores Galore Donut
Apple Fritter
Maple Pecan Buttermilk Bar
Although many rightfully consider San Francisco a World-class dining destination the lack of Donuts compared to Southern California is striking, whether a testament to the city’s wealth or a focus on health one is frankly more likely to find a $5 Croissant than 99-cent piece of fried Dough which makes a place like Twisted Donuts & Coffee stand out like a needle in the proverbial haystack.
Now located in Outer Sunset for nearly five years, owners Joyce and Paul Lim arriving by way of San Diego and making a home of modest confines, it is from nearly ten yards that the smell of Yeast and Sugar can be smelled on approach, a friendly hello welcoming would-be patrons visiting the shop from Wednesday through Monday.
Truly a “mom and pop” operation, Paul bringing his father’s recipes plus an ample amount of creativity north while Joyce tends to business matters such as bulk and specialty orders via e-mail, it was having contacted Twisted Donuts & Coffee 48-hours prior that a dozen were set aside, the mix of standards and weekend-only selections tallying just $31.50 including a small Coffee plus two airy Cream Puffs added gratis.
Filling the space at 1243 Noriega Street with enough seating for perhaps fourteen, though most opt for their selections to-go, it is straight away that the Lim’s attention to detail is evident, a Vegan Cake Donut with Lemon Icing tart enough to pucker the lips while a combination of Guava and Shredded Coconut atop yeasty Brioche is expectedly sweet though not overly so.
Not the sort of place using mixes, the team in back preparing both Dough and Frosting in plain sight, it was next that Twisted’s Buttermilk Bar showed every sign of someone in tune with their craft, Glaze penetrating the top by approximately one centimeter and infusing every bite with sweetness while a version made with Maple and Pecans fares even better.
Running the gamut of styles, an Old Fashioned appropriately thin and tangy while Blueberry Cake features plenty of Fruit suspended in a moist crumb, those fortunate enough to arrive early on weekends will not want to miss out on Ube, the increasingly-common ingredient here adding not only its bright color but extra smoothness to the already- supple Batter.
Less impressed by “S’mores Galore” than a simple Chocolate-frosted ring, the Cereal and Marshmallows more a distraction than anything, fans of filling will be happy to know Twisted Donuts & Coffee doesn’t skimp when it comes to Raspberries complete with Seeds, nor do they do so when it comes to Apples amidst a greasless Fritter or the amount of Nutella inside their signature “Fruirrito” which is exactly what it sounds like, a deep-fried Tortilla approximately the same size and weight of a Mission Burrito.
www.twisteddonutsf.com
