Going Mad Over Donuts in NOIDA

I chased them to a Singapore mall. The queue made me quail. So I drove from SDA to NOIDA instead. For a tasty treat I’d been hankering after, once I heard that real doughnuts had arrived in Delhi at last.

And what perfect, plump, squishy soft, fragrant pillows these are! In a show kitchen fronted by Mad Over Donuts’ first outlet at Great India Place, the chefs are hard at work. Mixing into pale yellow dough that secret ingredient blend (custom-concocted at director Lokesh C. Bharwani’s behest, shipped over from the Singapore lab in a canister). Stamping out torques. Priming them to rise in yeasty fervour. Ready to slide into hot oil. A shake to drain, a flick of the wrist over the ‘topping table’ — and they’re gussied up to go, or gorge upon.

M.O.D. does 15 maddening flavours. So I’ve got to get a dozen box and a six-pack, obviously. Executive chef Kishi Arora, ex Four Seasons, is justly proud of her coconut-flavored Coco Loco, and Carameltz (tip: get this dripping, fingerlickin’ hot!). Kids go crazy for colourful Rainbow Surprise and milk chocolate-melted Original Sin. I’m down one Midnight Beauty (dark/white choc zebra-stripes), an Almond Einstein and the spicy-sweet Cinna-ster. But the original glaze is perfection itself, and I have two of those.

Then there’s Go Man-go! and Cereal Killer to capture. For a dessert doughnut, pick up a Perk Me Up! with espresso mousse, and The Blush Factor, with strawberry conserve. Lokesh tells me they did a Double Chocolate special one week, but that’s not on the regular menu (log on to M.O.D.’s website and lobby hard to help change his mind!).

No sweet tooth on you? There’s a doughnut with golden garlic and Italian herbs sitting on cheese, putting pizza to shame. Also Manic Mushrooms. Me, I pronounce A-maize-ing Chaat surprisingly subtle despite its cheesy, corny, masala-maar-ke topping.

But hey, I’m not sharing. B.Y.O.B — buy your own box!

Mad Over Donuts, Level 3 Food Court, Great India Place Mall, A2, Sector 38A, NOIDA; ph: (91120)4271438. www.madoverdonuts.com. Coming soon to Mumbai! Prices: About Rs 30 each.