Pavlo Mochi just recently brought some melt in your mouth delights to the East Village, but there’s more sweetness where that came from as I’m donut ?, a beloved Japanese chain, is debuting its first international location in NYC this April!
The sweet shop comes from renowned Japanese chef Ryouta Hirako, who’s known as an innovator in pastry. Hirako’s six I’m donut ? locations in Japan have built a devoted, buzzy following, with stores routinely drawing hours-long lines and selling out daily. And considering we know how New Yorkers are also willing to stand on a line–like to get their hands on a Trader Joe’s mini tote–we’re not expecting anything different here.
The airy, melt in your mouth donuts are often referred to as “nama” donuts (which translates to “fresh”), describing the donuts’ light and soft texture. Meticulously handcrafted from brioche dough, each one is carefully created with a proprietary blend of premium ingredients, both local and from Japan.
The NYC location will include I’m donut ? signature flavors, such as Original, Matcha, and Chocolate, and cream donuts such as Custard, Matcha Cream, PB & J, and Sake Cream.
But where there’s sweet, there’s also savory. Flavors such as Scrambled Eggs, Sausage in a Blanket, and Chicken Ginger Teriyaki, which features a minced chicken patty, house-made ginger teriyaki sauce, and fresh lettuce, will all also be available. They’re even reimagining the iconic BLT as a donut, with local small-batch smoked bacon, vine ripe tomato, leaf lettuce, and an organic egg coming together to be served on a glazed donut bun.
Don’t indulge in dairy? No worries! The shop will debut an exclusive vegan donut selection with flavors spanning from Pistachio White Chocolate and Strawberry Chocolate to Glazed. And you can even watch all the magic happen through the multi-level, tiered open kitchen that transforms the craft of pastry into a live performance.
Beyond the donuts you can also grab yourself hojicha and ceremonial-grade matcha, blended with the highest quality tea leaves from Uji, Japan. Sounds to us like the perfect midday treat!
Beyond the food and drink, the interior is an ode to Japan while also tying in NYC elements. Through a minimalist space, Japanese sensibilities of delicacy and modesty are honored, though a six-ton granite boulder from upstate NY, repurposed as a communal standing table, along with two additional boulders forming the service counter and rear tea station, ties in local elements while also representing Japanese rock gardens.
And no, the “?” is not a typo–the brand’s name playfully questions our perception of what a donut can be, a nod to Chef’s delightfully surprising creations, and symbolizes the donuts’ intriguing and unexpected nature. Hirako stated:
When I began seeing people’s excitement and reactions to their first bite of one of my donuts, I knew I had something special. Surprise, sometimes confusion, happiness and smiles. People then try to describe this new taste. I decided that I wanted to share these donuts with people everywhere. Everyone in the world knows Times Square – this became my dream.
I’m donut ? opens in Times Square on Tuesday, April 22nd, marking the first shop outside of Japan. Run, don’t walk, if you want to avoid the lines, because you can’t get these anywhere else in the U.S.!
You can see more of I’m donut ?’s flavors online.
📍 154 West 45th Street (between Sixth & Seventh Avenues)