Aside from being a very popular donut shop, J.Co is marked by another feature readily observed in the Philippines in practically all its branches – long queues!!! That is the mark of the popularity of this Indonesian-based donut and coffee chain operating throughout Southeast Asia with 125 branches in Indonesia, 12 in Malaysia, 4 in Singapore, and 2 in China.
Just recently, J.Co inaugurated its 12th branch in the Philippines – located at Glorietta 2 (for those old enough to remember, it is in the old location of National Book Store, right across SM Makati).
Occupying a spacious 236 square meter corner location, J.Co Glorietta is conveniently located in the heart of Ayala Center. All around its two store sides are ceiling-to-floor see-through glass walls since there are al fresco dining areas. This allows diners in the al fresco area to enjoy laid-back dining while enjoying the brightly lit, colorful and modern interiors of the store.
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| View of the ordering station |
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| Stage area during the launch |
The taste of J.Co donuts appeals to me because they are not as sweet as other brands. My sweet tooth, over the years, has mellowed down and I avoid too much sugar intake so J.Co is really a compromise for me – allowing me to indulge my sweet tooth without the hard-core sugary taste.
To introduce some of the popular flavors of J.Co, the bloggers got a chance to be selected to play a trivia game. Together with emcee Sam YG of Boys Night Out and celebrities Gretchen Ho and Robi Domingo, bloggers whose names were drawn had a chance to pair up with Gretchen or Robi in playing several rounds of tic-tac-toe. As each team uncovered a square, they had to first correctly answer a trivia question before they could put either their X or O on the square. Even those of us in the audience who were not picked to join had fun trying to guess the donut variants.
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| (L-R): Gretchen Ho, Sam YG, Robi Domingo |
The J.Co donuts have very interesting flavors but more than that, they are matched with quirky names as well. Just take a look at this sampling of their more popular variants: Alcapone, Oreology, Tiramisu, Avocado Di Caprio, Mr. Green Tea, Why Nut, Blue Berrymore, Don Mochino, Choco Caviar Chocolate, Crunchy Crunchy, and Crème La Fame. It’s actually fun trying to figure out from which celebrity or what object/place each name is derived from.
My all-time favorite and probably the company’s bestseller is the Alcapone donut. A bite reveals the generous spread of Belgian white chocolate on the inside with the donut topping filled with toasted almonds. Very creamy and almond milky.
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| The Alcapone donut with Strawberry Frappe |
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| Different variants of J.Co donuts |
Aside from this newly opened Glorietta 2 branch, J.Co donuts can be found in these other places: SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, Greenbelt 3, TriNoma, SM City Fairview, Alabang Town Center, Eastwood City, The District-Cavite, Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro City, SM City North EDSA, and SM City Pampanga.
Watch out for more branches to come in Araneta Center, UPIS Katipunan Ave., UN Ave., SM Southmall, Greenhills, and General Santos City.