2 Walnut Creek Doughnut Shops Make List Of Most Fantastic In Bay Area

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Making your weekend plans? You may want to consider stopping by the Walnut Creek Farmers Market to pick up some doughnuts from Ocean Malasada Company — considered among the best in the Bay Area according to a new list.

"Biting into these fluffy malasadas is like sinking your teeth into a cloud, if that cumulus were coated in sugar crystals and lined with custard," according to the "12 fantastic Bay Area doughnut shops that will knock your socks off" list published Monday by the East Bay Times.

Since 2016, Filipino-American couple Randy and Dee Santos of San Francisco have been supplying the Bay Area with malasadas. The sweet confection is the Portuguese version of a doughnut and is popular in Hawaii.

The good news for Walnut Creek residents is that Ocean Malasada Company is a regular vendor at the Walnut Creek Farmers Market, held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday on Locust Street between Cole and Lacassie avenues.

Ocean Malasada often announces its newest flavors on social media. A box of six traditional, non-filled malasadas dusted with sugar and cinnamon is $24; or get eight for $32. Or purchase an assortment with fillings such as Nutella, lilikoi, guava, sweet cream, ube and haupia.

"The Nutella malasada is wonderfully decadent, and the haupia version is filled with Hawaiian coconut pudding," the authors of the list wrote.

When in SF you won't need to wait for the weekend; stop by their shop at 296 Ocean Ave., which is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday - Monday. Pre-orders are preferred. Go to Farfromparadise.square.site.

Third Culture Bakery

The only other Walnut Creek doughnut shop included on the list was Third Culture Bakery, makers of the original mochi muffin, described as "a slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and it has deep flavors of caramel, brown butter and coconut."

Third Culture began as a two-man show in 2016 starring Chef Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu. They started their bakery journey together and came up with pastries reflective of their childhoods in Indonesia and Taiwan. At the time, they offered the mochi muffin to just six wholesale shops.

"The Mochi Muffin quickly gained momentum and a cult following in the Bay Area, and a year later, the two were able to hire their first help," Third Culture says on its website. "By 2018, the bakery had grown to over 60 wholesale locations with a team of 20-plus full-time bakers, managers, delivery drivers and retail members."

Third Culture Bakery also came up with a delicious doughnut recipe. Its butter-mochi doughnuts, which come in a variety of flavors, are baked and not fried — mimicking the lightness of a fried dough yet keeping the rich dense chewiness of a butter mochi.

These days, Third Culture Bakery has a showroom in Berkeley and cafes in Walnut Creek and San Francisco. Its baked goods are also sold at several hot spots around the Bay Area. Muffins cost $4.15 and doughnuts are $3.25.

The Third Culture in Walnut Creek is a fun disco-ball-themed matcha cafe. It's open for walk-ins and takeout from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week at 1310 S. California Blvd. The full pastry and beverage lineup is offered, along with specialty matcha-centric creations.

Founders Donuts in nearby Lafayette was also featured on East Bay Times' list. The authors gave Founders Donuts a huge nod by calling it the "best-kept secret in Lamorinda."

See the full list here.