New Filipino Bakery Selling Intricate Doughnuts In Woodside Already Has an 800-Person Waitlist
Instagrammable ube dishes may have helped put Filipino sweets on the map in New York City, but Eleven Madison Park alum and baker Kimberly Camara is looking to expand the understanding of Filipino desserts in the city with the launch of her new doughnut business.
Kora — which is online only for now — regularly sells 275 doughnuts a week, and the waitlist for its doughnuts has now grown to 800 customers. That demand is largely driven by Camara’s use of less mainstream Filipino flavors, she says. Doughnut fillings include champorado, a chocolate porridge, and pinipig, a type of toasted sweet rice preparation.
“I feel like there’s always more that could be done with [Filipino food] and more that people can learn about. That’s really huge for me,” says Camara, who grew up regularly visiting home-style Filipino restaurants in Woodside, where she now lives. “I knew ube was one of those gateway flavors that people like to buy,” she says. “But what’s going to make these doughnuts special is once I start bringing all the other Filipino flavors.”
Camara kickstarted the business a few months after she lost her catering job at Union Square Hospitality Group, in March, when the company laid off 2,000 employees due to the COVID-19 related shutdown. At first, the doughnut business just served as a side hustle, though in recent months, it’s taken on a life of its own.
click link for full article
https://ny.eater.com/2020/9/8/21427633/kora-filipino-desserts-doughnuts-instagram