Organization
DK's Donuts and Bakery
DK's Donuts and Bakery is a Cambodian-owned, family-run donut shop at the corner of 16th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica, California.[1] Lee and Kong, two Khmer refugees, opened it in 1981, and it is open 24 hours a day.[1][2]
History
After 25 years of work, Lee and Kong passed the shop down to Sean and Mayly.[1] Mayly Tao is a second-generation Cambodian American. Her parents came to the United States as refugees from Cambodia, and her uncle was Ted Ngoy, "The Donut King." The shop once belonged to Ngoy.[3] The family built the business up from classic donuts into a neighborhood favorite. Tao later gave it a new logo and new packaging and grew the menu to 120 items.[4]
The shop lost many of its wholesale clients at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and local support kept it open. During the pandemic it ran Lunchboxes For Love, which delivered meals to essential workers at local hospitals. It also turned the shop into a mini-market with 24-hour access to essential goods and offered free delivery to customers over 65.[4] In 2020 the artist Stephanie Shih made a still-life photograph, Brueghel's Breakfast, celebrating the shop's doughnuts and inspired by Tao.[3] The Infatuation named Tao as the owner in January 2022, and she sold the shop later that year.[4][3] In 2023 the shop marked 41 years and called its doughnuts the best in Los Angeles.[1]
Food
On a typical day the shop offers about 120 kinds of doughnuts.[2][5] Its signature pastries are the #ONUTS, croissant and donut hybrids that come in many flavors, and the Wow-Nut, a half-waffle, half-donut hybrid.[1][6] Food Network called the Wow-Nut the first of its kind in Los Angeles and featured the Red Velvet Lust Wow-Nut, topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.[5] The shop calls its ube donut, made with purple yam, the world's first.[1][2] Other specialties include the DK Double Decker O-Nut, bacon-infused donuts, donut ice cream sandwiches, grilled cheese O-nuts, and donuts topped with Rice Krispies Treats or Ferrero Rocher.[1][6] Vegan and custom donuts are made as well.[7]
Beyond donuts, the shop sells breakfast croissants and burritos, including a chorizo burrito, sandwiches, smoothies, hot chocolate, fresh orange juice and 20 kinds of flavored coffee.[1][7] It also makes donut bouquets and does catering.[8]
Visiting
The shop has a parking lot, with more street parking nearby. In 2017 it took cash only.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 DK's Donuts & Bakery, About DK's
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 NewsBreak, the best donuts in California (September 2026)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 It Might Be Art, Little pink boxes (December 2022)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Infatuation, 10 of LA's Asian-owned bakeries (January 2022)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Food Network, DK's Donuts & Bakery
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Female Foodie, Top 9 donut shops in Los Angeles (July 2017)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 DK's Donuts, Instagram
- ↑ Donut Princess LA, Contact