Doughnut Plant

I was so excited to find the Doughnut Plant in Tokyo. My husband and I are huge fans of the one in NYC and have been for several years. When we booked a trip to Japan with a few days in Tokyo, Doughnut Plant was one of our «must see places.» Navigating Tokyo can be a bit tricky when you are trying to find a store front b/​c most of the writing is in Japanese and everything is built up — so stores can be on the 15^th floor of a building. We knew we had to get off at Shinjuku Station and as with most of Tokyo it’s a crazy busy area so I was very intimidated but thought of it as a scavenger hunt. Luckily I wrote a note that the location was in LUMINE EST and not LUMINE 1 or LUMINE 2. I also read that It was on the ground level so it actually wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. When I saw the familiar sign I was so excited!!!
We ordered 6 doughnuts since we were going to a friends for dinner that night too. The cake donuts are my favorite. The chocolate one and I think it was strawberry buttermilk — those 2 were the best. The matcha green tea one was OK but not my favorite flavor. Comparing to the NY locations, these were not as fresh so not as mind-​blowing as the ones I eat when I am back east.

Uji matcha doughnut (320 yen) — 2.5 stars
Doughnuts need to be eaten fresh and hot! This was cold, but at least the doughnut was still soft. The sweetness of the icing was offset really nicely with the bitterness and intensity of the matcha flavour.

Objective: One of several Tokyo outposts of the New York doughnut makers. Offerings vary by day (and season). Average price of around 3000 yen per donut. They do not offer coffee in any form. See prior reviews for excellent description of location as it can be difficult to locate given the size of Shinjuku station and its fairly small space.
Subjective: Living in NYC and being a donut fan, I love Doughnut Plant (it might even be my personal favorite in the city). We came here primarily due to curiosity and to compare to the NYC ones. Unlike the Flatiron store, there was no line when we visited. Will preface by saying that we only tried the cake variety, which seemed comparable to the original. Notably, the Tokyo outposts put a Japanese spin with several unique flavors (matcha, purple potato, pizza to name a few) — the purple potato, in particular, was excellent. Wished that they served coffee although its easy to find at other food stalls in the station.
Worth swinging by if a fan of the original and adventurous for unique flavors, but wouldn’t go too far out of the way to visit.

So if you’re search of the elusive Tokyo vegan donut, Doughnut Plant can help satisfy your craving.
First, you’ve got to find it at the Shinjuku station. Anyone who has walked through the station knows it is a monster and Doughnut Plant was difficult to find. Now I know it’s across from where Topshop used to be and just down the street from Disk Union.
Second, it’s really helpful if you can spot out the characters for soy milk. The staff behind the counter may or may not understand what you’re asking so I would recommend having a guide for this ahead of time.
As for taste, these donuts are pretty delicious and a nice treat while spending the Shinjuku.

Vegans welcome! DOUGHNUT PLANT does not use egg in their donuts, and they usually have a donut or two that uses soy milk, making some selections vegan! Hooray! I’ve gone twice and this summer (from 6÷5÷2014 to 7÷16÷2014) the two vegan flavors were Salty Caramel with nuts on top and Coconut Citrus. Both were excellent! Both donuts were around 300 Japanese yen (or $ 3.00 USD) so it’s not bad! Plus these vegan donuts were bigger than some of the others to chose from. Check their website before going to just be sure they have a vegan option that season, but if you don’t have a chance, the donuts made with soy milk are labeled!
If you are not familiar with the Shinjuku Station area (it’s a crazy place) you might have a bit of trouble finding it like we did. Note that this location is in LUMINE EST and not LUMINE 1 or LUMINE 2. We were confused at first and were about to give up, but keep searching! It’s on the ground floor, so if you enter LUMINE EST on the street level, hopefully you will find it!
Happy eating vegans and donut lovers!