Melbourne Lands Two New Doughnut Shops Inspired by Japanese and Korean Chains

In the early- to mid-2010s, doughnuts were everywhere. And though we’re past peak saturation, they haven’t gone anywhere. In more recent years, new takes on the classic have sprouted up across Melbourne, with Pecks Road’s Filipino-inspired ube bombolones taking off in 2020, and Lune founder Kate Reid’s Daily Provisions-inspired crullers landing in Fitzroy in 2021. Last year, Hector’s Deli opened a dedicated doughnut kiosk in the CBD. Now, two new concepts have brought their own takes on the classic to Melbourne: Donut Whatever with Japanese pumpkin doughnuts, and Doh, a Queen Victoria Market shop with a cream-filled Korean take. 

Donut Whatever 

After six months as a pastry chef at Matilda and two years at Trader House’s Supernormal, Lidya Indriani struck out on her own and launched Donut Whatever in July 2025. 

Indriani took cues from bakery chain I’m Donut?, which launched in Japan in 2022 and recently opened a location in New York City. I’m Donut?’s nama (a Japanese term used to describe raw or fresh items) doughnuts are made from a kabocha squash dough that bakes into a plush crumb. At Donut Whatever, the chef’s squash of choice is pumpkin. 

Indriani says it took her three months to perfect Donut Whatever’s “high-hydration” yeast dough, which is made with roasted pumpkin, a special mix of two flours, butter and eggs. The dough is left to rest for 24 hours before frying. The result? A naturally sweet, sunshine-yellow specimen that she says sits “between a mochi and brioche doughnut”. 

Maximalist doughnuts include matcha and white chocolate cream, and maple glaze topped with sea salt and orange zest. But the original is what you want with a cup of coffee: it’s dusted with milk powder instead of cinnamon sugar, and is a quiet nod to the donat kampung (potato doughnuts) that Indriani grew up with in Indonesia. Plus, there are doughnut rings, glazed with a buttercream made from Indonesian margarine, and topped with shredded cheddar or chocolate sprinkles – two classic donat kampung flavours. 

For now, Indriani operates out of a commercial kitchen in North Melbourne, and sells her doughnuts at places including Melbourne Farmers Market and through limited pre-order drops announced on the Donut Whatever Instagram. Despite its devil-may-care name, it’s been consistently selling out. “Customers say that Donut Whatever is not whatever,” Indriani says. 

Doh

Just a three-minute stroll from the American Doughnut Kitchen at Queen Victoria Market, Doh brings a contemporary counterpoint to ADK’s jam-filled classics: Korean-style cream doughnuts. 

Owner Matthew Youn, who previously worked at Korean restaurants including BBQ King in Melbourne and O Bar in Auckland, says that South Korea’s take on the cream doughnut is simple, balanced and stuffed with generous fillings. For his first venture into pastry-making, the chef says he wanted to “create something simple but done properly”, taking inspiration from the fluffy doughnuts at Knotted, a hit Seoul-based doughnut chain that recently expanded into Sydney. 

Doh, which stands for Daily Oven Heaven, opened in February with 12 doughnuts made from a milk-enriched dough. Alongside classics such as chocolate, blueberry and Biscoff, Youn riffs on nostalgic Korean flavours. There’s an earthy sweet potato number and an ang butter doughnut that, inspired by a Korean bakery trend, sandwiches a dollop of red bean paste and a slab of cold butter. Plus, a Korean sweet corn creation filled with a not-too-sweet combo of house-made corn paste, custard and cream, that pairs perfectly with a creamy corn latte, one of Doh’s six specialty drinks. 

Donut Whatever
Online pre-orders and pop-ups announced via @donut_whatever

Doh
9 Dhanga Djeembana Walk

Hours:
Tue to Sun 10am–5pm

@doh.melbourne