cartems donuterie

after sandwiches at finch’s we wandered down the street to cartems donunterie, they recently (not really, but in my head) moved down to pender street and i had been wanting to try them since their days as a pop up shop. what we ate  (going clockwise, starting with the bacon one)  canadian whiskey bacon – whiskey! bacon! maple! o, canada! this was the first time i’ve had a bacon donut where i feel like the bacon legitimately made it better instead of just being a gimmick the earlgrey– an earlgreyinfused donut, topped with an earlgreyglaze and rose petals. this donut was amazingly moist and the flavours were spot on. it was my favourite! the dark knight – chocolate cake donut topped with brownies and nuts. a chocolate lovers dream! apple pie stuffie – i’m convinced there was around half an apple shoved into this! unlike what you would expect in a stuffed donut there were actual huge chunks of apple in here. i couldn’t get over it! unfortunately i felt the apple filling wasn’t sweet

wonderful donuts. people are acting like they have forgotten what a doughnut is: it's fried in oil people! given that, these are the best darn donuts i've ever tasted. the earlgreyis especially wonderful...a new taste sensation compared to all the "usual suspects" at other places. yes, they are heavy and crumbly because of the dough used, but they're also moist and melt-in-your-mouth because of it. by no means a health food i consider them an occasional luxury... and what's life without a little indulgence?

right in the middle of the downtown east side, you’ll find this donut pop-up shop. the hype for this store has been amazing. you really have to follow them on twitter @cartemsdonuts for operation hours and statuses. it’s not uncommon for them to sell out of the most popular flavours within hours. and it’s not uncommon for people to wait 20 minutes in line for a donut. ah, but these are not ordinary donuts, these treats are handmade daily using one local ingredients. the donuts are then fried in organic coconut oil for extra flavour. they also come in vegan and gluten free varieties. their flavours are also unique. take for instance their best seller, the london fog donut –  a cake donut lightly infused with earlgreytea and topped with an earlgreyglaze. or their maple bacon bourbon, which really should be tried to be believed, and yes,that is real bacon pieces on top of the donut. now locally-sourced quality ingredients equal a better quality product that costs more. a dozen donuts

other than lucky’s, i think of cartem s when the topic of donuts arises. even though lucky’s is considered to be a “side project” of 49th parallel, they still produce some pretty solid donuts, like the pillowy tiramisu ! this then begs the question… lucky’s or cartems? after chatting over some subs at finch’s , sharonmhfung and i strolled into cartems as it was along our way. there’s a pretty wide variety of donuts – more than lucky’s, i think. after minutes of debating between apple pie or london fog, a kind stranger helped me settled on the latter. the whiskey bacon sounded pretty good too… next time perhaps :) the london fog stuffie ($3) had a light cake texture, with an airy and slightly spongey vanilla bean cream filling. the cake itself was infused with earlgreytea, as was the glaze, yet the tea flavour remained quite mild. while i can’t really compare cartems to lucky’s head-to-head since i’ve eaten different donuts at both places, i’ll say that i currently prefer cartems. i f

very nice donuts. however, the prices are on the higher end. the people serving me were extremely courteous and kind and i really enjoyed the service their. i also liked the fact that the place was quite big and spacious, giving customers a very comfortable feel. i ordered two earlgreydonuts and a smoke maple walnut flavoured one. both were delicious!

just walked downhill forever, in high heeled boots to get most definitely the best doughnut i’ve ever had.
an earlgreyand rose petal creation. silky and shiny on the outside with rose petal pieces sprinkled on it and inside moist ( i know some people hate that word but it was moist) and cakey inside and it actually tasted of earl grey.
it closes at 8pm, can’t wait to drag my hubby there later to get one for him too.( he’s a cop, it’s what they eat ! right?)
must say the guy behind the counter wasn’t that friendly, a bit standoffish but the doughnut made up for that, i forgive him, maybe he just wants to keep them all for himself!

i am not a donut fan! but i love this place!!! especially there earlgreydonut with dried rose petal flakes, just amazing! great monthly features as well as, plenty of gf and vegan options.

tried the salted caramel and earlgreydonuts - both were cake donuts (one chocolate and one vanilla). both were killer! the donut itself had a fantastic crisp like outer shell and the respective glazes were delicious as paired perfectly with each donut. new staple spot for whenever i'm in town.

○service not applicable
○good donuts/ i usually don't eat sweets but i'd have this once in a while
○vegan options/ mini donuts options
○pricey for donuts but worth it
○if i had to choose 1 flavor : earlgreymini
○would i go back ? yes

expensive but tasty donuts for those treat yo self kind of days. the staff behind the counter are friendly and the space is a nice place to sit, chat, and enjoy. their monthly flavors are fun; my favorite are the stuffies. the tea sodas are tasty, i had earlgreyto go with my london fog stuffie donut.

cartems is my go to place for a vegan donut!! i love the general atmosphere of the place and also the fact that they've been having open mic sessions lately. i'd definitely recommend the earlgreyor matcha flavour donut (or any other). either way, i'm a fan.

mmmm dooonnnnutsss. i dont think its possible to find a bad tasting doughy concoction here at cartems. if i didnt just have lunch id seriously buy a box of em and just pig out alone in a dark corner.(what friends) first time tryin out the earlygreysoda as well refreshing and together a match made in heaven. a bite of this a sip of that bam ultimate satisfaction.

i went to cartems a while ago but i'm just getting around to writing the review now. and that's not a knock on the place in any way. the place was immaculate, bright and simple. helpful and friendly staff with a mouth watering selection of donuts to try me and a friend picked up a half dozen they were gone within a couple hours (despite our efforts) my favourite was the earlgreyand apple fritter. a little on the higher side price wise but definitely a must-try when you're looking for a treat or something special. 😑👌🏼

get the gluten-free earlgreydonut! it's the perfect blend of flavours and not as oily for a donut. i promise you won't want to share it with other people. these donuts are great if you buy a box of 6 or 12 and then cut them into ¼ pieces and share them with a group of friends or party. they make great snacks and conversation starters 😛 and no one ends up feeling like a fatty.

love it! the ladies behind the counter were super friendly and helpful, were even singing along with the music when i walked in. i got the eggnog stuffie and the earlgreyring. the eggnog stuffie was good, heavy and tasted like eggnog! very good! but the earlgreystood out to me, it was perfectly flavoured, sweet, and moist but not wet. i loved it! would love to go again