Krispy Kreme Suntec City Donut Shop: Halal Original Glazed

Krispy Kreme's Suntec City shop is at 3 Temasek Boulevard, #01-419/420, Singapore 038983, and it is one of the easiest halal donut stops in the Marina Centre area. It opens at 10am every day and closes at 9pm from Sunday to Thursday and 10pm on Friday and Saturday, according to the outlet list on NTUC Link's partner page. Every Krispy Kreme shop in Singapore carries MUIS halal certification, says the franchise operator Manna 360.

The brand history on Manna 360's Krispy Kreme page is short and specific. Vernon Rudolph bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans chef, rented a building in 1937 in what is now Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and started selling to local grocery stores. The Original Glazed is still made from that recipe, and that ring of glazed yeast dough is the reason most people walk in.

Singapore came late. A Krispy Kreme press release of October 2013 announced the first local shop in the basement of Tangs on Orchard Road, opening on 12 October 2013 under retailer Andy Chaw, who said he used to carry dozens of boxes home on flights. That flagship has since closed. Chaw's company, now called Manna 360, runs the brand here alongside llaollao, TP Tea and Ben's Cookies.

Suntec City is one of six outlets that NTUC Link lists on its partner page, along with NorthPoint City in Yishun, Paya Lebar Quarter, Paragon, Compass One in Sengkang and IMM in Jurong East. Its partner page says there are 18 outlets in total. Suntec is the one to use if you work in the Marina Centre offices, are heading to a show at the Esplanade, or are leaving a conference at the convention centre.

Start with the Original Glazed. The brand describes it as melt-in-your-mouth and calls it world famous, and it is a yeast-raised ring rather than a cake donut, so it is soft and light under a thin sheet of glaze. Krispy Kreme sells by the half dozen and the dozen. Its FAQ confirms a half dozen means six pieces and a dozen means twelve, and that you choose your favourites.

The Hazelnut Original Glazed is the Singapore twist. Manna 360 says it fills the Original Glazed with thick Nutella spread, a doughnut first popularised by Krispy Kreme in the Dominican Republic and brought here exclusively by the Singapore team. It is heavier than it looks. If you want one rich filled doughnut in the box, take this or the Boston Cream Pie, but not both.

Boston Cream Pie is filled with Bavarian custard and hand-dipped in chocolate icing. Chocolate Iced Glazed tops the classic ring with chocolate cream, and the sprinkle version is the one children point at. Matcha Green Tea is the least sweet of the regular line, which makes it the pick for anyone who finds the glazed ring too sugary. Red Velvet is a traditional cake doughnut topped with cream cheese and red velvet bits.

Chocolate lovers have the Chocolate Dream Cake, pumped with chocolate fudge and topped with white chocolate cream and dark chocolate shavings, and the Double Chocolate Cake. Skip both if you are buying for an office: two dozen of the richest flavours leaves people reaching for water. A box weighted toward Original Glazed with a few filled doughnuts goes much further, and it stays easy to share.

The halal certification is the practical reason many Singapore families choose Krispy Kreme over other donut shops. Manna 360's FAQ says the brand achieved MUIS certification across all of its Singapore stores, so a box can go to a mixed office or a family gathering without questions. The same FAQ is clear that there are no vegan or dairy-free options: the doughnuts contain egg and dairy.

Krispy Kreme says a glazed doughnut keeps for about two to three days at room temperature but is best eaten on the day of purchase. It specifically advises against storing them in the fridge, in plastic bags or boxes, or near a heat source. That is the opposite of the advice for most custard-filled bakery donuts, so leave the box on the counter rather than in the office fridge.

Suntec City is an office and convention complex as much as a mall, so expect the counter to fill around weekday lunch and the end of the working day. Coming mid-morning, soon after the 10am opening, gives you the widest choice in the case. On Friday and Saturday the shop stays open until 10pm, which makes it a late dessert stop after a concert or a play at the Esplanade.

If you only want a box delivered, skip the trip. Manna 360 lists Krispy Kreme on Foodpanda, GrabFood and Deliveroo. If the Suntec shop is sold out of a flavour, Paragon on Orchard Road is the nearest of the other listed outlets, and Paya Lebar Quarter is a few stops east on the Circle Line from Promenade.

Suntec City is built around the Fountain of Wealth, the giant bronze ring fountain in the middle of the five office towers. At set times visitors can walk around the small fountain in the centre of the basement pool, so it is a good spot to open the box. From there, the covered link bridges lead to Esplanade MRT and the Esplanade theatres on the bay.

Walk west along Temasek Boulevard instead and you reach the War Memorial Park, with the four white columns of the Civilian War Memorial, which locals call the chopsticks. On a clear evening, follow the waterfront promenade from the Esplanade toward the Merlion and eat your doughnuts on the steps facing Marina Bay Sands.

Address: Krispy Kreme Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard, #01-419/420, Singapore 038983. Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 10pm. Phone: +65 6238 7659. Nearest MRT stations: Esplanade on the Circle Line and Promenade on the Circle and Downtown lines. Halal: MUIS-certified, according to Manna 360.