The cool world of Cruel Donuts

Since most customers can point to what they want and transactions are usually short, working in doughnut shops was an opportunity for Ma's parents to relocate to California and make a life for themselves. The significance is not lost on her that she is now doing the same thing.

"My parents came to America with nothing, and they built a life and business from nothing," Ma said. "Me going back to doughnuts, it means a lot."

Filled with the aroma of fresh baked doughnuts and coffee, the location on 25th Avenue is painted pink, and customers are greeted with a friendly staff. The shops are named after Ma's favorite doughnut, a french cruller, which was her choice she would always steal a bite of when she had the opportunity growing up.

Despite many customers' assumptions, it is not a business name mimicking other shops like Psycho Donuts that specializes in funky flavors, however, the flavors speak for themselves and separate the shop from others in the area.

In addition to the classics, specialty doughnuts feature an array of Asian-inspired flavors from all around the world. A guava-filled glazed doughnut is the most popular among regulars, and on weekends, mochi donuts are up for grabs as well. The passionfruit doughnut is also a crowd pleaser.

"I like that it's a little something from my background," Ma said.

There are many things Ma learned from her parents, including the business side of things and what she described as the basic necessity that everything be made fresh daily.

"I'm shocked when people ask if they're fresh sometimes — of course they're fresh," Ma said.

There are no exceptions, and any leftovers at the end of the day are donated to Samaritan House.

While it may be controversial, Ma isn't the biggest fan of doughnuts, and she much prefers ice cream — which is why she made sure her shops feature both.

As bakers are working on doughnuts starting at 9 p.m. to be ready by 6:30 a.m. at the original location, ice cream maker Ray Lai is often at the spot on 25th Avenue overnight as well.

Ma's business style is to hire intentionally, and Lai embodies the best, she said. Their only wish is to make sure people leave happy, and for Lai, making ice cream is a serious effort to do just that.

"This is the most direct way I can help the happiness quotient of the world," Lai said.

Truly an expert in ice cream — he recently catered for an event for DJ and musician Diplo in Jamaica — Lai's favorite part of his job is letting customers taste as many flavors as they want and then see the immediate smile on their faces. He holds conversations and tells customers about the intricate differences of the four single-source vanilla options that actually taste different.

Leaning into offering Asian-inspired flavors, ice cream options at Cruel Donuts are inspired by employee or customer stories about their favorite childhood flavors. He attributes the inspiration each time he talks about a flavor.

"Each flavor has a story. I think that's important," Lai said.

For Lai, that's a Chinese Almond Cookie flavor that's texture is akin to cookies and creme.

Other popular ice creams are the Lychee Gewurtztraminet sorbet, a passionfruit, orange and guava flavor similar to the popular Hawaiian POG drink, and coconut pandan, a distinctly Southeast Asian flavor.

Another defining trait of Cruel Donut's ice cream selection is the options available for those with vegan or gluten-free diets. For Lai, it was important to give everyone as many options as possible to leave happy, and customers constantly express their appreciation.

The options at Cruel Donuts are both a nod to the classics Ma grew up around, and her own desire to make something new and honor her heritage.

When Ma grew up in the various doughnut shops her parents ran, she never thought she wanted to "do doughnuts." But after working as a barista and in the restaurant industry, she realized how special it would be having her own shop like her parents.

"When you're young you don't find excitement in just selling doughnuts," Ma said. "But I like being able to create things and serve people."

For anyone curious, Ma's favorite ice cream flavor is the Aloha Road, a flavor similar to Rocky Road, that features a chocolate base swirled with macadamia nuts and mochi bits. However, she loves all the options and invites anyone to drive down and try them all.

Cruel Donuts is located at 35 Laurie Meadows Drive and 138 W. 25th Ave. in San Mateo.