[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

Poi Doughnuts ($8) at Lani Kai come eight to an order—tiny, puffy orbs dusted in powdered sugar. On the side, a silky rum-spiked caramel, thin enough to justify coating the entire ball with that warm dipping sauce. Poi is a Hawaiian staple, a paste made from pounded taro and water, which is usually eaten plain as a starch. Integrate the paste into dessert doughnuts and we're in completely different territory. It gives the fried-to-order doughnuts a slightly chewy texture and a distinct, creamy taro flavor. A well-browned crust that crunches, and you've got a bowl of doughnuts worth devouring on your own.

Lani Kai

525 Broome Street, New York NY 10013 (map)
646-596-8778
lanikainy.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travel adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.