U Jelly

I was a little hesitant to try this place because number one: I’m somewhat of a donut connoisseur haha and very picky about my donuts, and number two: because places that are so hyped up on social media tend to not be that great. But I pretty much have to give every donut place a chance.
Came in when they first opened one day so the donuts were very fresh. Tried the taro and a nacho beef stuffed croissant. They were both delish and I was sold! Then I came back again a month later to try their new baked cake donuts. I got the taro again and it was dry and over stuffed with filling. I was so disappointed and couldn’t even finish the donut. Tried the s’mores cake donut because it looked amazing and I love chocolate, but it was dry and flavorless. The Fruity Pebbles cake donut, however, was super moist and the frosting was divine! The cereal was not stale on top, which is always a plus. Overall I feel like this place has some inconsistency issues and is very hit or miss with what is good. I wouldn’t drive out of my way to come here as there are many other better donut places around.

I’ll be fair and say that we came here very late on a Saturday night so all the good donuts are gone. There was only 3 types of donuts left with 2 types of croissants available. Slim picking.
Service was pretty good so I have nothing to complain about. Prices didn’t justify the taste of the donut but I can see they put a lot of work into it.
Chicken Steak Croissant: Croissant wasn’t it flaky at all. Tasted like a chicken pâté chad.
Regular cakes/​glaze: My donut was very wet and spongy. It tasted more like an actual cake than a donut especially the consistency.
Maybe I’ll come back here again to give it another shot but I’m not crazy about this place.

The donut shop is super cute ! I love their little donut picture that says donut worry be happy. How cute is that !?
Anyways, I tried the taro, vietnamese coffee, and strawberry shortcake donuts. Out of all three the taro had to be my favorite although I found the inside filling to be overly sweet! Both of the other donuts were okay and I found the strawberry shortcake donut to be more on the dry side.
I was also disappointed with their hokkaido milk tea. I really wanted to try it and the guy working there was nice enough to let me try a sample. It was WAY TOO SWEET! I asked if the sweetness could be adjusted and he said no. Super disappointed about that.): I opted for the honey green milk tea so I could adjust the sugar level.

These donuts are really appealing. It’s the main reason I wanted to try this place. The donuts photograph so well. I tried the Vietnamese coffee and Thai tea flavors and they were pretty good. The Vietnamese coffee was a little better because the flavors came through more.
They got some interesting croissants too. Maybe I’ll come back to try those.

My husband has been wanting to try U Jelly for quite awhile now after seeing so many posts on social media so on a trip up to LA we decided to drop by U Jelly.
I was surprised as the line wasn’t too long when we arrived which was great for us. The selection was very limited but we were able to try a few flavors and we also ordered their flaming hot Cheeto croissant with the nacho cheese beef filling.
We were able to try the taro, pandan, red velvet, and a flan/​custard donut. The only comment I have is that they have their signature I guess «jelly» donut. So if you’re looking for other types of donuts cake, cruellers, or old fashioned etc… U jelly does not have these options. Although I did recently see in some photos that they are starting to offer a variety of other types of donuts. Their presentation though is photograph worthy and I mean i think they do taste pretty good. You’ll just have to taste one for yourself! My husband LOVE LOVE LOVEd the croissant and would probably get that again. So to each their own liking savory or sweet U jelly has them both. In addition to the donuts and croissant U jelly also does serve boba beverages! They are a little pricey in my opinion however, they put a lot of love in the creation of their donuts since the presentation is so lovely. Would probably drop by if I’m in the area.

I tried the croissant here when it was fresh. It wasn’t piping hot, but it was warm so it should have had flakey buttery layers.
Perhaps I’m spoiled, but what I’m normally accustomed to in the croissant world, is layers upon layers of wonderfulness. This… Wasn’t much so, and it makes me a bit depressed because for being a fresh croissant, you would think to encounter multiple sections of death in thin sheets, but nah. I actually didn’t finish it because I felt like it was a waste of calories. My hopes were higher for the croissant and they were dashed to bits.
However, I will say the Philly cheesesteak inside was quite plentiful with every bite. It tasted ok, onions or spicy stuff should be added, but I’m sure by adding those, it wouldn’t remain true to its roots.
I wish I could make u jelly that I had u jelly, but nah.

I am such a donut fiend and after seeing countless of photos on Instagram of UJelly’s donuts, I knew I had to go!
I ordered a half dozen of various flavored and interestingly decorated donuts. I got two panyan (young green coconut) with images of Disney’s Bae Max and the other of a Despicable Me Minion, one ube-​filled donut with ube icing and sprinkles, a Vietnamese coffee-​filled donut with a latte design on the frosting, a coconut donut topped with a mini flan and lastly a cinnamon roll donut with creamy icing and tiny cinnamon roll on top.
These donuts are off the charts! So flavorful, delicious and original — I haven’t eaten donuts before with these flavors and toppings. I’m a big fan of Pacific Islander and Asian ingredients, so the ube, panyan and Vietnamese coffee were right up my alley.
They’re all a must-​try for any donut lover!

My friend and I wanted something sweet to eat after brunch and decided to come by and see what U Jelly was all about. The staff was extremely friendly and explained to us all of different flavors and the Taro Donut definitely caught my eye.
Their donuts are baked and their prices are reasonable. I thought the taro was delicious; it was a perfect amount of sweet and was just so pretty.
I’ll definitely be back

This review is solely on their croissants. I was pretty hyped when I heard about this place opening through instagram. I was pretty disappointed when I came to try their stuffed croissant. The croissant is huge! But the stuffing wasn’t good and the croissant was extremely oily. The texture wasn’t what I was used to with a normal croissant either. The regular croissant is $ 2 and $ 3.50 for the special one. They offer 3 flavors: Ham n cheese, pizza, and philly cheesesteak.
Lots of parking in the plaza! It used to be fusion tea bar, if you are familiar with the area

Was excited to try this place! Being Filipino, I love Filipino twist on anything, and donuts are a great idea! The ube and pandan donuts were excellent. The ube one was a bit on the sweet side, but when I finished it I thought it was one of the top 5 novelty type donuts I’ve ever had.
Overall the place is cool and small. Later in the day their selection was limited, but their customer service was great. I ended up ordering a dozen donuts and paid over $ 30. $ 2.50 for a specialty donut sounds normal, but $ 30 for a dozen sounds outrageous. Other than the price though, I liked everything. I’m curious to see how creative they get to keep the hype up. It seems like a fad right now, but I can’t imagine these people coming back over and over again for these donuts and croissants. It was great, but nothing really special minus the ube and pandan. Then for me, someone that doesn’t crave donuts, I crave for something sweet. It’s tough to pick donuts over the dessert selection around the corner.

One of my biggest weaknesses is a beautiful, delicious donut! Therefore when I kept seeing photos of U Jelly’s creations on various social media outlets, I became intrigued. Each donut was photogenic and seemed to reel you in with its beauty. At this point, I was hooked and ready to experience U Jelly for myself.
It is located in the city of Fountain Valley within a busy strip mall. The nearest cross streets are Edinger and Brookhurst. Plenty of parking is available anytime of the day due to the large size of the lot. The U Jelly logo is easily spotted from nearby streets so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the shop.
When I walked inside, I was immediately taken aback by the limited selection of donuts and croissants. I couldn’t believe how much empty space was still available in the display case. There really wasn’t a whole lot to offer in terms of variety. So I approached their employee and asked for an overview of their products.
Their croissants were unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. You could tell that the creators of this establishment were definitely thinking outside of the box. First of all, they had a croissant that was stuffed with beef with small amounts of Hot Cheetos sprinkled on top. While this may not sound appetizing to some, you have to consider that the goal of a successful business is to be one step ahead of the competition. It was bold and unique which showed that they’re driven to produce pastries that won’t be replicated elsewhere.
When moving on to the donut selection, I was a bit disappointed. Not only were their quantities limited, but I was unfamiliar with most of their flavors. I’ve never heard of Taro donuts but apparently they’re very popular. There was a coconut flan donut which I thought was interesting. It was visually appealing but my boyfriend enjoyed the flan more than the donut.
In the end, I kept it simple and picked up the strawberry shortcake donut as well as a glazed donut with blue frosting and sprinkles. The strawberry shortcake donut had a simple vanilla bean donut with what appeared to be pieces of strawberry shortcake. I did not get a chance to sample the strawberry donut because my aunt devoured it quickly! She said it was delicious! My blue glazed donut tasted like a regular donut. I was indifferent about it as it was just as good as one that I’d pick up from my local donut shop.
I remember asking the lady behind the counter about the blue velvet donut. It looked like there could have been coconut on top of the donut but she explained that it was just sugar and flavoring. Then she asked me if I thought it would be better if it had coconut on top. She said that they’re constantly looking for ways to improve their products and that suggestions from customers are taken into consideration.
U Jelly is a work in progress. The foundation is in place to help this business become successful. Customer input will constantly help U Jelly continue to evolve into a booming business. A lot of creativity went into producing donuts and croissants that are unlike the others. It’s worth a try to stop by and see what has created a lot of buzz on social media. Maybe you’ll «Jelly» and and maybe you won’t but it’s worth stopping by to see if U Jelly will live up to your expectations.

I knew about this place right when they opened! I was definitely going to make it a point to go here whenever I happened to be in the area. The plaza is big, but the store front is quite obvious and easy to spot out! There wasn’t a line on Sunday, around 5pm. They had a wide selection, but i was hoping to obtain a cute baymax donut (pandan). Unfortunately, they didn’t have it. I came here in the intentions of buying 2 – 3 at most. The employee talked me into getting 6 because he claimed that I would be able to taste every kind of flavor. I ended up going with the coconut flan, strawberry short cake, circus animal, taro, pandan, and blue velvet. I ended up taking a bite out of all of them because I just couldn’t wait. I had HIGH hopes for these donuts because I’m basically a donut addict. But, i was let down.
— Taro– had the taste, but i’d probably stick to drinking a taro milk tea.
— Strawberry short cake– my favorite!
— Coconut flan– pretty good and unique!
— Circus– nothing unique, pretty basic flavor on top of a regular donut
— Pandan– it was ok
— blue velvet– haven’t actually tried it because i love blueberry and want to save it for last.
overall, they are pretty. but that’s about it. maybe even over hyped.
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updated: after i tried the blueberry blue velvet. I was REALLY disappointed. I have never tasted such an off flavoring in a blueberry cake donut. it had blueberry specs inside, but didn’t even taste it. flavorless. it was weird. this one was the one i looked forward to the most.

Finally got to satisfy my doughnut craving after seeing so many photos! I was lucky to come on a day without any lines and got their blue velvet donut $ 2.70 after tax. I didn’t see any cookies and crème available today, so I was kind of disappointed. Nevertheless, I was so excited to try their cute donuts designs, but then was kind of disappointed that it was just A-O.K. The donut was tiny and did not resemble their previous customer photos. It did taste fresh, so that’s always a plus.
I am a fan of the owners’ other store, After’s Ice Cream and enjoy their mint monster, cookie monster, and Vietnamese Coffee ice cream. So, I’ll have to come back again and try their Vietnamese Coffee Donut flavor on another day as well as stuff from their croissants and drinks menu.

COST:
$ 3×3 (Savory Donuts: we got Pandan, Taro and Coconut Flan)
$ 2.95×2 (Regular Drinks: Black Coffee and Sea Salt Coffee)
Man! I wish this place was something to write about. Instead, we left feeling like we paid for donuts we could get at any random stripmall donutshop but for a couple more $$$!
Why not put real ube inside? Why not put a more creamy pandan filling? It tasted like junk cream inside the donuts. On top of that, the donuts did NOT taste fresh at all.
Hopefully this is something they can blame on being just open for a few weeks, but mannnn, highly disappointed. Not sure if I’ll ever make it back.

You jelly?
No need to be whatsover. While I do love the looks and appeal of this place the donuts just don’t do it for me. They’re cute and what people now a days would call «instagram worthy.» But the donuts themselves are a little too sweet and don’t actually taste like the flavors they are named. They all have little hints of the flavor but if they didn’t have the names placed in front of the donuts and I tried them I wouldn’t be able to name that flavor. The dough itself is dry. If you do come here the coconut flan donut is definitely unique.

Y U JELLY THO?!
No seriously, you don’t need to be. Thanks to some very good promo from Instagram famous foodies, I was very hyped up to try the newest fancy donuts on the block. I had never had Asian inspired donuts before, so U Jelly is filling a niche market. Donut completely believe the hype though — I don’t think they were all that special aside from being very #aesthetic.
You can tell that this place is the brainchild of the makers of Afters Ice Cream just from the minimal, clean design and the occasional clever wall art. Oh, and the line of Asian Millennials out the door, phone cameras at the ready. The menu is very straightforward: Drinks, Donuts, Croissants. The sweet donuts were $ 2 and I just got one: COCONUT FLAN. This donut was very average to me. The flan honestly didn’t add anything to the taste. It could have been much more thick and custard-​y, but it was on the watery side and didn’t have any caramel flavor. The donut itself was light and fluffy if you’re into those types of donuts, but again didn’t carry much taste. The saving grace was the toasted coconut topping. This donut was very easy to finish and I probably could have eaten another without feeling bad about it.
With all the other specialty donut shops jostling for attention, U Jelly should be doing more to not just be a pretty face. Granted, I only tried one, so I might have to go back to try the pandan or taro.
Food: 3, Service: 3, Environment: 5, Price: 3

I wanted to be one of the first to review U Jelly, but since I’m not a cute Asian girl or Instagram model I wasn’t invited to the special preview event before the grand opening to the general public.
I would’ve thought that being Newport’s Most Notorious Unilocaler would’ve landed me on the VIP list. Whatever, I’m not jelly though. TFTI
This donut shop in Fountain Valley is another creation from the ubiquitous Andy Nguyen and Scott Nghiem from Afters/​Nudo Nudo/​GD Bro Burger, as well as the lovely Lysathuy Pham from Fusion Tea Bar. I’ve been very supportive of their other endeavors, but U Jelly needs to up their game as OC has plenty of alternatives in this space.
U Jelly is kinda like that hot new girl your friend is dating that he shows you pics of and raves is a 10, but when you meet her and get a closer look she’s more like a 7, and you realize she’s even less than that on the inside. Do you tell your friend what you really think and potentially save him before it’s too late, or do you act happy for him and let him find out the hard way on his own? In the case of U Jelly, I have to sound the alarm because I want them to succeed. As for my friend, that’s his problem and I’m staying out of it.
DONUT STYLE: they’ve carved out their own niche, especially with their fillings. If I had to compare it to others, it’s more in line with DK’s Donuts in Santa Monica and maybe California Donuts, than «doughnuts for adults» like Sidecar and Blue Star. I like to think there may also be a little inspiration on a few (like their Cookie Monster and Banana Cream Pie) from Gourdough’s in Austin, TX.
DONUT APPEARANCE: they should upgrade the generic «donut emoji» on your app to look more like these! I’d be texting them all day long to people. They are colorful (purple, blue, red, green) and some have toppings which add to their flashiness.
DONUT FLAVORS: Taro, Vietnamese Coffee, Coconut Flan, Cookie Monster, Blue Velvet, Pandan, Banana Cream Pie, and the 2 that I had:
–Red Velvet (2 stars): the base of this donut needs some work. I have to report that it was bland. It felt like I was mainly eating cream cheese over relative nothingness. Also, my pic is not filtered, it did look pink.
–Cookies and Cream (3 stars): the donut itself was basic, but the toppings took it up a notch. The cream wasn’t too powerful, and the cookie on top was soft. With the exception of being a different color, everything else is virtually identifical to the Cookie Monster.
PROS: fresh donuts, friendly staff, cool clean shop, some seating outside, and for the diet conscious, the donuts don’t make you feel too full or stuffed (the ones I had were airy and soft — I didn’t get to try any of the filled ones though).
CONS: limited items available (they ONLY had 4 donut flavors and no croissants) and they didn’t have what I primarily came for (Taro and a stuffed croissant). While I understand menu variation, I can’t help but think many customers would be underwhelmed and even disappointed upon seeing the meager selection, especially if they came from further away like some of my friends in LA have talked about doing. The donuts seem to be on the plain side and not of premium quality. They came across as somewhat amateurish.
It’s often said «you never get a second chance to make a first impression.» I may come back another time hoping to try other items though, but I think they need to overhaul the red velvet entirely, fundamentally rethink their recipes, and consider some of the other lukewarm feedback. Not to pile on the «cons» section, but there weren’t even any Instagram models in the shop when I was there either… guess I can bring my own with me next time.

I originally went to U Jelly right at the night of their soft opening but was too late and they closed for the night. So I came back the next day and by the time I got out of work and drive here, most of the donuts were gone with only the cookies & cream and taro remaining. Both were a hit so I figured I give them one more go around just for good measure. I made my way through and was able to pick up six donuts and their hot cheetos croissant.
Taro– I really like this piece. Its not overly sweet and is exactly what a taro donut should taste like. There have been to many imitation but this one really nails it on what a taro donut truly is in terms of taste. ⁵⁄₅
Pandan– This one is my favorite. I really wasn’t expecting it to be my favorite because well its green and I hate the color green but you know what, it taste really good. Sure its a bit on the sweeter side, but the flavors blend so well together. ⁵⁄₅
Cookies & cream– I really don’t like this one at all. Nothing about it was good to me. The flavors were just bland and to me it was beyond sweet. I probably will avoid this one in the future though I gotta admit, it does look pleasant on the eyes. ¹⁄₅
Red Velvet– Another delicious donut. Its really tasty. The aroma fills the air immediately and once bitten into, you can really feel the amazing texture and flavors just dance together. One of the best red velvet anything I’ve had. ⁴⁄₅
Thai Tea– I only had a small bite of this but to me it was really good. Yes this too was a bit super sweet but I love the taste of it. I don’t know how they make the texture so soft and also their thai tea frosting is amazing. I’m sold on this one. ⁴⁄₅
Banana Cream Pie– I really had my eye on this one for a minute. Once I tried it, I was instantly hooked. The creamy texture blended so well with the donut and the glazed just melts in your mouth. This was one of the best they had to offer in my opinion. I hate banana cream pie and even I gotta admit this one is delicious. ⁵⁄₅
Hot Cheetos Croissant– This was an interesting item so I just had to try it. I thought it was pretty good though I’m not a big fan of croissants. To me it wasn’t flaky enough and the texture was just ok. The flavors were good but nothing to spectacular as I originally thought. ³⁄₅
Overall this is a pretty good donut spot. I like the majority of what I tried. There were some definite winners. I still gotta try that blue velvet and also the blueberry as well. I missed out 3 times now on them. I shall be back for them soon.

I have just gotten off clinical and was craving for a ham and cheese croissant. Took a trip down the street to Seaside and parking was a pain, so I left. Decided to give Ujelly ham and cheese croissant a try. Came home feeling tired, hungry, restless and a bit delirious, all I was looking forward to was my ham and cheese croissant. So big and fluffy on the outside… Took a bite and was very disappointed. Barely any ham inside and the cheese didn’t seem fully melted. Ehhh Vietnamese coffee donut was just okay. The filling inside did taste like coffee, but the glazed donut itself was nothing special. Too basic for me and did not lived up to the hype. No, I will not be jelly if you go to Ujelly without me.
$ 2.50 Vietnamese coffee donut
$ 3.50 ham and cheese croissant

There is so much hype about Ujelly. I needed to see for myself what the deal is. It’s decorated like Afters: simple, black and white. Luckily, there wasn’t a line on a Sunday afternoon but there were quite a few people sitting outside enjoying their donuts.
Inside, there are TVs with the drink menu and donut pricing. They have the donuts and croissants on display so you know what is available. They didn’t have any signs up that let customers know what each croissant and donut flavor was. You have to ask them. If there was a huge line, that would be a huge pain.
I tried the Philly cheesesteak croissant and pandan donut. Croissant wasn’t buttery and not very flaky. Croissant to meat ratio is 80:20. If I didn’t know it was Philly cheesesteak, I would’ve thought it was meat croissant. Very little cheese. However, the flavor is not bad. Just don’t expect Philly cheesesteak. I’m not a fan of the pandan donut. The donut’s texture is very different from a regular donut. It’s a little too sweet for my taste.
I am inclined to try this place again and order the ham & cheese croissant, blueberry donut, and a drink. It wasn’t so terrible that I wouldn’t give it another chance.