A note on the words: I’m donut? calls its doughnuts nama (“raw”) doughnuts — a lighter, softer dough than the usual sort. Ordering is done by writing quantities on a paper sheet, and payment is cashless only.
I’m donut? Ikebukuro on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Wanting something good to eat again today. It is Hangover Meshi. I had business in Ikebukuro. I have a strong impression of I’m donut? always having an enormous queue — and it was practically empty. Well. Either this happens sometimes, or the boom has already moved on. I remember being given them a few times as a gift or a souvenir, but if it is this quiet, perhaps I should buy some for once. In I went.
You order by filling in a sheet yourself and handing it over. And payment is cashless only.
There is the odd requirement to write your name, and the fact that it is on paper (which may well be cheaper than tablets once you count maintenance) — an ordering system that does not quite match the cashless-only policy.
If you are good at reading a situation you will probably manage, but if you are not, I imagine it is hard going.
One person could not work it out and left.
Here is the full menu.
I have transcribed all fifteen from the order sheet as they appear. ★ marks the Ikebukuro-only ones.
I’m donut? Ikebukuro — menu
Menu
The standard raw doughnut.
Chocolate raw doughnut.
Matcha raw doughnut.
Dough with an icing coating.
Double chocolate — chocolate dough with chocolate coating.
★ Ikebukuro only. Matcha dough with fragrant white chocolate.
Chocolate dough with strawberry chocolate.
Chocolate dough with caramel nuts.
Custard cream doughnut.
★ Ikebukuro only. Pistachio-flavoured chocolate on the dough.
Framboise cream doughnut.
Dough with the shop’s own sausage.
Pistachio cream doughnut.
★ Ikebukuro only. House keema with juicy roast tomato.
★ Ikebukuro, limited run.
* Prices as of March 2026, taken from the order sheet in the shop. Tax included.
The cheapest, the plain, is 237 yen; the most expensive, the roast tomato keema curry and the mandarin caramel, are 518 yen. Payment is cashless only, and a large paper bag costs an extra 100 yen. Bring your own bag and you save the 100.
The Ikebukuro-only ones are, I think, four: matcha with roast white chocolate, Musical Pistachio, the mandarin and caramel cream doughnut, and the roast tomato keema curry. Roughly 300 to 400 yen each.
Measured against Mister Donut’s masterpiece, the Angel Cream at 184 yen, that is a touch expensive.
Right — I now understand from personal experience why the paper sheet was chosen. You write the numbers down the page more or less by feel. It is a ballpoint pen, so you cannot rub anything out. And while you are saying “that one too, and that one”, the numbers keep climbing. Of course. That was the plan. With a tablet you could adjust the count at the end.
So: ten doughnuts bought, and home I went.
Right then. Entrance of the competitors.
For an Angel Cream lover, the obvious favourite.
Strawberry. I love strawberry.
Ikebukuro only, so — well, obviously. (This is exactly how the numbers climb.)
I had been about to buy lunch, so I thought this savoury one might do instead. Looking at the actual product, though, the powder on the outside is presumably the sweet sort, so I was a little worried about how sweetness and curry would get on. At 518 yen a Big Mac would be… no. It will be fine.
And three plain I’m donuts on top of that. Ten was too many. Lesson learned.
So — eating my way through them instead of lunch:
The clearest characteristic of I’m donut’s dough is that it is light and not at all greasy. The common thing is a dough that is heavy to bite and leaves an oily aftertaste; I’m donut? is entirely different. It is soft in the mouth and comes apart lightly as you bite, as though the air is escaping, and the finish is very clean. Though on the other hand, it is exactly that oiliness against the cream that makes the Angel Cream I love so good.
Mister Donut has a proper doughnut chew; I’m donut? is closer to bread, but lighter than bread. It is not the Krispy Kreme approach either, where the satisfaction comes from sugar and glaze — here it is the gentle sweetness and aroma of the dough itself. Light and easy to eat.
Ah yes, the roast tomato keema curry. The outside had a fair amount of sugar to it, but the keema inside is a proper curry with real spice. I thought it would be good without the sweet outside — and it was good with it too. Worth having instead of lunch. (Though at 518 yen a burger might well be cheaper.)
Fifteen kinds is a lot to choose from. Here are the five I bought, ranked entirely on my own judgement.
- Custard (410 yen)… the obvious favourite for an Angel Cream lover. The best of the lot this time, enough that I would come here if Mister Donut were busy.
- Plain (237 yen)… the one I ended up buying three of. If you want to taste the light, ungreasy dough itself, this is the clearest way to do it.
- Roast Tomato Keema Curry (518 yen)… sweetness outside, properly spiced keema within. They get on better than expected, and it works instead of lunch.
- Chocolat Berry (356 yen)… chocolate dough with strawberry chocolate. Irresistible if you like strawberry.
- Musical Pistachio (410 yen)… bought because it is Ikebukuro-only. For those of us who are weak to limited editions.
If you cannot decide, take the plain or the custard. They show off what is good about this shop’s dough most directly. If you are after an Ikebukuro-only one, the roast tomato keema curry doubles as a meal and makes a better story.
So — was buying so easily just luck on a quiet day, or is it relatively easy to buy at the moment? If it is easy, then it was rather good, and the dough really is light and not greasy. Worth it. The custard was excellent, so if Mister Donut is busy I might come here for a custard instead.
I’m donut? Ikebukuro (doughnuts / Ikebukuro Station, Higashi-Ikebukuro Station, Higashi-Ikebukuro-yonchome Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.2
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
