When the Washingtonian shared their favorite doughnuts recently, I was shocked when I saw one of the picks was only a few miles away from Springfield, VA. Shilla Bakery & Cafe is known for their Korean Bing Soo (I’ll explain what that is because I had no idea) and baked goods.
Located in Annandale, VA, Shilla had a lot of customers around lunch time. They all seemed to be either sipping on the Illy brand coffee or eating Bing Soo. It’s a massive bowl of the Koreans’ take on shaved ice topped with fruit.
While the Bing Soo intrigued me, I was there for the red bean doughnuts. The entrance of Shilla is lined with shelves of breads, doughnuts and a bunch of things I’ve never heard of.
I spent a good five minutes awkwardly walking around trying to figure out what anything meant. Finally, I saw the words doughnut and placed the two in my basket.
Each baked good is indivuadally wrapped with the exception of the cheese danishes that were fresh out of the oven.
I figured two doughnuts was probaby enough carbs for one reviews. Next time danishes and Bing Soo are mine!
Since I had no idea what I was really purchasing when it came two these doughnuts, I guess it makes sense that I actually bought the same doughnut twice. Well, one was sugar coated while one was not.
I recommend the sugar coated one with red bean paste filling. Yeah, red bean. Never even known that was filling, but it actually has a subtle sweet taste and pairs well with the sugary dough. Red bean has been a popular Korean flavoring that comes from boiling down azuki beans and adding honey or sugar to the paste.
When getting a doughnut from Shilla, you can tell the dough is fresh and dense. And hey, if you end up liking red bean paste (which I did) you can also get your fix from the red bean bread, red bean cookies, and yes, red bean bing soo. Patbingsoo to be exact.
MEALticulous 