JJ Bakery Strawberry Shortcake Mochi: From the Taiwanese sweets shop JJ Bakery in LA, this plump ball of strawberry shortbread is about twice the size of a normal piece of mochi and contains a whole strawberry nested in rich cream and moist cake. The mochi skin is impressively thin and elastic, and as a result, plays a supporting role to the western cake on the inside. Ripe, deep red strawberry is sweet and fresh. Cream is not for the faint of heart (there's a lot of it), so this snack may be best shared among friends. (I at... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended losangeles cake jjbakery strawberry shortcake mochi 3.5
Trader Joe's Mochi rice nuggets: The joy of eating mochi comes down to its distinct chewy texture and its faintly sweet flavor, accentuated by even sweeter fillings like red bean and black sesame. So what happens when you take mochi, fry it so it's crispy, and season it so it becomes a savory snack? Trader Joe's is attempting to answer that question with their mochi nugget crackers. The nuggets are slightly larger than a piece of Capt'n Crunch and are on the salty side, with a golden sheen similar to corn cereal. Each crac... (read more) 2.5/5.0
crackers traderjoes mochi rice nuggets 2.5
Uji Mochi Ice Cream: Offering over 12 different mochi ice cream flavors, Uji in Berkeley is taking a unique spin on this classic Japanese dessert. They take it very seriously, serving their mochi with bamboo sticks that are meant to be used to prod the mochi, ensuring that it's soft enough to eat. After ten minutes of waiting, though, I got impatient and held the container in my hand to try to bring the mochi down in temperature quicker. I tried the Ginger Zing (a mild, rather than spicy, sweet ginger flavor)... (read more) 3.0/5.0
berkeley pumpkin lychee ginger uji mochi ice cream 3.0 ujitime
Master Wang's Bakery Mochi: Brought back from Taipei, this brand of mochi treats comes in a variety box with individually-wrapped peanut, sesame, and red bean mochi. Since mochi is my favorite dessert, I can be an especially tough critic when it comes to this Japanese specialty, and it's not often I'm introduced to a new take. But after trying this brand, I've learned about a completely different texture of mochi that's slick rather than firm. While it's coated with a layer of starch like most packaged mochi is, biting... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended taiwanese redbean sesame peanut masterwangsbakery mochi 4.0
900 Grayson Mochi Cupcake: Of the recent offerings at Berkeley restaurant 900 Grayson, the most intriguing was their mochi muffin. The small muffin, at around 3" in diameter, is topped with a mix of sesame seeds and has a toasted exterior. Unfortunately, the inside was not nearly as chewy as I expected – you could tell it was mochi, but the texture was dense, and the muffin overall ate a little stale. At least it wasn't overly sweet. 2.5/5.0
900grayson mochi cupcake 2.5
Berryline Watermelon Froyo with Mochi: Watermelon and yogurt aren't two flavors I've imagined together, but Berryline expertly marries them into a wonderfully refreshing summer treat. Slightly tart but just sweet enough, the seasonal flavor is subtly impactful. The homemade mochi is good too, with a chewier consistency than the larger chains. 4.0/5.0
recommended cambridge boston yogurt berryline watermelon froyo mochi 4.0