By the Lee Brothers and childhood best friend Jeff Kim at Pixlcat Coffee & Butter Mochi — the first butter mochi café in the United States, baking seven flavors fresh every morning in San Francisco and Boston.
Mochi has gone from a niche Japanese confection to one of the most searched-for desserts in the US. But “mochi” covers a huge range of desserts — and most people don’t realize how different they are from each other. Here’s a guide to the best mochi in America and where to find it.
Butter Mochi — The Baked Hawaiian Kind
Butter mochi is a baked dessert made with mochiko rice flour, butter, coconut milk, and eggs. Unlike Japanese mochi (which is pounded or steamed), butter mochi is baked in a pan, giving it a golden crust and a chewy, dense interior. Butter mochi is naturally gluten-free — it’s a Hawaiian staple that’s been at potlucks for generations — one of many traditional Hawaiian desserts shaped by Japanese, Filipino, and Portuguese influences.
Where to find it: Pixlcat Coffee in San Francisco (519 Clement St) and Boston (32 Cambridge St, Charlestown) is the only café in the country built around butter mochi. Seven flavors baked fresh daily. Gift boxes available in-store. Now shipping nationwide via UPS ground from Boston (Mon–Wed) — order at pixlcatbuttermochi.com. BYO 6-piece boxes start at $39.
Mochi Ice Cream — The Frozen Kind
A ball of ice cream wrapped in a thin layer of pounded mochi dough. The combination of the cold, creamy ice cream and the chewy mochi wrapper is what made mochi mainstream in the US. My/Mochi and Bubbies are the most widely available brands, found in most grocery store freezer sections. Japanese convenience stores like 7-Eleven carry their own versions.
Where to find it: Most major grocery stores. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Target all carry mochi ice cream.
Mochi Donuts — The Chewy Donut Kind
A ring-shaped donut made with mochiko rice flour (or tapioca starch) instead of wheat, giving it a distinctly chewy texture. Popularized by chains like Mochi Dough and Mochinut, mochi donuts are typically glazed in bright colors and flavors. They’re not traditional Japanese — they’re a modern Asian-American creation.
Where to find it: Mochi donut shops have spread rapidly across the US. Mochinut has locations nationwide.
Traditional Japanese Mochi — The Pounded Kind
The original. Traditional mochi is made by pounding steamed glutinous rice until smooth and elastic. It’s served plain, filled with red bean paste (daifuku), or dusted in kinako powder. In Japan, fresh mochi is associated with New Year celebrations. In the US, you’ll find it at Japanese confectioneries and some Asian grocery stores.
Where to find it: Minamoto Kitchoan (NYC), Fugetsu-Do (LA), and Japanese grocery stores like Mitsuwa and Nijiya.
Chi Chi Dango — The Hawaiian Soft Kind
Soft, chewy mochi squares made from mochiko, sugar, and coconut milk — simpler than butter mochi, without the butter and eggs. Cut into rectangles, dusted with starch, and shared at every Hawaiian gathering. Nisshodo in Honolulu is the most famous source.
Where to find it: Mostly in Hawaii. A few mainland bakeries like Keola’s Mochi & Eats (Seattle) offer chi chi dango.
Which Type of Mochi Should You Try?
If you’ve only had mochi ice cream, you’ve barely scratched the surface. Butter mochi is the most surprising to first-timers because it’s baked rather than frozen or pounded — the texture is completely different from anything else called “mochi.” Start with a Classic from Pixlcat and go from there.
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