Spicy Green Mango

When most people think of mochi, they usually think of the Japanese glutinous rice cake dessert that comes filled with ice cream.  Since my days in Hawaii are long gone, but my lusting for some handmade mochi still remain, I have been scouring street corners in search of something comparable (besides the generic kind you can get in the freezer section of most Asian grocers).

Last summer, in the midst of a blistering hot heatwave and my inability to navigate my way through my downtown area, I stumbled upon a little shop that sells..yes, mochii (the extra "i" is copyrighted:)!  I was so ecstatis and giddy. But instead of the usual ice cream dessert, they served mochii in a different way...as a topping on their handcrafted fresh fruit-flavored yogurt.  Now, I know some of my readers are thinking: Hey Spicy, didn't you just bump into a 'wannabe' Pink Berry? And to that I retort..oh, it doesn't compare!  Rather than the usual type of yogurt that leaves you with that overly sweetened dairy aftertaste, their yogurt is a bit more tart and tangy, two things that I absolutely love.

The makers of Mochii always churn out the best flavors of mochii and yogurt every time I've been there.  It's always a pleasant surprise whenever I visit b/c the flavors change daily! Yes, my friends, this means that they don't give you the crap that's been sitting there for weeks.  You can taste the difference in the quality and freshness of their ingredients because the mochii is always so soft, perfectly chewy and with flavors ranging from pomegranate, grapefruit, passion fruit, cherry, strawberry and more, it doesn't dissapoint even the most discerning palate.  The yogurt flavors are also amazing--featuring orange blossom with an infusion of nectarines, navel oranges, strawberries and peaches; mango-mandarin, strawberry acai, and my all-time favorite: blood orange.  I can go on and on about this place, but I think that these pictures will speak for themselves.