Mochilato
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
346 reviews
Irvine, CA
"They don't have this up in Nor-Cal But they should! I've never been to a place like this and it was a great new experience. Good yogurt…" read more »
99 Reviews for Mochilato
What is it, you ask? It's a taste explosion for the senses! It's an ice-cold bowl of Christmas Day! It's yummy goodness is what it is! The shaved ice, gelato and a thousand tasty toppings combined to dazzle my happy belly.
MOCHI + GELATO = YUMMY!
I've been coming to this place for months and it's something I cannot get enough of. I've also converted a few of my friends to mochilato-ers. And then they get angry with me because they live so far away and they begin to have intense cravings for mochilato way shaved ice.
The best mochi flavor in my opinion is Mango.. but the BEST is the shaved ice. mmm.. Green tea flavored ice, tons of yummy fruits, mochi balls.. what's not to like? And it's best to bring friends, because sharing is a must. Even the junior size is good for two people.
It's hidden in the corner of a typical boring Irvine shopping center on Culver. It does get crowded on weekends too, so prepare to wait. (But not like Yogurt-land line wait) Even if it was like that, I'd still do it. Trust me it's worth it. However, it's not open until midnight every night. I think on weekdays it closes at 11pm. And if you go too close to closing, they'll ask you to take your shaved ice to go. Mmmm, still worth it.
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My friend raved about the shaved ice, so I decided to come by. Ended up coming by twice so that I could try two different flavors. I wasn't really a fan of their mochi nor gelato, but I've got to hand it to them, their shaved ice has given me a reason to come back.
The first day, I tried the "Italian Way", which is a coffee-themed shaved ice. It's pretty good, but after awhile, the coffee flavor gets a bit boring and monotonous, especially since they serve pretty large portions. A "single" was enough for two of us.
The second day, I tried the "Mochilato Way", which was a welcome improvement. It leans more towards the lighter and fruitier tastes than the coffee one, so it didn't grow tiresome at all. The syrup is based on green tea I think, and then the whole thing is covered in various fruits and mochi.
Do get a tray even if they don't give you one. Maybe I'm just incompetent, but I made a bit of a mess playing Shaved Ice Jenga while trying to eat the thing.
Overall, this might be my current fav shaved ice place. No issues with over-bombardment of syrup here.
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09/16/2007
Came here the other day. Straight to the point, wasn't really that impressed. I like mochi, but I… Read more »
I've been here twice, and really enjoyed it. The gelato mochi is amazing! I've had peach, creme brulee and tiramisu before and they were all excellent. The dough really stands out to me because unlike the frozen mochi at Trader Joes, this kind is soft but not sticky and it's also thin. The gelato is creamy and smooth, and the unique flavors are definitely worth a try!
I also had a little cookie sandwich thing, made of these crispy cookies filled with red bean paste, two of which sandwiched some gelato. This was also quite tasty, but not everyone may like red bean paste.
I'm curious to try the other special desserts they have like the regular mochi; if only it wasn't such a drive from where I live. The decor is also cute and great for coming with friends. They seem a little short-staffed though.
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The junior sized shaved ice Mochilato style costs a mere $6.95 with tax and is large enough to put me into a sugar fueled. brain freeze. How many $15.00 cocktails would it take to achieve the same state?
When you look at it that way, the prices are a relative bargain.
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1.5 stars.
Inefficiency. Thy name is Mochilato. Seriously.
I went last night because I was tempted to try their shaved ice concotions and I kid you not, I waited a good 10 minutes in line. They had three employees, but each one had one job, and one job only. Heaven forbid they multi-task like the extremely efficient Starbucks. One guy was just in charge of making the fish pastries, one girl was in charge of shaved ice only and one girl was in charge of the register and the serving of mochilatos.
There was a group of geezers in front of me and I'm guessing they're new to this place because they bombarded her with a million questions and they couldn't decide what they wanted. Then they were like, "What's the white one? What's that pink one? What's the green one?" DUDE, that's what the SIGN IS FOR! The SIGN!!! Freakin' A! And then when they were served the fish waffle thingy (I can't remember the name), they asked for the bits that were trimmed off the fish (the excess waffle). Can we say cheap!?! Normally, aside from the usual shifting of feet, I don't usually display my impatience. However, this time, I started coughing really really loudly and then when they shuffled back and asked for extra plates, I was like, audibly, "OH MY GOD!"
By this time, the line had at least 7-9 separate patrons in it. Meanwhile, shaved ice girl was nowhere to be seen and the fish waffle guy was patiently trimming one fish at a time, like there's no tomorrow.
Maybe it's just Starbucks, but when the line starts getting that long, wouldn't you tell an employee to open up a second register so at least orders are being taken, even if it's not filled? About 1/2 the people just wanted mochilatos anyway, not shaved ice. That's fast (well, unless you were like the annoying old farts in front of me).
Yes, I'm still annoyed today. The shaved ice was okay, but not good enough for me to be 1) not annoyed and 2) to give it more stars.
I HATE INEFFICIENCY!
0.5 stars for accepting credit cards.
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09/21/2007
2.5 stars.
Today, we ventured out to Mochilato. We liked the kind you get at the grocery store so we… Read more »
I was skeptical about this place. I was like uh, gelato wrapped in mochi?? Doesn't really sound appetizing plus its probably fattening as hell. My friends all rave about this place and everytime I go, I only order a coffee or espresso. I just watch them oohhing and ahhing about the mochilatos that they eat--creme brulee, hazelnut, green tea, taro, etc.
Of the 5-6 times I've been here, I've probably taken one bite of the mochilatos and found the taste was A-ok.
The other day, after letting my fatty inhibitions go, I decided to give this place a second chance, I got one of those 1.25 mochilatos (creme brulee). After eating the whole thing, I found that I really liked the floured thin sweet rice dough around gelato ice cream.
I'm glad I gave this place a second chance and now I'll be coming back here every time I visit Irvine.
I don't know...I wasn't very impressed.
Two girls craving sweets so we ordered the combo - single Mochilato style, a chocolate peanut butter and mint chip mochi (11.00) and taiyaki (6.95). I'm not a big green tea fan and if you aren't either, hurry and dig the pink shaved ice out before the green tea takes it over.
Okay, so I think I wasn't very impressed because I got screwed over with what I ordered!...and/or failed to be knowledgeable about what I was ordering. So outside of this store are banners and one had a picture of a pancake looking fish which the banner said comes with nutella. NUTELLA the golden word. I had to get it. So when I went inside and scanned the menu for the pancake fish thing the only category I thought it would go under is "taiyaki"...so I got that. And you know what came out?? A big regular waffle with strawberries, bananas, and a scoop of gelato. Where's the NUTELLA!?! I asked the dude and he said it was a different item...not on the menu..then he pointed to a piece of paper taped to the glass. If you go, its whatever the second item on that paper is. Anyway, it's not even shaped as a fish! It's circular!
I'm not giving it 3 stars because I failed to get my pancake fish. It's legit 3 stars because it's not that special. Nothing makes it say, "woww this is good" and it's not one of those places that I walk away from saying "I have to come back!!"
I love Mochilato! Whenever I go, I always leave satisfied. There are plenty of tables and chairs, enough to accommodate a big group as well...
My usual order is the shaved ice, the Mochilato Way. It's a fusion of the Italian style and the Japanese style. I suggest getting 1/2 green tea and 1/2 strawberry, otherwise, they'll put all green tea. I usually get the junior size that I share with another person.
The wait isn't so bad, but to kill some time... try the apricot mochilato. For those of you who don't know what a mochilato is, it's a perfect marriage of mochi and gelatto. (mochi stuffed with gelatto to be exact). As someone else mentioned in the review prior to mine, don't get the hazelnut flavor... it's not very hazelnut-ish...
I do wish the prices were a little lower, but oh well... as long as the quality and taste are good, I don't mind.
By the way, this would be a perfect place to stop by for some dessert after a meal at Koba Tofu, a few doors down...
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It's overly expensive for a ball of flour and mush but I love it anyway.
That makes me a sucker right?
I like the different flavors and I like that the shaved ice is big (although I've never tried it). It's just nice to have one of those mochi things after a nice tofu soup dinner.
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This is definitely a group experience. You've got long community tables and patio tables meant for dragging together and bringing your (extended) family after a dog day of summer.
I think this is a genius concept, and it's even cooler to note the packaged items across from the ordering area are manufactured by the same establishment. Yet another reason for me to spend my hard earned $ in this plaza.
I've attempted one of their massive shaved ice concoctions on my own, and plowed thru about half before giving up. Reminded me of halo halo and my family dragging me to Goldilocks in DC. I think I need to hunt down some ube ice cream....
Places like this make me miss living in Irvine. I love the decor of Mochilato. There are large dark brown tables and chairs, with a nice light green hue to the walls. It's like a coffee house decor but with mochi and shaved ice instead. I love how they have their little mochis on display, all lined up by flavor. I got the Mochilato Special or whatever it is called, the one that is a combination of gelato and shaved ice. It was so good, they had fresh fruit on the sides as well as some red bean on top. I'm usually not a fan of red bean but with what we had, it was perfect. I also had a creme brulee mochi just for taste, since it's two of my favorite things combined: creme brulee and mochi. It was deeeelicious.
They also have an assortment of gift sets, something our parents would take to a friend's house when invited over for dinner. I saw a fancy cracker gift set, some red bean gift sets, and other mouth-watering Asian treats.
I definitely want to come back again.
Mochilato is one of those delicacies that you simply must enjoy one -or two if your wallet is slightly fuller that day- at a time. Yes, it may be a bit on the pricier side, but its always a satisfying guilty pleasure. The mochis are fresh and the gelato is super smooth -- not to mention the wide variety of flavors they offer. My personal favourite is the hazelnut; but I must warn to proceed with caution, it is a very rich hazelnut taste!
Also, my boyfriend and I decided to try the shaved ice (even though neither or us were too into shaved ice in the first place) -- what a pleasant surprise! We LOVED it! The shaved ice mixed with the vanilla gelato and fresh fruits truly is amazing!
I always walk into mochilato a little unsure about paying a whooping $1.25 for one little thing of ice cream -- and luckily for me, I always walk out glad I did!
This is gonna be a simple one... Are you a fan of Mochi Balls? Wouldn't it be nice to have a place to go, just like there is for Ice Cream and Yogurt, for Mochi Balls of numerous flavors? Where you have to take a minute or two to decide just what flavor you wanted to try. A place with a pretty comfortable atmosphere to sit and consume said Mochi? This would be the place. Now you don't have to necessarily go to Trader Joe's, grab your Mochi Balls, and sit on your couch whilst devouring them. Life just got a little better people!
For the same reason OC shells out $3.75 for a cupcake, Mochilato is one of those multisensory dining experiences that everyone has to try at least once!
Ingeniously combining mochi and gelatto -- this is a fab place to have authentic Japanese style (i think) desert. Creamy gelatto is wrapped in marshmellowy sugar dough. If you're a chocolate fiend like me -- go for chocolate hazelnut.
Your mochi treat is best enjoyed there on the spot, so that you can take in the cool, Tokyo-esk decor with wooden bench tables and lounge feel.
3.5 stars for their froyo....They do pack it on though. They are very generous with the yogurt and they hand pack the fruits on there. Been here several times since its kinda near work and lunch places.
The other location in fullerton does not have froyo because they have a red mango next door. (i tried the shaved ice there and it was good).
Good place to go if you're in the area...but they do close at 10pm booo...darn irvine!
My rating is based solely on the shaved ice I tried here. My food buddy and I tried the small version of the Italian style shaved ice. It contained fruits, strawberry syrup shaved ice, and gelato on the very bottom. It was really good. I enjoyed every bite of that shaved ice but for how much I paid for a small, I'm not too certain it's worth that much. They even charged for more condensed milk!
On another note, the strawberry gelato I sampled was really good! I looked at the cup sizes they had and the pricing for each. All I can say is, DINKY and EXPENSIVE!
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I have been to this place a couple times and it's good but nothing great or something I'd crave daily. The gelato here is a little too icy for my taste and a little bland.
For a full review with photos go to...
http://www.kats9lives....
The shaved ice here does look delicious but the prices are obscenely high for my taste. Their mochi is $1.25 each. I got 3 this time and decided to try some new ones. They recommended the Pistachio Mochi and it was okay, but I prefer the Ben & Jerry or Haagen-Daz ice cream. Gelato is supposed to be thicker and creamier than normal ice cream, but the gelato here falls a little short. At least they are open late, but the times listed above are not correct. We were there on Sat and they made us vacate by 11PM.
The people there were friendly and the interior was nice. It's just a nice place to sit and hang out, even if the gelato or mochi isn't too great. I guess for Irvine/OC it's not too bad. ^_^
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After lunch at Royal Kitchen, we came here for dessert. The shaved ice is pretty good. We tried their Mochilato and Barista Way. The fruits might be be a little sour but the shave ice itself was good. We ordered 2 junior size and it's enough for 6 adults and 1 child. I notice this place is not as crowded during the day. But at night, it's quite busy.
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04/21/2008
Came here after dining at Phoenix. When we walked in, it wasn't busy after we ordered and sat down.… Read more »
My boyfriend and I shared a single Japanese style for $8.95. It had shaved ice with green tea flavoring, azuki bean & mochi balls on top and creme brulee gelato on bottom. It was HUGE, a mini Mt. Everest of sugary delight. As I walked to our seats I felt like a glutton.
The azuki bean complimented the bitterness of the green tea. I felt like there were too much mochi balls though, but atleast it tasted like real mochi instead of the cheap stuff they use at Yogurtland. I didn't really like the gelato at the bottom of the dish but my boyfriend did. Gelato and shaved ice is a weird combination.
They have mochi ice cream but I'd still rather buy it by the box at Trader Joe's or any asian market for way less.
The staff is friendly and the furnishings consist of huge tables good for groups. I like the leather chairs and dark wooden tables as opposed to dinky plastic colorfilled ones. It looks like it'd be a nice place to study.
Anyway, next time I'll opt to try the Mochilato way which is a mixture of Italian (fruits) and Japanese (red bean/mochi) and looks like a huge diabetic mess. My tummy will thank me by dancing in sugarplum bliss.
P.s. A shaved ice machine is on my list of items to buy now
The shave ice isn't too bad. The mochi ice creams are decent, but a little over priced, especially when you can go across the street to Trader Joes and get a box of their mochi ice creams (6) for the price of maybe 2 at Mochilato.
But it's a decent place to go hang out with friends and share a thing of shaved ice
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Hmmmm. Have you ever noticed that it's usually the places that can get away with obnoxious crowds, bright lights, and eccentric-angled furniture that are open late, thus alluring said obnoxious crowds?
Folks, don't get me wrong. The chairs were really nice. Leather-bound, straight-spinals, like ... really nice. No eccentric angles here!
Obnoxious crowd, on the other hand... check.
Bright lights... check.
It was cute inside. The shelves inside were filled with baked items which I would hope haven't been sitting there for a long time already. It was also very dirty inside. The tables to sit and eat and converse and be obnoxious at were still dirty from the previous party eating there - spills from their shaved ice bowls, powders from eating their mochis there, dirty silverware just laying there.
The people working behind the counter looked nice, but it didn't look as if they came out from there very often.
It would have been nice if this was like that other mochi place in Little Tokyo, where they make it for you, fresh, and not take it out of their containers and wrap them up in paper liners. But eh, you can't have it all.
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great concept, great gelato flavors, great decor, and great selection of japanese packaged treats. this is the only other place where you can buy yoku moku cookies from japan, other than niemann marcus. i cant eat regular mochi ice cream after eating these mochilatos.
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So the shaved ice wars are really in high gear and I wanted to find a good shaved ice joint in Orange County. So I stumbled over Mochilato. Of course they are famous for their Mochilato but I noticed the mochi was from packages in the freezer. One small piece is about 1.75 so I figured, no, it's ok, I rather get shaved ice instead. So my friend and I ordered their Japanese style shaved ice and it came with bananas, kiwi, strawberries, mochi, and shaved ice with strawberry syrup and a kiss of condensed milk. The shaved ice was good but halfway through it, it was already melting and tasted like sugary strawberry water so I asked the person making the shaved ice if I can just get a little squeeze of condensed milk and she charged me 75 cents! I should have brought in my own little can of condensed milk which costs 99 cents at the Asian supermarkets and squeezed it on myself. And how much do I get? Let's just say, 1.5 tablespoons for 75 cents...That's why I still love Monster Desserts in the Bay Area and they are expanding and hopefully into Socal and take over the shaved ice wars.
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My two favorite sweets in the whole world are ice cream and mochi! I didn't know that such a place (with a huge variety of flavors) existed. I've seen shops with mochi and ice cream sold separately, but not both with such quality!
I love the shaved iced treats that are enough to count as a meal, as well as the individual red bean treats you can tuck away in your purse for later. Mmm, delicious :D
Con: The mochis and such are 50 cents more than they are at the place they get them from (Mikawaya).
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I admit the place is a bit pricey, but I love it! Where else can one get different flavors of Mochi in Orange County? The shaved ice is very fluffy and melts quick. So don't take your time because you'll end up drinking the thing. The gelato and small mochi balls adds a nice touch to it though. Mochi ice cream is my fav! So far, I like the peaches 'n cream and the creme brulee. Do not get the hazelnut, very funky taste! We also got the original taiyaki which was just a big waffle with gelato ice cream and fruits...not worth the price.
4.5
I love mochi ice cream and this place has such an array of flavors, I fell in love instantly. Hubby and I bought 6 different flavors and all of them were awesome (creme brulee, pistachio, toasted almond, strawberry, coconut, & I forget the last one?). We also bought some strawberry mochi, Mikawaya brand which is one of the best and Hubby had to get green tea gelato (I'm surprised he has any oxidants with how much green tea (froyo, gelato, tea) he intakes, he should be healthy as an ox). Anyhoo, this place is pretty big and I even noticed a group of girls having a bridal or baby shower there. I would definitely come back, I guess I gotta try the shaved ice.
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"No. I swear. I seriously came here for the mochi. If you don't believe me, ask my wife..."
That's my answer to those of you that thought I was here for the froyo. And, I wasn't. After reading the reviews of the gelato-filled mochi, my sweet tooth wouldn't stop bugging me. I like mochi and I like gelato, but together as one? Hmmm...
Overall, I'd have to say that the mochi and the gelato (separately) taste pretty good. The Mikawaya mochi sold on the shelves (near Cream Pan baked goods btw) is usually darned tasty. And, the gelato I ordered the other night (green tea) wasn't bad either. My concern so far (after sampling the strawberry, pistachio, and toasted almond mochilatos) is that the mochi's flavor muddles the flavor of the gelato a little. In my opinion, the mochi's trying too hard to be the star here while the gelato's struggling to get some face time with my tastebuds. Mochi's at a '10' and I'd like it to be more at a '5.' Gelato's gotta step out from behind Mochi's shadow and make some noise. Okay, I think I've been watching a little too much American Idol...ugh.
Anyway, I think Mochilato's a great shop for dessert-seekers. The inside of the store is huge and almost looks like a small restaurant at first. There's ample seating indoors and quite a selection of baked goods, mochilatos, gelatos, coffees, teas, shaved ice and yes, even froyo (I'll have to sample it next time). My only real gripe about the place is the pricing. At about $1.75/mochilato, I might have to cash out on some stocks in order to satisfy my mochi cravings.
If you're trying to find it, Mochilato's in the Heritage Plaza shopping center off of Culver and Walnut (near Caspian and the Elephant Bar).
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I love this place the Mochi's are yummy and even though you can walk across the street and buy a box at Trader Joe's for cheaper the thing I like about Mochilato is you can indulge as little or as much was you want, they have a variety of flavors, and are opened late for people like me with a late night sweet tooth ;) I know it's bad, but sometimes you have to cheat a little. I have tried the Choco Choco, Cookies and Cream, Mango, & Mint Chip Mochilatos and they are all delicioso! This place is very clean and welcoming. Next time I go back I am going to have to try some other items on the menu, but both of my experiences thus far have been good.
What a cute little dessert place! They've got a pretty good selection of desserts, from shaved ice to gelato to little delicious looking cakes.
I want to give this place 3.5 stars, but since I'm feeling generous, I'll round up. The price is a little steep. And it adds up QUICK.
The mochi with gelato in it was good, but not nearly as great as I'd hoped it would be. It was good, but I guess I was expecting MORE. I mean, it's more than a dollar for a little bite size mochilato. I just felt like it should've been a LOT better than the stuff I could buy at Trader Joe's. There IS a really big selection of them, though. Lots of different flavors.
The two things I liked best about this place? The pastry covered with powdered sugar with red bean and fresh cream filling (it's way more tasty than I'm making it sound here. hehe.) and the restroom. What? I love the restroom. It was really cute. I love the tiles on the wall. If we ever decide to redo our bathroom, I'm making it look like the one in Mochilato. hehe.
I went there with a couple of friends on a weeknight and it started getting REALLY loud around 10pm. I was surprised at how loud it was in there. Either the patrons don't have volume control or it echoes in there. Either way, we had to leave because it was so noisy.
The people behind the counter are super nice (we were really indecisive) and it was just a really nice place to finish off our evening.
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The ambiance is nice, the place is cute.
THE MOCHI IS RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED. ($1.50 a pop, plus tax- for the same exact mochi you can buy in boxes at the supermarket??)
The shaved ice is good, albeit a bit sweet, and the portions are large.
However...
THE MOCHI IS RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED.
This place sucks.
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they now have imagawayaki! they're like cakes with a red bean filling. i normally get these at the obon festivals at a church in buena park, or in little tokyo in l.a., and now i can get them just minutes from my house! i ordered 4 at $1.50 each. $0.50 more expensive than in little tokyo. they're also not as fresh. they sit under a heat lamp for god knows how long, and they outsides get really soggy. but, no complaints here. they were still yummy! also, i didn't see anyone eating them. the employee gave me a free one because it was 9:30 and they're only served 'til 10:30. niiice! they're pretty good when you really crave these bad boys, and saves the drive to l.a. i'll be back, but when they imagawayaki are more fresh!
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05/09/2008
i love how there's a lot of mochi to choose from! i got a mint chocolate chip one. it was very good.… Read more »
The mochi covered gelato is good, a bit over priced. The shaved ice is too big, if you order shaved ice make sure you brought friends. Make sure you get some Chi Chi Dango Strawberry when you're there.
I enjoyed this place for the first time today, just a quick jaunt in with coworker friends on our lunch hour. It was not busy at this time of day, and the girl working at the counter was very pleasant and accommodating, offering us different little tastes of gelato. We each got one mochilito of different flavors and each of us was really pleased with a refreshing little treat!
Where I just can't really understand some of the comments below: I am not certain if they recently reduced the prices, but I saw some comments about the pricing of the mochilato being really steep and I couldn't help but wonder if either these individuals don't get out much or are new to America.
I was only charged $1.25, tax INCLUSIVE, and really? What other treat in Southern California is $1.25 these days!? I actually was impressed with the pricing of that item. More on this point, it is unreasonable to compare any item purchased in a specialty store or restaurant to a grocery store price. Sure, we could save money if we bought a carton of ice cream, or a box of whatever ,or a case of beer instead of going to a bar, but clearly most people are willing to pay a bit more to enjoy variety, ambiance, and simply a nice outing from the house or office.
In conclusion: If you're a baller, and can spend $1.25, check this place out. The creme brulee mochilato is tast-ee!
I love this place. I don't think the gelato is awesome, but it's not bad. The mochis are fun and i love the shaved ice or their waffles. It's just a really fun place to get a sweet treat.
They also have a really nice selection of teas, coffees, gifts.
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This place is totally overpriced!!!
Got the Lover's Set and some waffle red bean thing..
came out close to $20 for dessert!!!!
Lover's Set came with Mochilato Way Shaved Ice
and your choice of 4 mochis (could easily feed 3 people)
Got the following:
Creme Brulee- Delicious would come back just for this
Coconut- had coconut bites in it which was different but average
Cookie n Cream- tasted ok not memorable
Pistachio- had a weird after taste
Shaved Ice: Was good but not Great... I would recommend Milk + Honey off Bristol if you are craving some good shaved ice
You should definitely give it a try... I would come back for the Creme Brulee Mochi! =)
It's fun to say "Mochilato," and it even rolls off your tongue if you fully pronounce every syllable. If you're in the mood for some exotic mochi flavors, this place is it. It's definitely not inexpensive, and you might get the occasional sensitive tooth pain or brain freeze, but there's something enjoyable about shoving a cute ball of flavored ice cream in your mouth. The mountain of shaved ice is a delectable treat as well, as you can get it in different flavors like green tea, topped with various chopped up fruits and treats. A good place to relax and unwind for dessert, especially after a night of eating out at some overpriced restaurant.
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Cute little place if you got a sweet tooth like me!
Handful of different novelty Mochi ice cream flavors on display. But they didn't have green tea?? I got a mango mochilato (so fun to say that word!), tasted like any other mochi I could have bought at the supermarket. I guess I was under the impression that the mochi would be filled with GELATO. Didn't taste like it!
And I was a bit disappointed the see trays of prewrapped mochi ice cream right underneath the display. I thought these were handmade?
Regardless, it's a cool hang out place to get a sweet fix. Lots of seating and tables, has a nice lounge feel to it. But even with my big sweet tooth, I wouldn't take my time to drive out here...but I wouldn't mind stopping by again if I was in the area.
with 71 reviews already, i'm sure you're about to read some repeated words, but tough. i have to write this review for my friend who refuses to join yelp, yet told me i HAD to come here. after i introduced him to yogurtland, he's a frozen dessert addict.
i wanted to try the japanese shaved ice (w/red beans and mochi), but the magician wasn't seeing green tea in his future so i'll have to get it next time. we almost ended up with the waffle dessert too, but realized that'd just be pure craziness after a fulling dinner.
i'd upload my pic of the italian shaved ice we ordered, but someone already did. it's that red one with the bananas, kiwi and strawberries. make sure you scrape some of that artificially flavored shaved ice outta the way to get to the yummy vanilla gelato on the bottom.
when i texted my pic to my friend, he tells me "ha...u got the shaved ice, u need to get the mochi too." my reply was "i did....and i ate it already. forgot to take pic." the mochi was delish! a nice, soft, thin layer. enough to pair with the gelato inside, yet not overbearing like the mochi ice cream you buy at the grocery store.
they have plenty of gelato flavors to choose from, and allow you to sample as many as you want before picking your mochi. i sampled the mango gelato and ended up with the chocolate hazelnut mochi. so strange how they get the hazelnut flavor in there. Mmmmm!!!
for a wednesday night in irvine, this place was packed. i guess the hefty price tag doesn't deter anyone from coming here. it wouldn't deter me either. $8.50 for a 2nd to smallest shaved ice (plenty for 2 people to share) and $1.25 per mochi is pricy, but how often do i treat myself to a yummy dessert? it's something to do, somewhere to go, when you're catching up with a good friend.
(and the best news of all??? there's a phoenix boutique next door! yay! i love phoenix!)
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Other than Red Mango, this is my favorite dessert place in Irvine. It is a little over priced. But their shaved ice is just wonderful. It is huge (even the smallest size), and very tasty. I love both the Italian flavor and the Japanese flavor.
They also have Mochilato, which are small ice cream mochi in many different flavor. I heard that these Mochilato are specially made for this store in little tokyo. If you don't mind spend $1.25 for a bite, you should get all the flavors!