Café Mochiko

Review! Cincinnati, Ohio // Asian American Bakery & Cafe // flavorful fusion

the ELEVATOR PITCH

Growing up in a Midwestern neighborhood where the food scene wasn’t anything to write to anyone about, I was used to not having a wide variety of food from different cultures to experience, but I also didn’t feel the lack of it (since that was all I knew). As time has passed, I’ve seen more of the world, my horizons have broadened, and my curiosity for my ethnicity and other cultures have also grown with me. Now, because the city I live in still doesn’t have a super diverse food scene, I make up for it when I travel. My visit to Café Mochiko was one of those occasions!

Café Mochiko is a bakery and café tucked in an area close to Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Its reputation has traveled far on the socials—not only because its pastry chef and co-founder, Chef Elaine Bentz, was nominated as a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards for Outstanding Baker, but also because of the bakery’s journey from a successful pop-up to a blossoming brick-and-mortar.

While I wasn’t surprised by the lines, I was surprised with the shop set up: it felt well-established with the classy dark wood tables and chairs and the subtle Japanese decor elements, but then the mobile pastry-case-on-wheels, the ease of seeing behind the front register into all of the clutter, and the informal window into the back-of-house all sort of detracted from the class of the dining room…making it feel like your typical mom-and-pop Asian bakery that is a mix of unkept and homey with zero pretenses. Not bad, just not 100% cohesive and opposite of what I was expecting (a shop dressed to impress).

It’s important to be aware that she’s a Japanese-French bakery by day and a Yōshoku (a Western-influenced Japanese cuisine¹) café by night². The dinner fare looks like various noodle dishes (soba, udon, ramen, etc.), katsu sandwiches and wagyu smashburgers, etc., a menu spearheaded by co-founder Erik Bentz, Chef Elaine’s husband. I’m always intrigued when a restaurant is X personality by day and Y personality by night, and while I didn’t get a chance to visit Café Mochiko for their evening vibes, I can only imagine how the energy will be a little different. Maybe a little like Ichiraku Ramen³ from Naruto if they had more square footage?

Whether you find yourself there in the morning for a croissant woven with Asian flavors or a savory and satiating meal after the sun sets, the dark wooden floors and tables, pops of greenery, and pastel pink walls showing off Japanese-inspired art pieces will be there to welcome you with open arms.

menu items

honest reviews incoming!

Shiso Pear & Almond Danish: the pear brought a naturally sweet & refreshing element that *paired* (sorry, had to) with the almond frangipane so nicely. The almond frangipane also had a strong natural almond flavor that I could tell were from almonds themselves and not almond extract. And the crust! Crisp and golden and the perfect perimeter. (rating: 9/10)

Ube Halaya Croissant: this one was slightly disappointing for me, the croissant was dry and nothing to write home about; the cream was ube in color but tasted like normal vanilla cream… they really could’ve amped up the flavor on this one tenfold. I did enjoy the pleasant addition of the sweet purple yam jam! (rating: 5/10)

Sweet Corn Bibingko: oooh la la, this was fun. So you remove the leaf and take a bite… and the sweet corn mochi cake is punctuated by white cheddar’s characteristically salty personality. Sort of the Asian take on a American Southern comfort cornbread! But waaaaay better. Only note is that it ends up being one-dimensional in that its flavor profile is just “cheesy cornbread” (and I’m not sure about you, but I don’t normally eat straight cornbread on its own). Made me want a soup to go with it or somethin’. (rating: 7.5/10)

Kimchi & Egg Croissant: this was cuter on the shelf, but when I actually took a bite… the pastry dough was dry and bready (closer to dinner role than croissant), and the kimchi & egg were (obviously) room temp/cold (I probably should’ve asked to have this toasted). The flavor profile was decent though! Reminiscent of a kimchi soondubu. (rating: 6.5/10)

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the RÉSUMÉ

address // 1524 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45206

⭐ located in: The Growler House

operations // bakery offerings are only available during the day

• Thursday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

• Saturday - Sunday, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

• Monday - Wednesday, CLOSED

logistics // free street parking available, or paid parking lot right across the street

⭐ not able to take reservations (Sept. 2024)

amenities //

• 2 public bathrooms, no changing tables

• no free public WiFi or outlets

• semi-accessible (i.e., tables are accommodating to wheelchairs, ordering counter is standing height)

• only indoor seating is offered, with unofficial (limited) outdoor seating right outside the door

vibes // classy meets mom-and-pop in Asian bakery form

menu //

• beverages ($3.00 - $6.50): hot/iced drip coffee, hot/iced hojicha milk tea, iced coffee jelly

  ⭐ coffee served: Proud Hound Coffee

  ⭐ libations served at dinner time ($5.00 - $75.00): white/red wine, sake, beer

• viennoiserie ($4.50 - $5.00): filled croissants, danishes

  ⭐ seasonal danish/croissants weekends only

• baked goods ($4.00 - $4.50): scones, bibingka, cookies, charsiu pork bao

  ⭐ also for sale: 8” Shokupan—soft milk bread loaf! ($8.00)

• food food ($7.00 - $16.00): mochi, karaage, don, katsu sandwich, smashburger, ramen, udon

  ⭐ vegetarian, dairy-free, and vegan options available

recs // obviously, the Shiso Pear & Almond Danish was my fave, so I can’t NOT recommend it, but if I’m there again I would be trying things I haven’t had before!

kudos //

• woman-owned

• packaging for takeout uses compostable material

• featured in Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants in the U.S. 2022

• Chef Elaine Uykimpang Bentz nominated as 2023 James Beard Awards for Outstanding Pastry Chef/Baker Finalist

site // Cafe Mochiko

1. Lealand, Cath. “What is Yoshoku and How to Make it?” Japan Objects. (October 15, 2021)

2. Hood, M. Leigh. “Café Mochiko Opens Brick-and-Mortar Location in East Walnut Hills.” Cincinnati Magazine. (October 14, 2021)

3. “Ramen Ichiraku.” Narutopedia.