The Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice (mochigome), better know as mochi, has been tantalizing our taste buds for as long as we can remember–and with roots dating back to the Jomon period in Japan, or 14,000-300 BCE, it’s certainly been a while! So when a new mochi spot pops up in NYC we don’t waste any time checking it out, and there’s now a new spot on our radar: Pavlo Mochi.
Pavlo Mochi debuted in the East Village earlier this April, and we already know it’s going to be a frequently visited spot for us. If you’re unfamiliar with mochi, it’s a rice cake that’s steamed, pounded, and then formed into different shapes, and it’s beloved for its soft and chewy texture.
Mochi can either be enjoyed plain or with various fillings and toppings, and over at Pavlo Mochi they’re making them fresh and filling them with mouthwatering flavors like mango and passionfruit, banana with milk jam, cherry and chocolate, and bubblegum and raspberry.
What makes the mochi over at Pavlo Mochi stand out from traditional Japanese mochi, though, is that their mousse-like center is filled with a with a cream and cream cheese blend, and they’re then topped with fruit, making for an insanely delicious bite that melts in your mouth. Each mochi is handcrafted daily using gluten-free ingredients with bold flavor combinations and delicate textures.
Beyond the mochi, they also have Japanese pancakes, soft serve, and tasty drinks like matcha with boba, and it’s all served in the cutest atmosphere–the space has a sticker-bombed front window, and pink floor, walls, and ceiling.
The shop even has an open kitchen, so guests can watch all the magic of making mochi happen for themselves, from mixing the dough to cutting mochi live.
Pavlo Mochi is led by Pavlo Servetnyk, winner of MasterChef Ukraine, who spent years training in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe and Asia before opening his first café in New York. It’s open daily from 8 am to 7 pm, but be sure to get there on the earlier side if you’re eyeing a specific flavor because they have been selling out! You can follow along with them on Instagram.
And if you’re looking for more opportunities to bite into delicious mochi, be sure to check out Win Son Bakery’s new East Village outpost, which just opened with favorites like millet mochi donuts.
📍 199 Avenue B between 12th Street and 13th Street