Mochiatsu, located at 132 N. College St. in Auburn, opened last March serving Korean hot dogs, donuts and bubble tea.
Mochiatsu’s donuts and Korean-style hot dogs come in a variety of flavors.
I am certainly a creature of habit in most things, especially where food is concerned. Therefore, I am a challenging patient to Lynn Hudson, my wonderful diabetic specialist, who encourages me to eat healthy foods. I really do appreciate her efforts to help me.
As I’ve mentioned before in this column, my favorite food is Southern cooking, followed by Italian and Mexican cuisines. When I dine at restaurants, again, I tend to order the same dishes.
However, occasionally, I have branched out and tried foods which were unusual for me. For example, when my husband Mike and I traveled to the Bahamas on our honeymoon in 2005, we decided to eat a popular Bahamian dish — conch. That’s right, we ate large sea SNAILS. This dish was fried, and I ate it with tartar sauce to make it more palatable. It tasted all right, but, believe me, it will never replace fried chicken in my heart.
Years later, I once again stepped out of my food comfort zone when Mike and I went to Hawaii. We tried poi, which according to Siri, is a “Hawaiian food prepared from the cooked corms of taro that are mashed with water to the consistency of a paste or thick liquid and often allowed to ferment.”
That definition is one hundred percent accurate. No offense to our 50th state, but poi looks like lavender-colored Elmer’s glue and was mostly tasteless, thank the Good Lord. I dabbed at it with a toothpick and didn’t ask for a bowl, believe me.
Recently, Mike and I decided it was time once again to expand our culinary horizons, and this time, the experience was a great one, unlike conch and poi. We traveled to downtown Auburn to Mochiatsu at 132 N. College St. The restaurant opened last March and is locally owned by Bin Chen.
Mochiatsu has a fun, brightly colored interior. Annie, who took our order, was really sweet, patient and helpful.
The restaurant serves Korean hot dogs, mochi donuts and boba, or bubble tea, items which Mike and I had never eaten.
Korean hot dogs come on a stick and are large, lightly breaded and crunchy. Also, the hot dogs have various ingredients besides the wiener. Mike ordered the potato rice hot dog and a strawberry donut. I chose the original half mozzarella and half hot dog and a mango donut.
Oh, my two times. Both of our hot dog choices were delicious. Mochiatsu also serves a variety of other hot dogs, some of which include: the original rice hot dog, the Ramen rice hot dog, the potato half mozzarella and half hot dog, the Cheetos rice hot dog and the original whole mozzarella.
Also, the mochi donuts were scrumptious. The colorful display and large variety of donuts made choosing very difficult.
My mango donut was described as “juicy and tropical,” and it certainly was. Mike’s strawberry donut was described as “a classic and timeless flavor.” Bingo; that’s my next choice. Both donuts were light and extremely delicious. I’m sorry, Lynn; I’ve found another no-no food I love.
Our mochi donuts were two of the four best sellers. The other two most popular were taro, which has a “lightly sweet and creamy vanilla taste” and raspberry, which is “a balance between sweetness and tanginess.” Some other mochi donut flavors included: Oreo, churro, blueberry, pineapple, Nutella and banana.
Mochiatsu also serves a large variety of boba, or bubble teas. I tried to be a little good and ordered bottled water. However, I found myself sipping on Mike’s really tasty mango iced tea, much to his dismay.
After Mike and I finished eating, I chatted with some other customers, who were very kind to talk to me. Harper, who enjoyed a brown sugar-flavored donut on her first trip to Mochiatsu, chose a raspberry that day. Harper said, “I really enjoyed it last time, so I came back. It’s a special place.”
Eboniee, who lives in Smith Station, is a regular customer. “When I come to Auburn on business, I stop here. My favorite donuts are the Oreo and strawberry,” she said.
Travel to downtown Auburn to Mochiatsu. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.
Mochiatsu is open on Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Mochiatsu makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!
Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear in The Observer every other week. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com.