The demand for Japanese snacks in Singapore has always been popular and consistent. One of which is Japanese mochi. Available at specialty Japanese confectionaries and cafés, the sticky sweet treat is available all year round and can be eaten anytime instead of only on special occasions and festivals.
Japanese mochi is a traditional rice cake made from glutinous rice, known as mochigome. The rice is pounded into a sticky paste and shaped into various forms like round cakes or rectangular pieces. Japanese mochi can be consumed plain or filled with sweet ingredients like red bean paste, strawberries, and even ice cream.
Mochi is often enjoyed during special occasions and festivals in Japan, such as New Year’s celebrations and the springtime festival of Hanami (cherry blossom viewing). This dessert is known for its chewy texture and subtly sweet flavour.
Plain mochi has a subtle sweetness thanks to the natural flavour profiles of the glutinous rice. Mochi is also generally low in fat and can be made with gluten-free ingredients.
Besides having it plain in desserts like ice cream sundaes or parfaits to complement creamy textures with its chewiness, mochi can have different ingredient fillings, from sweet red bean paste (anko) to strawberries, and even ice cream.
Other ways to enjoy mochi are to grill and toast until it’s crispy outside and chewy inside, creating a unique texture and flavour profile. The sticky treat can also be served alongside a bowl of matcha tea for a traditional Japanese treat, which balances the sweet mochi with the slightly bitter profiles of the green tea.
Attracting long queues since opening its first Southeast Asian outpost in Singapore, Warabimochi Kamakura offers a modern twist on traditional Japanese warabimochi by presenting it in a convenient drinkable form. This dessert drink infuses traditional Japanese warabimochi with various flavours like Strawberry Yogurt, Strawberry Milk, Asakawa-en Matcha, Tenku No Hojicha, and Coffee Milk. Warabimochi Kamakura also offers hand-cut pieces of warabi mochi made fresh daily with bracken starch in boxes of 5 or 10 pieces.
Opening hours: Daily 11.30am to 3pm and 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Address: Multiple locations including One Holland Village – 7 Holland Village Way, #01-54, Singapore 275748, and Taste Orchard (Coming soon)
(Image credit:Warabimochi Kamakura)
Cafe Usagi TOKYO is a go-to for authentic Japanese confectionaries like signatures ranging from the toothsome Dorayaki Cake to Cafe Usagi Rabbit Bread and, of course, the Mochi Doriyaki and handmade Daifuku mochi. Created by Chef Yuka, this creation is soft and chewy with the strawberry wrapped in a layer of premium azuki bean paste. The mochi skin is also used for the café’s Mochi Ice Cream – ice cream wrapped with delicious sticky sweet rice dough.
Opening hours: Suntec City – Daily 11:00am to 10:00pm (Last order at 9:30pm), 111 Somerset – Mondays to Saturdays 8:30am – 8:30pm (Last order 8:00pm). Closed on Sundays.
Address: Multiple locations including Suntec City Tower 3 and 111 Somerset
(Image credit: Cafe Usagi Tokyo)
With origins from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, 108 Matcha Saro champions quality ingredients and premium matcha desserts that are vegetarian-friendly. Accompanying the matcha offerings are confectionaries like their best-selling, hand-made warabi mochi that’s available daily in powdered matcha, black sesame, or soybean (kinako) flavours. Why not enjoy them all in a 24-piece option?
Opening hours: Suntec and ION Orchard – Mondays to Thursdays: 11:30am to 9:00PM, Fridays: 11:30am to 9:30PM, Saturday: 10:30am to 9:30PM, Sunday: 10:30am to 9:00PM. Bugis Junction – Mondays to Sundays: 10:30am to 9:30pm.
Address: Multiple outlets including Suntec, ION Orchard, and Bugis Junction
(Image credit: @108matchasarosg/Instagram)
This Japan-born patisserie chain has become a familiar sight amongst locals since opening in Singapore in 2015. Known for a wide variety of cakes, pastries, and sweets made with fresh ingredients directly sourced from pastures and farms, Chateraise also consistently introduces creations that include seasonal ingredients like strawberries and melons. Among its wide range of offerings is the original Mochi Cream Cake, which features soft mochi dough in flavours like Strawberry, Matcha, Chocolate, Café au lait, and Mont Blanc.
Opening hours: Varies with outlets.
Address: Multiple outlets including ION Orchard, Chinatown Point, Tiong Bahru Plaza, and Great World City
(Image credit: Chateraise/Facebook)
Beat the scorching Singapore heat with some mochi ice cream by Kane Mochi. Originating from Bangkok, Kane Mochi currently has stores in Thailand, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and, of course, Singapore. The soft and chewy mochi skin pairs perfectly with the cool creamy ice cream it’s wrapped around. Made with premium ingredients and zero preservatives, Kane Mochi offers a wide selection of flavours categorised as classic, premium, and exclusive (durian). Some unique flavours are Taro, Passionfruit, Thai Iced Tea, Lychee, and salted caramel.
Opening hours: Bugis+ and Wisma Atria – Daily 10am to 10pm. Jewel Changi – Mondays to Thursdays: 10am to 9pm, Fridays to Sundays, PH and Eves of PH: 10am to 10pm.
Address: Multiple outlets including Bugis+, Jewel Changi, and Wisma Atria
(Image credit: @kanemochi.sg/Instagram)
Matchaya was created to offer quality matcha from Japan at an affordable price. Established in August 2015, it focuses on Japanese tea and desserts made with ingredients sourced from different prefectures in Japan. Here, you can pair quality ceremonial-grade matcha with warabi mochi made from bracken starch that’s served fresh in matcha and kinako powder. The melty and chewy texture is unlike anything that you’ve taste before, and is one of the best Japanese mochi desserts available in Singapore today. Only limited portions are available daily.
Opening hours: Varies with outlets.
Address: Multiple outlets including Takashimaya, Capita Spring, and Suntec
(Image credit: Matchaya)
Well-known Japanese green tea dessert specialist Hvala’s latest dine-in concept is unique. Its menu is fully vegan and dairy-free, making it the country’s first vegan Matcha teahouse. Exclusive on the menu at this outlet is a wider selection of its house-made warabi mochi, which comes in flavours like Hojicha, Yuzu, Goma, and Kinako accompanied with black sugar (Japanese kuromitsu). Diners can also add a scoop of house-made oat milk or matcha gelato to complement the mochi dessert.
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays – 12noon to 9.30pm, last order at 9.20pm. Closed on Mondays.
Address: 40 Craig Road, Singapore 089678
(Image credit: @hvala_sg/Instagram)
