At Two Ladies Kitchen, they go all out in creating decadent mochi creations filled with all the best flavors plus a whole lot more. Located right along Hilo Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii, this little Japanese dessert shop attracts quite a crowd with its sweet treats. Their confections are so good that patrons eagerly wait up to an hour for them to box up their selections. They don’t go slow either. Their little shop is just that busy at all hours of the day.
Upon arriving to Two Ladies Kitchen, you’ll need to browse the menu to decide just what items you want to try. Although they have a ton of options, their strawberry mochi is definitely the star of the show with its fresh fruit filling and soft doughy exterior. If that’s not quite your speed, you have several dozen other traditional and contemporary mochi flavors to choose from at each visit.
Their traditional mochi flavors tend to have a mashed or fine sweet bean paste filling wrapped in rice flour dough, although there are plenty of variations on that theme. The contemporary mochi takes their expertise to the next level, however, by turning the traditional formula on its head. With fillings like Oreo cookies, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and fresh-baked brownies, their creations are definitely unlike any mochi you’ve had before.
In addition to the mochi at Two Ladies Kitchen, they have manju on the menu, which is a baked confection made with sweet wheat dough. Their filling options include red bean paste, white bean paste, and sweet potato. With its ultra-cute fish shape and lovely flavor profile, the Taiyaki manju is a must whenever you visit their shop.
If you want to try a bunch of different flavors without having to choose between them all, go for their pre-assortment. Available in 6- to 25-piece packs, these assortments give you a wide variety of mochi and manju to enjoy.
Swing by for a bite of these items from Two Ladies Kitchen:
Strawberry Mochi
The Strawberry Mochi at Two Ladies Kitchen brings in people from far and wide, and for good reason. They create this tasty treat by placing a whole strawberry in the center of the sweet rice dough. Then, they add a dab of mashed red bean paste, if you wish, and wrap it all up tight. You can also get them with fine red bean paste, white bean paste, or skip the beans altogether.
Marshmallow Mochi
The Marshmallow Mochi takes nearly all the wonderful flavors of smores and puts them in the center of the light rice dough. With each bite, you’ll get to enjoy marshmallows and milk chocolate plus a tiny bit of mashed red bean paste to bring it all together.
Taiyaki
With its adorable fish shape, the Taiyaki is always a fun time. You can get yours with one of three fillings: mashed red bean paste, cinnamon, and cream cheese, or strawberry jam and cream cheese. Can’t decide? Just get all three!
Since their mochi and other sweet treats do not have any preservatives, only buy what you can eat in two days or less. Otherwise, the rice and wheat flour dough from Two Ladies Kitchen will start to taste a bit stale, and the fillings may begin to dry out. If you cannot get through your order by the second day, you can always give away what you have left over.
Insider Tips:
-Oftentimes, orders at Two Ladies Kitchen can take up to 60 minutes to prepare. To avoid the wait, call ahead and they’ll have your selections ready to go when you get there.
-Want to arrive at your next party in style? Ask about their mochi and manju platters available in 30-, 50-, and 75-piece packs.
-If you order a platter of 90 pieces or more, it will come in a wooden box. You must put down a deposit for the box.
-Want a taste of the Strawberry Mochi? Call to order them ahead of time.