Hogetsu Bakery

I was researching for some artisanal mochi stores near San Diego, and found this one online. So I went to visit it.

I got a full box with 12 mochi, one of each flavor. They had more options, but I can't eat them because they have dairy.
They have different flavors, like peanut butter, mocha, orange, lemon, and strawberry amongst the more traditional ones. So you'll probably find something you like!

The taste is very mild, as the sweetness; just like it should be. You can tell they were made with care. It's delicious and I really recommend it!

The store is small and cute, and the woman that helped me was very helpful.

It's a small little shop with plenty of shared parking space. I don't usually come down to this area but had this place booked marked.

All the mochi look really pretty and they have a lot of flavors. They don't really sell them as a set, you just choose whichever mochi you want. The lady that helped me, told me which ones were popular.

The mochi wasn't too sweet and it was super soft. My favorite was probably the green tea mochi. I will definitely pick some up again when I'm in Chula Vista.

**February 2024: Saturday Afternoon Visit**

I was exploring San Diego and found this little mochi spot. The shop is nested in a plaza with several other asian restaurants. Upon entering the shop keeper welcomed us and showed us the mochi in the display cases. They were very coloful and the price ranged from $2.30 - $3.00 a piece. My friend and I decided to each get a box of mochis to try at home.

I picked 8 since I loved the colors. Taste-wise it ranged for each item as some of the mochi texture had a nice firm chewiness to it while there was one that just didn't hold its shape and seemed as if it was melting. I do agree with one of the reviewer here that after refrigerating it the mochi's held up better.

Among the mochis I enjoyed the Suwama (the tri colored one) the most and the strawberry daifuku the least, mostly because the strawberry was pretty sour. The mochi's with bean paste all tasted the same, but were artfully crafted. Overall, I think this is a good San Diego option, that I would come back to if I'm in the area, but probably wouldn't come to San Diego specifically for this. Enjoy!

Cute little mochi shop in Chula Vista. I don't live nearby so I personally would not make the drive, but if I was in the area I might stop by!

We just ate a big lunch before stopping by, so we only got a handful of flavors. The filled mochi seemed to be a bigger hit amongst the crowd. Overall, we wished the texture was a bit more chewy, but that seems like a personal preference! After refrigerating them, I think I did enjoy it a bit more as it firmed up a bit.

So happy I got to try this place! Their hours can be hard when you work full time, but I had the day off and knew exactly where I wanted to go. These mochi are beautiful!! Each one is hand made and decorated beautifully. I wish I could tell you which ones I got, but honestly I got basically one of each. The mochi is sweet but not overly sweet, just the right amount. They are chewy and bouncy, just how I like it. The shop itself is small, just a grab and go place. If you're looking for authentic mochi, highly recommend stopping by!

San Diego hidden gem for mochi! I am a personal fan of soft mochi and this was probably the softest mochi of my life! I had the matcha mochi and the uguisu. Both had good flavor and were not overly sweet. My friends both had the fruit mochis and I thought it was cute they included a slice of fruit inside each of them. Definitely would come again but wish they were open during more convenient hours.

I wanted to check this place out since my family are mega fans of mochi.
I thought, what better to have than soft homemade mochi?!? This place is not close to where I live so I had to leave right after work and I made it just in time before it closed.
I did call beforehand to confirm if they would be still open if I showed up 5 minutes before closing and they confirmed they would be.
The shop is very small, but once you're there you will see a beautiful display of different kinds of mochi.
There were different flavors like milk, peanut butter, strawberry, Grape, chocolate, orange, lemon, green tea and of course the traditional ones. Some of them had red bean paste inside, white bean or red bean (whole).
I was very excited to bring these home to share with my parents.
Here are a few thoughts of the ones we got:
-Strawberry: soft but too sweet
-Chocolate: soft and surprisingly not bad
-Chofu mochi: (mochi wrapped in pancake), did not care for the pancake part
-Milk: soft and delicious, one of my favs
-Coconut: Soft and delicious as well
-Green Tea: Soft and the best!!!!!

I got 2 boxes of mochi so I definitely gave this place a go. I think the red bean ones were pretty good, (did not really prefer the whole red bean ones over the regular) However, I was not a fan of the white bean ones. One thing I like to add, these mochi are very fresh and made daily. They contain no preservatives so you have to eat them probably within 2 days so they don't spoil.

3 things to say about this place:
1. Mega Variety
2. Uber SOFT mochi!
3. Probably the prettiest mochi I have ever seen.

Ambiance: 4.3/5
Service: 5/5
Food: 4.5/5

Cute little spot in Chula. Parking is pretty easy. They have a wide variety of mochi to choose from.

The mochi is super soft, so much better than grocery store mochi lol. They also have a chewy version if you want something more chewy.

Everything we've tried was good. They're pretty generous on the fillings.

The person working the front was very nice and helpful!

I come here 2-3 times a year to get mochi, a while back they were scheduled to closed but I'm so glad that they are still open! They have a large selection of mochi flavors, and it is always so fresh, soft, and chewy. It is recommended to consume within 3 days but I always refrigerate and it does hold up a little longer. This time when I came, I was so happy to find that they have now added a new selection of castella cake wrapped in mochi. The price of the mochi ranges from $2.30-$2.70 per piece but it is such a treat. The staff is always so friendly here--if you are in the area, I highly recommend if you are a mochi lover like me!

Beautiful assorted mochi! The quality and detail in each piece amazed me. The shop owner was working the last time we were here and she was so patient and sweet with my kids. The quality of the product vs the price you pay is a steal: we come back every time we're in the city!!