Mochi in the City

Every time Auntie returns from Hilo , you salivate waiting for her Two Ladies Kitchen omiyage – soft, chewy mochi wrapped around a tart strawberry dipped in smoky azuki bean paste. But now that higher inter-island fares have her sticking around O‘ahu, you’ve got the mochi blues.

If only you’d known earlier about Saturday Grandma’s gourmet mochi, made from Alice Yamanishi’s old Hilo recipe with no artificial flavors or colors, and available right here on O‘ahu since 2002. With equally tasty mochi-wrapped strawberries, chi chi dango specialties alternating weekly (this week: strawberry, lilikoi and mac-nut), and daifuku varieties available all the time, you can indulge a different craving every week.

Chi chi dango rice cakes are flavored with real fruit purees and dessert flavors, like blueberry, green tea and chocolate-haupia. And daifuku balls feature doubly unique combinations, like haupia topped with okinawan sweet potato, cheesecake drizzled with lilikoi butter, crunchy peanut butter surrounded by azuki, and dark chocolate truffles.

So “fly” on over (call two days in advance to secure your preference) to the Pearl City store or the Saturday KCC farmers market, and give yourself a mochi-wrapped smile. If you buy today or tomorrow, say you heard about it in Lei Chic and get 10 percent off mochi. Or, buy any jar of jam or sushi vinegar and the get the second half off.

Happy days are here again.

Available at Made in Hawai‘i Foods, 98-718 Moanalua Rd. # A18 , Pearl City. Open weekdays 12 to 5, weekends 10 to 3. Phone or email advance orders for pick-up Wed-Sun: 808.484.0052, kona@madeinhawaiifoods.com. Also available at KCC Saturday Farmer’s Market 7:30 to 11 a.m.