Hogetsu Bakery Photos
![Hogetsu Bakery - These are special order Crane Nerikiri... mmmm [www.flickr.com/photos/tinymuseum] - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California](https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/5YQhMt4SZYe0k_1ykzsXtg/348s.jpg "Hogetsu Bakery - These are special order Crane Nerikiri... mmmm [www.flickr.com/photos/tinymuseum] - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California")
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They have the best mochi in town. It is so soft and silky! For me, this place is out of the way, but worth the drive. They are super friendly and helpful. There is a new owner, but the mochi is still the best around. I especially enjoy the one with the strawberry in the center surrounded by azuki bean or white bean.
Cute little mochi shop, down in Chula Vista so took a while to get here but was craving mochi and wanted to try! The mochi itself is super soft and great texture, I like the strawberry daifuku one - the strawberry was a little hard but that's because it was in the fridge. The mango was soooo soft and squishy and perfect texture!! The mango flavor tasted a tiny artificial. Loved the red bean inside the mochis. Easy parking as it's inside a lot. Service was really nice too!
Hogetsu Bakery has been renamed as "Thank You Very Mochi" but is overall the same! One small case of mochi with decorated, plain, fruit-filled, seasonal, and bean-filled delicacies. I visited today and was helped out by very kind staff! Ordering was easy and the labels made it easy to understand what kinds of mochi I was getting. My personal recommendations are their daifuku and matcha mochi. So delicious!
Previously called Hogetsu Bakery, Thank You Very Mochi has the SOFTEST mochi that you can find in San Diego. It's clear that they've perfected their recipe/technique since opening in 1983 when the pillowy mochi melts in your mouth on your first bite . Over 20 different flavors, fillings, and cute designs for you to try! My favorite are the strawberry daifuku and the green tea mochi. While I've never been to Japan, my friends who have been agree that this mochi is bomb af and soooo affordable! Best part is that they stay super soft even after being refrigerated, so you can enjoy them for multiple days.
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.
Glad to have found a place in San Diego that makes mochi. The shop can be found in Chula Vista. Pros: -free parking in front -lots of flavors to choose from. Everything I tried was tasty -accepts credit cards -friendly staff Cons: -n/a Other: -this is a small grab and go business, so there are no tables to enjoy your mochi
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!
A very small mochi specialty bakery in a small plaza. The service is excellent, only one lady there who makes the mochi, helps customers out,...she does everything. Since it's small, it makes you feel cozy. Needless to say, the mochi are pretty good. I have tried many of them. Will come back again.
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!
An absolute treasure in Chula Vista!! I've been meaning to try here for a while. This unassuming storefront in a strip mall was borderline life changing haha Service was extremely kind and respectful. The mochi selection was vast. The quality and presentation were unreal. The mouthfeel and flavors were absolutely perfect. I genuinely cannot wait to return to try more, as well as share this gem with my friends!
I found a Mochi/Manju shop in San Jose and I was determined to find one in my hometown, I didn't have to search far because luckily we have Hogetsu in Chula Vista! A cute little shop with just one fridge with tea and a display case with their Mochi. Friendly service, a little pricier than the shop in San Jose but you can tell they are made with care and love so definitely worth it. I ordered a lot because I was ordering for myself and a couple friends. I tried a few. Grape Mochi with white bean: loved the grape flavor of the Mochi and the subtleness of the white bean. A lovely surprise of having an actual grape in the center. Apricot Mochi with white bean: same same as the grape, good apricot flavor and loved having the apricot in the center. Mocha: wow. I loved it. I need to go back and try all the non filled mochi. I loved it. Subtle coffee flavor, so much chewiness. Red bean traditional mochi: you can't go wrong with a red bean mochi. The filling was robust, I loved the texture of the beans and how it wasn't fully blended. A solid red bean mochi. Definitely a must stop when you're in the area (or if you're like me you go to Chula Vista for Hogetsu).
A rather humble hole in the wall mochi shop. Although they had a vast selection remaining my afternoon visit, the dessert quality itself was middling. The parking lot was quite compact but it wasn't difficult to find a spot. There wasn't any indoor seating and upon entering, we were greeted with a glass display with the available mochi and various Asian candies and beverages to our right. Notably, most options were simple flavored squares, with a few containing dried fruit. Credit cards were accepted and everything cost around $2. =MOCHI= *Vanilla: surprisingly my favorite of the bunch. Gentle sweetness and fragrance that went well with the chewiness. *Green Tea: not overly sweet and despite the dark green color, the green tea flavor was subtle. Wished there was greater intensity to differentiate it from other mochi. *Hazelnut: similar to vanilla but a bit sweeter. Equally as great in texture and flavor. *Strawberry: tasted artificial and too sweet. *Orange: also tasted artificial with a strange aftertaste. *Apricot: least favorite because of the texture and filling. Contained a dried apricot that was almost impossible to bite and chew through. The mochi itself was very dry and overly powdery. Although my visit was very short, the person helping us was very efficient and polite. I loved the simple packaging with taped instructions saying that everything was made with no preservatives and best enjoyed within 3 days refrigerated. With that said, I wished the mochi texture and sweetness was more consistent. Some flavors were almost stale and notably harder than others. Considering fruit flavors are usually my favorite, I was underwhelmed by how strange everything tasted and would have preferred fresh fruit fillings as opposed to dried fruit. I wouldn't mind coming back to support a family business but it would be best if the products weren't so variable.
I finally tried this place after hearing and seeing so much about it on social media and I can't wait to come back! The mochi were pillowy soft and sweet without being overly sweet. Just perfect! I tried a couple of the red bean and white bean filled mochis as well as the matcha, peanut butter, and chocolate flavors. So good! I want to come back and try more of their flavors! The shop itself small and is located in a small plaza, so parking could be tough. Also, it is kind of far south and may be out of the way for some, but I think it's worth the drive! They also accept credit cards now so that's nice!
6 years ago
HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS PLACE???? A lil Chula Vista gem for sure. I wish I would've known and gone earlier because I was told that's when other mochi flavors are available but they sell out quick. SUPER sweet owners! I was waiting in line to get in and I was wondering why it was taking a while, but it's because the owner takes his time to greet, personally thank and share his story to his customers :') I will be back for more! read more
6 years ago
mochi, mochi, and mo mochi! This is one of the sweetest mom and pop shops that specializes in the japanese mochi treats. Since recently being viral on twitter, they have been selling out of their mochi quickly! I have gone around 11-12 both on a Saturday and Thursday and my luck at choosing more flavors were on a Thursday. They have so many flavors to choose from and all have such a strong delicious taste. My favorites are - chocolate - soy green tea with smooth red bean filling - green tea but they have so much more mochi flavors to choose from. You won't go wrong trying out something different each time. Note: Cash only! $1.85/mochi. Call ahead if you're looking for a certain flavor. read more
6 years ago
6 years ago
100,10/10, A+!! A MASTERFUL MOCHI MUST TRY! EXCELLENT small business, CASH or CHECKS ONLY! I've pounded mochi before and I gotta say, this mochi is superb. It's silky smooth, delicate and gooey with so many flavors and ABSOLUTELY NO PRESERVATIVES (unheard of for the the amount of flavor they pack into these delicious little pillows of heaven) It's tasty fresh, cold AND frozen. The shop owners are kind and gracious and I can't think of a more deserving humble shop to pay patronage to. I will be returning to support this new favorite! Frosted rice cakes, chilled Kona coffee and ONE OF EVERYTHING please! They also sell assorted chilled drinks, Hi Chews, botan candies, an assortment of Pocky and other small Japanese snackies. read more
4 years ago
God...I just hate ppl that leave like 9 paragraphs for a review. Seriously? I have to scroll 3 full times to get to the end of a review...Ur not writing for the New Yorker in the 1980's ffs get over yourself. Retail store mochi shouldn't be allowed to be called mochi after trying this. This is amazing. Go here. Sample a bunch. You'll thank me later. read more
4 years ago
Super delicious mochi! I got the strawberry mochi and it was super soft and had the perfect amount of sweetness. Definitely tastes authentic. If you had mochi in LA or SF, then this place might not be as good but it's definitely the best mochi place in SD read more
6 years ago
The shop is still open! It has been a while since the last time I visited and the mochi is even better than I remember! Instead of birthday cake my sister asked for a variety of mochi! They turned out so yummy with the strawberries I picked up. (reminiscent of this mochi bakery in Hilo, HI we visited a few years ago) Special occasion or not, it's still worth the trip down to old Chula Vista! Just don't forgot that cash money. Yummy flavors: Coconut Green tea w/ sweet bean Not sure the name, but rainbow one Strawberry read more
5 years ago
I love this small business for their delicious mochi! They have so many different flavors and fun designs. The owners are very nice and have operated this business for decades. I believe they only use to take cash and checks but today (07/01/2021) they accepted card payments such as Apple Pay. read more
6 years ago
Beautiful, amazing, one of the softest tea cakes I've had in my life, and most delicious. This place is a hidden gem that everyone should experience at least once, both shop owners are sweet and soft spoken, very welcoming. Inside is also a little mini mart with Japanese snacks and beverages, wide variety of tea cakes to choose from. If you want a box instead of a paper bag for your tea cakes, I recommend getting 8 tea cakes. Now, pandemic procedures; due to the pandemic there is a 4 person limit, there will be a line outside, but never fear! It goes by quickly, I waited like 15 minutes, in and out super quick. Now go get yourself some tea cakes! read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
This place is a diamond in the rough. I tried the lemon one (yellow rectangle one) . You can't go wrong with any of the sweet beans selection. Also, the yellow cracked one has egg yolk in the ingredients...delectable. So pretty...this box!!!! read more
6 years ago
I felt like I've never eaten real mochi until I came here! I didn't know mochi was supposed to be this soft and yummy and fresh. My favorites are the fruity flavors (lemon, pineapple, coconut, etc.) Every time I crave mochi now I end up driving the 25 minutes to come down here and it's always worth it, even when half the mochi gets eaten by the time I get home. The owners are seriously the sweetest and I always have fun conversations with them. Support your local businesses guys! read more
4 years ago
The service is amazing! They really treat you like family and I felt very welcomed! The mochi is SO soft and delicious, very satisfying. One downside is that they take cash only and there's no ATM close by but there are other businesses you could go to close by for cash back. Love this place and the familiar comfy atmosph read more
6 years ago
1st time visiting this "hole in the wall" OG Mochi/snack i shop. Very friendly old Japanese couple own this shop since the 80s. The Mochi was delicious! Such fresh, so soft and flavorful Mochi! Every flavor we purchased was delicious! But I esp loved the Cappuccino, strawberry, chocolate, coconut, and peanut butter flavors!! I wish I didn't live so far away but will definitely return for more. I hope this couple stays in business for at least another 30 years!! If you like Mochi then you need to check this place out!!! read more
The young man who helped me was informative and friendly. He let me know about potential allergens and what their most popular selection was. I already tried the matcha with red bean Mochi and it was delicious. You can tell it's freshly made and made with care. Highly recommend this spot to get your Mochi fix :) read more
3 years ago
Hogetsu Bakery has been standing for 37 years as the only authentic Japanese mochi and manju makers in San Diego. It's a treat to see the tradition of this handmade Japanese confectionery shop still alive and kicking. I came at the end of the day looking for some mochi to take home for dessert. The owner, Mr. Taketa, came out to greet me and we shared a few exchanges in Japanese but mostly in English. To my surprise, they had a full inventory of their mochi and manjus considering it was the end of the day and they were closed for the next three days. I picked one flavored mochi (matcha) and one filled mochi (strawberry flavored with pink colored bean filling). Besides the matcha flavored mochi, they also had chocolate, strawberry, orange, and banana. The softness of the mochi sunk right in with the first bite. I loved the matcha flavor and the deep green color. As for the filled strawberry flavored mochi, the sweetness of the pink colored bean filling was overbearing. I had a hard time finishing this and was slightly disappointed. They had several floral decorated mochis available which had a dense outer layer with a bean filling inside. All of them were beautifully and delicately made. All their mochi and manjus were $1.85 which was a bargain in view of they were all handmade. They also sold Japanese candies, drinks and senbei (rice crackers). Located in a strip mall, there's plenty of parking. They are open Wednesday thru Saturday and only accepts cash. This place deserves a visit to truly enjoy the classic Japanese dessert. read more
I had been looking forward to visiting this place for a long time and I think I over estimated the mochi I was going to buy. First off parking is a bit weird. Very little of it and lots of private lots. We got lucky but be careful as there are plenty of signs for towing all around. Going inside it's a cute little shop. Like others we were not greeted in fact we stood there long enough I questioned if someone was even there as it was dead silent. Eventually the older lady came out. Never greeted us, she rather just glared in our direction. The way the displays are I could not read the descriptions, only visually trying to figure things out. She got annoyed with us when I asked the price or what the flavors were. Frustrated I decided to get a coffee mochi, the traditional white filled with beans, and a green tea filled with beans and covered in soy flour (kinako). I forget what we paid but it was over priced in my opinion. So most importantly the taste, right? If a product is amazing I could deal with bad service. Sadly as I mentioned earlier I was expecting more than what I got. These are very much Americanized in my opinion; way too sweet. The coffee mochi which was not filled was probably the best of the three. It wasn't crazy sweet and it was a good bitter coffee taste. The kinako green tea wasn't my favorite as well and normally I enjoy that flavor. The traditional white mochi with red bean filling was bizarre at best. First off the texture was way too soft, secondly it was crazy sweet AND SALTY. It tasted like someone dumped a bunch of salt into it. I don't know if I just got a piece where the filling wasn't mixed well or if they intentionally salt it like that. We both thought it was gross. Overall what I got was mochi that was like something I could have made with mochiko and a microwave at home, (as I've done many times before). Yes some of them were pretty but the out of the way location (in a ghetto neighborhood), with the rude customer service,and over priced mochi that is really basic? No thanks I probably won't be back. read more
4 years ago
I liked the customer service, first time there and I can say it won't be my last. Great selection and very yummy. read more
9 years ago
Made the trek down here after years of having it bookmarked on Yelp. I've had some of their mochi that they sometimes sell at Nijiya on Convoy and I think it's delicious. I was so excited because the Japanese man who was stocking the mochi at Nijiya was so nice and friendly. Well.. the bakery is very old and not well kept. It had a very old smell to it. The lady working there wasn't so warm and fuzzy. My son said she was just like Grandma, (my Japanese mother) Haha..yes she was. They didn't have a huge assortment of mochi but then again, I'm used to getting my mochi up in Gardena or Downtown L.A. I did pick out 5 pieces and that was $8.00. Ever since I was a kid, my favorite mochi was the pink one with the Lima bean filling. This one was good and super fresh. Can't get it that fresh at any Japanese grocery store. Overall, fresh, authentic mochi. I guess I will continue to buy it at Nijiya because it's a lot easier to get to. read more
7 years ago
4 years ago
I love the classic mochi (red bean mochi) and the strawberry mochi. The red bean mochi tastes so good; it is moist and not dry. Strawberry mochi was a big hit with my boys. They really loved it. read more
7 years ago
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2 years ago
The smallest bakery with the freshest mochi made daily. We ordered a variety of red, white bean and chesnut mochi to go. Each piece of mochi was thoughtfully and beautifully made and delectable with each bite. The bakery has been in existence for 25 years and the couple that owns it, is still going strong. I love to support small businesses with good products - and this one definitely has my vote! I only wish they were more accessible to the public and had better packaging to match the awesomeness of their products (e.g. colored boxes with their logo, business cards to attach or cute gift boxes) when gifting to friends and family. Maybe they were out of them at the time of our visit? Regardless, this has to be some of the best mochi experienced since our last trip to Japan. Thank you! read more
11 years ago
Your go to spot for Japanese sweets and mochi/ manju in Chula Vista. Apparently, they sell their mochi to Mitsuwa in Kearny Mesa as well, so look for their sweet confections there. Expect to pay between $1.60 or $1.70 per mochi/ manju though. CASH ONLY too! Mrs. Takeda (as I will call her because she insisted I call her Okaasan instead), was immediately very welcoming when I entered into her small and quaint shop. Not only did she serve me well, she also came out to greet my dog in the car. She is a big time animal lover and will talk your ear off about the dogs in her life. Such an earnest conversationalist! This kind women runs this shop with her husband. They're simple, humble people with a great love for the desserts they produce and sell. Their ideals extend to their shop's appearance - it's very small and simple, but clean and to the point. Also, there's no indoor seating, so expect to take all your goodies to go. In addition to the manju and mochi in the display case, expect to find an assortment of Japanese snacks on the surrounding shelves. I'm sure you'd need to browse through these extensively before finding something you'd like. This little bakery has two main desserts on display. Here's what I could gather between the two: Mochi/ mochi manju - steamed rice cake with filling made with sticky rice. Typically translucent, gelatinous, and covered in a white powder. Baked manju - baked confections made with fillings. *Fillings usually are red/ white bean but sometimes a sweet egg yolk filling is used. You can never go wrong with the mochi, so those are always recommended. I personally prefer white bean to red as red bean could be a little too rich for me at times. The baked manju were also a treat. They were offered mostly in different nutty varietals (hazelnut, chestnut, etc.), but also had cinnamon and honey. I had one with a cinnamon bready outside and a sweet egg yolk core which was delicious. My only gripe would be for the lack of labeling on the display board. You don't really know what you're ordering unless you ask Mrs. Takeda which can get very repetitive and time consuming. There's just so many kinds of mochi/ manju to try here though, so it definitely warrants another visit. I'll be sure to stop by whenever I have a sweet tooth. read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
, +,10/10, A+!! A MASTERFUL MOCHI MUST TRY! EXCELLENT small business, CASH or CHECKS ONLY! I've pounded mochi before and I gotta say, this mochi is superb. It's silky smooth, delicate and gooey with so many flavors and ABSOLUTELY NO PRESERVATIVES (unheard of for the the amount of flavor they pack into these delicious little pillows of heaven) It's tasty fresh, cold AND frozen. The shop owners are kind and gracious and I can't think of a more deserving humble shop to pay patronage to. I will be returning to support this new favorite! Frosted rice cakes, chilled Kona coffee and ONE OF EVERYTHING please! They also sell Hi Chews, botan candies, an assortment of Pocky and other small Japanese snackies. read more
First time I had mochi with red beans was from Mitsuwa. They sell them in packages and I believe the bakery is somewhere in LA. I used to buy 'em 4 for $4. Now they are 4 for $5. Sometimes I buy them and they are not fresh. How do I know? Because the red beans are a little hard and ctunchy. Not good. I was craving for mochi this morning and made my way to west Chula Vista. I was greeted by the couple and the man was very helpful. I really wanted to buy one of each mochi but I didn't want to be a heifer. I ended up picking up 8 pieces of different mochi with red or white beans. The total cost was about $10 and some change. These are FRESH mochi. Not the pre-packaged ones I get from MItsuwa. You can totally taste the freshness of the mochi when you bite into them. They kinda sorta sorta kinda melt in your mouth. And they are not to sweet so I could eat all 8 pieces but I won't. I need to be lady like. I will return when I come back to this side of Chula Vista. Great mochi with great prices! The couple are very sweet and no problem finding parking. Only thing is, I wish they would try making some mochi with peanut butter! Yum. read more
5 years ago
2 years ago
More info about Hogetsu Bakery
Ask the Community - Hogetsu Bakery
Is the mochi Gluten Free?
I can only go on Sunday or Monday are you guys open those days? From Vegas
Sorry it looks like they're still only open from Tuesday to Saturday.
Any strawberry daifuku or dorayaki?
Didn't see strawberry daifuku but there was dorayaki wrapped mochi when I went this past weekend. I'd call in to ask before you go.
Is the mochi vegan friendly?
Some of them are! According to kellybone on instagram, the vegan flavors are: coconut strawberry…
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