Good Eats in Cincinnati: Cafe Mochiko & Sago

Went downtown this evening and finally tried two spots that had been sitting in my bookmarks for a while — both near Hyde Park! Cafe Mochiko: Looks like their menu changes every now and then, with limited options — about six or seven small dishes, three types of sandwiches/rice bowls, and two noodle dishes. Went here first with the kids, hoping for a warm bowl of ramen, but one noodle option was spicy and the other was cold… after debating, we just ordered two small dishes. 🍗 Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken): Served with lemon mayo, super crispy and flavorful. We almost finished all four pieces before remembering to take a photo 😅. 🍡 Mochi Mochi Panici: Soft, chewy mochi cooked “dry-fried rice noodle” style — surprisingly delicious and a totally new texture for me! Both dishes were tasty, though a bit on the salty side. This place also seems to sell Japanese pastries and cakes in the morning — will have to stop by next time I’m around earlier. Street parking available nearby or across the street. Sago: About a 10-minute drive from the previous spot. I’d actually heard about their roast duck way back during the pandemic (the owner is Malaysian, I think), but never got to try it until now. Their signature dish seems to be stir-fried kway teow (said to taste like dry-fried rice noodles), but we skipped it since we’d just had something similar. 🍜 Roast Duck Noodles: Can choose soup or dry style — we went with soup (the dry version is soy sauce fried noodles). The duck skin was crispy, seriously better than a lot of roast duck I’ve had before. Would be even more amazing if it were sliced Peking duck style! 🐔 Hainanese Chicken (Half): So tender — even the kids had no trouble eating the breast meat. Definitely worth trying. You can also get it as a set with rice and greens (less chicken though). 🍧 Sago dessert (with coconut milk and brown sugar): A nice sweet finish — the kids loved it. We were so impressed with the Hainanese chicken that we also took home some char siu (barbecued pork) — tasty too! Only downside: the dining area is pretty small and the floors felt a bit greasy. Might opt for takeout next time. Still lots more on the menu I’d like to try, but today, Sago wins 🏆 #Cincinnati #CincinnatiEats #JapaneseFriedChicken #RoastDuckNoodles