Warabimochi Kamakura — Restaurant in Arcadia

Warabimochi Kamakura just opened its first U.S. location, and we were excited to try this unique Japanese dessert on opening day, especially with the 50% off promotion! After waiting in line for about two hours, we finally got to taste what all the hype was about.

Warabimochi itself is a silky, chewy treat traditionally made with bracken starch, giving it a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Once exclusive to the elite class in Japan, it’s now a treat anyone can enjoy. We tried both a strawberry mochi milk drink and a medium matcha mochi drink. The drinks were beautifully presented and came with bite-sized pieces of warabimochi, easily slurped up with a bubble tea straw. They were smooth and delicious—the strawberry drink had a fresh, creamy flavor, and the matcha drink offered a rich, earthy balance.

The texture of the warabimochi was unique—almost a bit slimy—which is definitely an acquired taste. My wife found it a little too slippery, but I found it intriguing. The mochi is soft and light, but that texture might not be for everyone. Still, there’s clearly a reason behind Warabimochi Kamakura’s popularity, and for adventurous dessert lovers, it’s...

Very authentic warabi mochi. If you’ve never had it, it’s as close as to something you’ll find traveling to Japan. I will say it’s very pricey, but delicious.

It’s located in the food court, so it’s a very casual vibe. I wonder if they should’ve opened up an actual store somewhere else and make it a more “full” experience. Service is fine, staff is friendly, takes a bit to make the drinks due to limited staff.

If it’s your first time, get the combo to share which includes 6 each of the kinako and matcha dusted mochi. It’s about $20, but a good chance for you to try both offerings.

For drinks, we tried the hojicha and strawberry milk mochi. I enjoyed the the strawberry milk more personally, it’s lighter and more refreshing. The hojicha I like some other places better, but both offerings with the mochi is delicious and something different from all the other places.

Would definitely come back to have it again if I’m in the mood, but due to the pricing, it’s not something I’d get...

I went on a Wednesday right before closing (2pm). No line and very friendly service.

They weren’t selling the 10pc, not sure why.

I got the Hojicha mochi latte and both types of mochi. The Hojicha drink was pretty good, you can tell the tea quality is good and it wasn’t too sweet: the mochi in the drink was where the sweetness came from. However, I will say the mochi is not the best texture to be in a drink. It was hard to get a mix of both the liquid and the mochi in one sip — I usually just got a big mouthful of mochi. And the texture was hard to drink and chew at the same time.

The mochi itself was a good texture, very chewy and the dusting of sugar/matcha paired very well. I couldn’t eat more than 3 individual mochis in one sitting though since it was pretty sweet and the individual mochi are pretty big.

I gave 4 stars because I don’t really think it’s worth the price point but I would say it’s nice as an occasional treat or to gift...