We have come a long way from the classic jelly-filled, glazed, and powdered donut. Over the years, the donut industry has seen a growing number of innovative trends, from the hybrid croissant donut invention called the Cronut to donuts covered with cereal like Fruity Pebbles to the savory donut sandwich stuffed with fried chicken and bacon.
The Best Donuts in Vegas: Mochi Edition
What is a mochi donut? Mochi is made from glutinous, short-grain rice and tastes like regular rice. The difference is that it has a softer, chewier and almost bouncy texture. Mochi is commonly used in popular Japanese desserts like mochi ice cream. The mochi donut resulted from the delicious marriage between the chewy mochi and the sweet American donut, which created a donut that looks like a big colorful ring. As Beyonce says, if you like it, put a ring on it. Here are five places where you can find fantastic mochi donuts in Las Vegas.
Mochinut Las Vegas
Whil the shop is only two months old, Mochinut Las Vegas already has a solid following of mochi donut lovers. The store in Chinatown is hard to miss with a gigantic mochi donut as the logo, which one can almost hear calling out to passersby to come into the store. It’s the sticky, sweet rice flour that gives the Mochinut Donuts the crisp exterior and soft, chewy interior.
Mochinut Donuts are coated and glazed with flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, matcha, and earl grey. The mochi donuts are then topped with various toppings like cookies, fruits, flakes and nuts. The owners have even created a corner section of the store for customers to pose with their mochi donuts for Instagram-ready photos. Flavors change frequently too, so there’s always something new to try out.
Aware Coffee & Tea Lounge
Don’t be fooled by the name of this place. There’s more than just coffee and tea at Aware Coffee & Tea Lounge. They are serious about mochi Donuts and integrate coffee or tea flavors into the mochi Donuts like the “Vietnamese Cold Brew with Condensed Milk” or the “Earl Grey Lavender mochi donut”. What makes Aware Coffee & Tea Lounge stand out is that diners can enjoy a mochi donut paired with coffee or tea. The shop has a full menu of both cold and hot coffees and teas as well as smoothies.
Paina Café
At Paina Café, the team believes that the tastiest and freshest foods help inspire conversation, creativity, fun and happiness. Originally from Hawaii, Paina Café has always been known for its delicious poke bowls. With high-profile collaborations last year with partners like Hello Kitty, Paina Café’s mochi donuts inevitably will pop up on your Instagram feed from fans posting photos with the photogenic donuts. These days, you cannot mention mochi donuts without mentioning Paina Café.
You can expect a new batch of fresh donuts daily from Paina Café. The cafe carries numerous classic favorites like strawberry and matcha and also has non-traditional flavors pop up like “Brioche Crunch” or “Passion Orange Guava.” Check the restaurant’s social media platforms for new flavors! Donuts are available starting daily at 8 a.m.
Mochi Bitez
These mochi donuts are not only delicious but adorable because these are mini mochi donuts. Many of the flavors Mochi Bitez creates are inspired by the owners who are Filipino. Filipino desserts are often incorporated into the donut creations like Biko, a sticky rice dessert, or Halo Halo, an ice cream creation with a blend of fruits, beans, seeds and flakes. New flavors are created frequently, like the lilikoi, which has a smooth white chocolate base and is topped off with toasted macadamia nuts. Mochi Bitez mochi donuts can be ordered online at Mochi Bitez.
Mochidon
Mochidon is home to the popular blueberry cheesecake, ube crumble and matcha Oreo mochi donuts, which are considered the fan favorites. Chef Noel creates the fresh, made-to-order mochi donuts from a ghost kitchen in Downtown Las Vegas. The secret to the delicious tasting donuts is to ensure the donuts are “not too soft, not too chewy and not too airy.” The donuts can be ordered at Mochidon and later picked up from one of three different locations around Las Vegas. The Chef-inspired flavors and gourmet toppings rotate regularly, so be sure to check Mochidon’s social media pages to ensure you do not miss any new flavors.
