Mee Mochi Donuts & Soft Serve is bringing a wave of playful, creative Asian-inspired desserts to Waukee with fish-shaped waffle cones, chewy doughnuts, Korean corn dogs, and Vietnamese coffee. The dessert shop from Thi Nguyen and Angie Vu opens on Sept. 16 in a whimsical space on the western edge of Waukee between Merll’s Pub & Patio and Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant on Hickman Road.
Customers have two cute spaces for shooting selfies or foodstagramming images of their favorite desserts when the camera gets to eat first. Only a few tables pepper the tiny space, so anticipate lines and people eating their soft-serve ice cream on the sidewalk outside.
At a friends-and-family preview on Sept. 10, Nguyen and Vu showcased some of their dishes. Here’s a look at what to order.
Soft-serve ice cream
Mee Mochi offers four flavors of soft-serve ice cream: chocolate, ube, matcha, and cookies and cream. Flavors such as ube and cookies and cream or chocolate and matcha can be swirled together. They come in a bowl or with taiyaki. Don’t forget to add toppings like Biscoff, Oreo crumbles, Frooty Pebbles, or Cocoa Pebbles.
Taiyaki (fish-shaped waffle cones)
Mee Mochi makes their taiyaki fresh — unlike other places that reheat pre-made ones. You can order it as a waffle or as a cone, and choose your filling. With the cone option, it’s served on top of the soft-serve ice cream in a bowl. “We’ve got red bean and custard. You can put it inside the ice cream,” Nguyen said. For a fun twist, try the ube and cookies and cream ice cream combo, topped with Biscoff crumbles.
The taiyaki is as adorable as it is delicious, and you can mix and match flavors and toppings.
Mochi doughnuts
The heart of Mee Mochi is these chewy, slightly sweet doughnuts made with rice flour for a unique texture. The menu will expand, but even at launch, you’ll find flavors like matcha, chocolate, ube, Biscoff, churro, crème brulee, cookies and cream, chocolate sprinkle, and glazed.
Ube: A vibrant purple yam from the Philippines, known for its nutty, vanilla-like flavor that is popular in desserts. Mochi: A Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice. It’s chewy and slightly sweet, often used in desserts.
Malasadas
These filled doughnuts come with ube, egg custard, or Nutella fillings. Malasadas are Portuguese fried doughnuts that are popular in Hawaii, known for their light, fluffy texture and sweet, sugar-coated exterior. They are similar to a traditional doughnut but are made without a hole.
Mochi dogs
These Korean hot dogs can feature toppings such as potatoes or hot Cheetos. Inside, order beef sausage, mozzarella, or a combination of both. Each can be drizzled with ketchup, spicy mayo, sriracha, honey mustard, or ranch.
What’s to drink?
Mee Mochi offers Viet coffee with ube or egg custard options, Thai tea, lemonades, and fizzes with combinations such as peach and green apple, blue raspberry and strawberry, or strawberry and mango.
Opening specials
Keep an eye out for opening week giveaways, like free water bottles for the first 50 customers on select days.
Community vibe
Beyond the treats, Mee Mochi is all about creating a happy, welcoming space. “When people come out to eat something like a sweet treat, they want to be happy, then we want to be that connection,” said Nguyen, who also owns Chikin Likin in Waukee with its Korean fried chicken.
Where to find Mee Mochi Donuts & Soft Serve
Location: 772 W. Hickman Road, Waukee
Contact: mee-mochi.com
Hours: Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mee Mochi brings fish-shaped waffle cones, mochi doughnuts and ube soft serve to Waukee
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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