Mochinut creating new taste sensation in St. Charles

St. Charles couple Hector and Teresa Gomez had never tried a mochi donut before deciding to stop in the newly opened Mochinut restaurant in St. Charles on July 6.

“We wanted to try them and see what they were about,” Hector Gomez said.

A mochi donut is a donut that originated from Hawaii and is a combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi. Mochi donuts are made with rice flour, which makes mochi donuts stretchy and chewy. Its shape is the result of eight dough balls being connected in a circle.

Mochinut recently opened at 2704 E. Main St. in the Foxfield Commons shopping center in St. Charles. A mochi donut is a donut that originated from Hawaii and is a combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi. (Sandy Bressner - sbressner@shawmedia.com)

“It’s different,” Hector Gomez said after munching on a churro mochi donut. “It’s a different type of texture and flavor.”

The couple enjoyed the donuts and plan to return to the restaurant with their granddaughter in tow.

“She’ll like it,” Teresa Gomez said.

Mochinut has been seeing brisk business since opening recently at 2704 E. Main St. in the Foxfield Commons shopping center. The space formerly housed The Burger Shop, which closed in April.

Melanie Chen is the general manager of Mochinut, which recently opened at 2704 E. Main St. in the Foxfield Commons shopping center in St. Charles. A mochi donut is a donut that originated from Hawaii and is a combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi. (Sandy Bressner - sbressner@shawmedia.com)

“We’ve been pretty busy,” said Melanie Chen, general manager of the St. Charles restaurant. “People are excited to try our donuts.”

As Chen will tell you, a mochi donut is more than just a doughnut.

“We use rice flour, which is also called mochi flour, and regular flour,” she said. “It’s more than a doughnut because we use regular flour and mochi flour and we use tons of toppings. And there’s no filling inside of it.”

The restaurant is part of a Los Angeles-based franchise. The St. Charles restaurant is the second Mochinut restaurant to open in Illinois, following the opening of a Mochinut restaurant in Chicago.

More locations are planned in the suburbs, including Bloomingdale, Arlington Heights and Wheeling.

Chen became interested in the Mochinut franchise after taking a trip to California, where there are many locations.

Elson Zheng gets Mochinuts out of the fryer. Mochinut recently opened at 2704 E. Main St. in the Foxfield Commons shopping center in St. Charles. A mochi donut is a donut that originated from Hawaii and is a combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi. (Sandy Bressner - sbressner@shawmedia.com)

Chen was won over by the texture and flavor of a mochi donut.

“You won’t taste the grease from the doughnut,” she said.

Those stopping by the St. Charles restaurant will find mochi donuts in a variety of favors, including strawberry, yogurt, churro, red velvet and cookies and creme.

“So far, the most popular donut is cookies and creme,” Chen said. “And any of the fruit flavors are popular. Mango is very popular.”

Customers can get their donuts made to order.

The restaurant also sells drinks, including Boba Tea.

“It’s a drink that started in Taiwan,” Chen said. “It’s a combination of beverages and tapioca is on the bottom. It’s kind of fun. You sip on it and you chew on it.”

Plans are to add Korean rice flour hotdogs to the menu.

Mochinut is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. More information is available at mochinut.com.