Two Ladies Kitchen - Mochi, Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii

Best: Strawberry Mochi
274 Kilauea Ave, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-4766
Parking: street parking
Hours: Wed to Sat 11am -5pm

Last Visited: October 2012

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 stars
Price: $

Two Ladies Kitchen was highly recommended by Jay and Brent, and as someone whom has always loved Chinese style mochi, I was excited about trying something I enjoy so much in a new way. 

It's rather unassuming from the outside, and when I went into the small shop, there was nobody out front.  This family who owns this business can be seen hard at work in the kitchen.  The women who came to the register took our orders and let us know there would be a short wait - it was definitely made fresh for our order. 

I had recently tried a kaiseki style meal which is a multi-course traditional Japanese meal.  For dessert, they had a grape wrapped with mochi.  That was my first introduction to fresh fruit and mochi. 

- Strawberry Mochi - Jay had mentioned that I needed to go early to make sure that they didn't run out of their strawberry mochi, so I got there right before they opened.  A whole sweet fresh strawberry is covered with tsubashi-an (sweetened red bean paste) and wrapped in mochi.  If you have never eaten mochi before, it's made with sweet rice flour (aka sticky rice flour).  The glutinous texture is a little chewy and very soft - it makes for a delightful experience whether flavored or filled.  The addition of fresh fruit gives an amazing freshness and juiciness to each bite.  It's no wonder Two Ladies is known for this in particular.  Note that these don't last long because of the fruit, but once you've had a bite, it's hard not to be addicted.  $2.75 each

- Lilikoi Mochi - The same sweet rice flour as described above is flavored with lilikoi and cut into squares.  Lilikoi is similar to passion fruit in its flavor - they're from the same family.  The pulp of lilikoi is more tart than passion fruit.   Each square was super soft and delicate. 

Two Ladies has a very large variety of flavored mochi including sweet potato, peach, brownie, and much more.  If I were a local, I would definitely be back to try the other flavors.  If you're in the area, the strawberry mochi is a must try.