The spread of strip malls and suburban zones in Colorado Springs means that going out to eat is one of a college student’s favorite hangout activities. As reporters and hungry students, we’re always on the quest for new spots.
Mochinut, the popular mochi donut shop, just opened a new location in the University Village Colorado shopping center, a short drive or walk from campus. We both went in to try some “mochinuts” and see if the hype surrounding the place was deserved.
We got half a dozen mochinuts ($18) to share, a crispy ramen rice hotdog ($5.25) and each got a matcha milk tea ($6) with brown sugar boba ($6.50).
Taro mochinut
Zee: I gave the Taro mochinut four out of five stars. The mochinuts were chewier than I expected, but I was definitely a fan of the texture. I am a lover of all things taro, but this one was a little bit sweet in my opinion. That being said, I would definitely get this mochinut again.
Livi: Two out of five stars. We started with the donut, so at first, I thought it was the best until I had the others. It has a very subtle taro flavor that might be easily overlooked, but it was generally a good donut flavor.
Churro mochinut
Zee: This was my favorite out of all the flavors. I would give it five out of five stars. The cinnamon/sugar ratio was perfect, and it wasn’t as messy as a traditional churro. This was tasty and would absolutely be my first pick.
Livi: I had been craving churros and this got four out of five stars for me. It’s everything you want in a churro: not too sweet, good cinnamon mix and easy to bite into. It’s more reminiscent of a cinnamon toast crunch inspired donut, though.
Dragon fruit mochinut
Zee: I gave the dragon fruit mochinut two out of five stars because it was very sweet. The flavor was decent, but it was definitely my least favorite out of all the mochinuts I tried.
Livi: This was my favorite of the donuts, winning five out of five stars. My reasoning is simple: strawberry donuts are my favorite, and they were extremely similar in taste value. Though the flavor is supposed to be dragon fruit, it doesn’t exactly taste much like it, but I didn’t really care because it still had a sweet fruity flavor.
Blueberry mochinut
Zee: I didn’t think I would like the blueberry very much, but it was delicious. I would give it five out of five stars, as it tasted like real blueberries and was just the right amount of sweet.
Livi: Like Zee said, the blueberry mochinut blew it out of the park. I gave it a four out of five for the real blueberry flavor, but I wish there was more glaze.
Funnel cake mochinut
Zee: The funnel cake mochinut was a three out of five for me. It was good but tasted a little plain. I felt like it lacked a full flavor profile, especially in comparison to the other flavors.
Livi: The funnel cake was good, but it wasn’t the best. I gave it a two out of five. Like a funnel cake, it had powdered sugar and a very fake strawberry flavored syrup. I didn’t like the flavoring, so I probably won’t get it again.
White chocolate raspberry mochinut
Zee: This was very tasty but was a little too sweet for me, so it got a three out of five. The chocolate texture was very different than the other mochinuts, but was still good.
Livi: I have to admit this was my one star. The white chocolate does not taste good with their mochi dough, and the chocolate coating was far too thick. It was too sweet, it didn’t have a great taste and the texture was strange.
Boba
Zee: I got the matcha boba and it left something to be desired. Two out of five stars. The boba was perfect, but the matcha was a little bland. The drink did come in a super cute can which made it easy to mix. In the future, I would get a fruit tea with boba instead of one of the milk teas.
Livi: When the boba came out we were in love with the cute aesthetic of the cup, but I ended up giving it two out of five stars. The boba was cooked to a nice texture, though a bit overdone. I ended up throwing it away because it was so sickeningly sweet I couldn’t even taste the tea.
Crispy ramen rice dog
Zee: I have never liked a corn dog before, but this was absolutely delicious and something I would get again. This was 4.5 out of five stars for me. It didn’t have the typical issue corndogs do where the breading awkwardly clings to the hotdog and leaves it undercooked. The crispiness of the ramen and rice in place of the typical breading has turned me into a rice dog lover for life.
Livi: This was a first for me, gaining a three out of five. It was delicious, don’t get me wrong. We even dipped it in sweet chili sauce. I would recommend just getting the original rice hotdog ($3.99) instead of ramen because it’s the exact same thing but cheaper. The ramen doesn’t add anything. It’s super messy, and there’s barely any.
Overall review
Zee: I give Mochinut four out of five stars. The food was delicious, unique and not too expensive. The place had adorable vibes and multiple floral features that felt modern and fun. It was well-lit, clean and cozy inside with plenty of seating. I would definitely go back again, but not regularly.
Livi: I’d give Mochinut three out of five stars overall. It’s a very clean restaurant with welcoming staff. The mochi dough makes the donuts chewier, and they taste great. Their shape makes them easy to split. Skip the drink, though. I would not advise getting anything but the donuts there since the quality of drinks and food can be reproduced at home much more cheaply. I did love the atmosphere, so it would be a great meet-up or study spot.
Photo by Zee O’Donnell.