A hidden gem in Chula Vista - I was not expecting to find a manju (traditional Japanese confection) here! It's tucked away in a small strip mall, parking is easy, and they offer a variety of manju. I took a box of 6 home - the matcha manju was my favorite. It had the umami of matcha which you don't always taste. They have traditional Japanese flavors and fillings and more modern flavors (fruity/chocolate/etc) too. Definitely will be back! read more

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I come here 2-3 times a year to get mochi, a while back they were scheduled to closed but I'm so glad that they are still open! They have a large selection of mochi flavors, and it is always so fresh, soft, and chewy. It is recommended to consume within 3 days but I always refrigerate and it does hold up a little longer. This time when I came, I was so happy to find that they have now added a new selection of castella cake wrapped in mochi. The price of the mochi ranges from $2.30-$2.70 per piece but it is such a treat. The staff is always so friendly here--if you are in the area, I highly recommend if you are a mochi lover like me! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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The mochi here are delicious and authentic! Hand made right there and there are the filled ones with red bean for example, but my favorite one was a actually not filled but was Milky, made with sweetened condensed milk...just a soft, slightly sweet, chewy little pillow of mochi. Forget the trendy mochi donuts and treat yourself to the traditional mochi. This is worth the drive! Note their name does not say Hogetsu bakery on the sign, but does say Mochi. They also package the mochi up in a cute box so it's lovely as a gift...just make sure it's eaten quickly to preserve the freshness! read more

Super cute Bakery. I was craving something sweet and found this tiny hidden gem a few streets from my location. They have a variety of flavors and designs. Each one them tastes delicious. We opted for strawberry, coconut and two of the decorated white bean ones. The cashier was so nice and friendly even gave us few suggestions on which ones to try. I didn't catch his name unfortunately :( We will definitely be back to try more flavors soon. read more

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My family has been coming here for years and years to get our family's mochi. The mochi is absolutely a delicacy. It is light and silky, the bean and fruit fillings is fresh and sweet. It makes a really unique gift, I'm so happy they are still open!! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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This mochi bakery has a special place in my heart. They have such beautiful and delicious Japanese treats. If you go here make sure to go hungry cuz you'll be eating one hell of a lot of mochi! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Mochi - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

This cute lil shop has been on my "To Try" list since forever, and I'm so glad I finally had the chance to eat such yummy mochi! I tried a bit of everything and I just kept repeating "So soft!!" with each bite. I love how fresh and authentic they are-- you can really taste all the love put into each piece! My personal favorite was the orange mochi. The flavor was so bright, and it didn't taste artificial at all, which is something I feel is present in a lot of store bought mochi. I also liked that in all the flavors we tried, none of them were super sweet-- just right! The store itself feels very home-y, and the staff that helped us was very nice. Definitely coming back to try the rest of the flavors! My family and I loved it! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

THIS PLACE WAS INCREDIBLE. I am a big fan of mochi and I saw that these were made fresh. I could definitely taste the freshness and I love the variety of flavors. I really liked the apricot and grape ones. They had pieces of the fruit inside the mochi along with the bean filling. The worker was super sweet and patient. I love the atmosphere in the tiny shot. There is a large parking lot so parking is easy. I would definitely come back again. I love fresh mochi and I recommend coming here for authentic mochi! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Inside - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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The mochi here is amazing & really reminds me of being in Japan. Each mochi piece is pretty pricey, but it is a mom & pop shop so it's fine. For a dozen pieces, I paid about $33. They do accept cards now! Kinda wish they had a little more selection but that's okay, each piece we tried was still really good. read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Just visited for the first time since ownership changed and unfortunately had to take a star away. While some things are similarly good, others are not. Please bring back smooth red beans and chofu! Pros: - Peanut butter mochi, one of my favorites from here is still great. - The texture of the mochi is still on point. Cons: - Something is wrong with their white bean. It tastes and feels like regular bean, not like shiroan. I couldn't even eat it. - The don't make chofu mochi anymore (the one wrapped in pancake) which I was sad to learn. I know a lot of people who like theirs. - They don't have any options with smooth red bean anymore - only whole bean. - The flavor of some like coconut is more overpowering than before and tastes more artificial read more

Have always been a fan of their mochi for many years, but this was my first time back since the ownership change. Still great! The mochi is still just as soft and with the perfect amount of chewiness. They have a variety of flavors to choose from - my favorite is their green tea. read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

3.5 -- generous round up for small business support. So many of my yelp friends have hit up this venue for the mochi, and I've had it bookmarked for ages.. but never had the opportunity to drive out to this part of San Diego. It's Lunar New Year and I wanted a unique gift for the in-laws.. so I though this would be the perfect opportunity. I read so many fabulous reviews and even though this was very South San Diego for me.. we came by in hopes of tasty asian treats (which San Diego doesn't have too many of compared to LA). Mostly, I was hoping for something along the lines of Fugetsu-Do Bakery Shop up in Los Angeles (a super famous old mochi shop in J-Town with delightful mochi). Unfortunately... although I want to support this mom and pop shop.. I have to be honest that I was very disappointed.. perhaps it was me with too high expectations. We targeted to come in the morning on a Saturday to try and (a) get the freshest batch of the day and (b) beat whatever weekend crowd there might be. It's in a very old shopping plaza with enough parking.. but we did circle the lot a couple of times since some of the parking is labeled for other businesses like the Chinese Restaurant in the same plaza. Humble in both signage and store front and interior... if it weren't for yelp.. I definitely would have never known about this shop nor would I have any reason to be drawn here. The young guys working the counter were kind and very helpful (also very very clean and careful to change gloves between handling money and food which I applaud).. but when I saw the small glass counter and the offerings that morning.. I was very disappointed. There were 15 flavors -- mochi squares only -- that were mostly just color and flavoring from the standard base of mochi. No decorative pieces or variety of mochi types (note there is a difference btwn mochi types versus flavors). I know they must have had variety in the past based on the photos on yelp. I wonder if they would have a website / way to broadcast the day's flavors and types. The store was kind of ghostly, aching for decor.. and otherwise occupied with miscellaneous snackies and drinks along the side of the business. We ordered a box of 12 and where normally I would be excited to try the different types.. after the first few.. I can't say that I've been blown away by the offerings. I don't think I came on a good day for some of the flavors we picked. The strawberry flavored one that day was horrible (it was almost liquid to the bite like undercooked jello). The coconut flavor was tasty but too tough.. the chocolate was interesting but not a fan... the milk mochi was so far the fan favorite. There were no pretty mochi shaped like fruit.. no strawberry fruit ones.. no uguisu (which is type of mochi dusted with Kinako / brown soy powder).. no rainbow dango.. nothing fun! Just the plain mochi base with Americanized flavors and colors like hazelnut, vanilla, etc. (which was uncomfortable and bizarre for me). At least they had green tea and red bean standards... The bite consistency in the mochi wasn't bad overall but overall inconsistent across flavors.. I dunno... :( I hear there is a very sweet owner (who I did not have the pleasure of meeting).. and who knows.. maybe covid.. market stress.. etc. has been tough for them. All in all, I'm a little sad to say I did not have a good experience with my visit. I don't think I will be back personally due to distance and individual experience; i'd rather go to Mitsuwa and get the market variety. I do recommend going down and giving them a try since we always love small and local on yelp. Perhaps you might have a better experience. read more

Was craving fresh handmade mochi after coming back from Japan and found this quaint shop in the south Bay! The flavors are fresh and have a balanced sweetness to each of them. The mochi is soft and chewy. I will definitely be back for more. I purchased an assorted 12 piece box and got to choose from all the yummy flavors! read more

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Wow! If you have been to Japan, Hogetsu Bakery will bring tears to your eyes...traditional and nontraditional flavors of yum! Very very affordably priced too... read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I have never experienced fresh mochi and it is very delicious. They make it fresh with no preservatives in a traditional manner. Everything tasted great and we will be making many return visits. We love the green tea mochi. read more

If you've only had ice cream mochi from Trader Joe's or mochi from Costco (like me), you need to go here for some authentic mochi NOW! It's a small traditional shop with a variety of flavors to choose from. Parking was not an issue even on a Saturday afternoon. My favorites were green tea with red bean filling, strawberry with red bean filling, apricot, and WASABI. Yup ya heard that right. The wasabi mochi was so unique and didn't burn my nose like normal wasabi would. Definitely recommend getting the mochi with fillings compared to the flavored options. All the mochi was super soft and tasted amazing! Although it was a 30 min drive away from me, I would gladly make it again. read more

Hogetsu Bakery - mochi - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I love love love their mochi pastries. Always freshly made and so delicious . Thank you to the new owners for keeping the store open!

Authentic mochi. The owner seems like a nice lady. Very patient. I'm not sure what it was but upon coming in the place smelled like pee. I'm sure it is not but I'd rather smell bleach that that. So that's the reason of 4 stars. read more

I have never had homemade mochi before. My experience with mochi is the frozen mochi ice cream you get at the store. This stuff is amazing! Melt in your mouth mochi. The couple behind the register is the sweetest! I ordered 1 of everything for my Japanese aunt, which I was taking up to Camarillo as a gift. They only take cash, and each mochi can run around $1-2 a piece. The store is small and quiet. They are in the process of setting up their card payments. Definitely a must try!!! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Recently wanted to bring a special dessert to dinner. Driving up to LA that week I made it a point to pickup some of their local mochi there. Got to dinner and my thoughtful cousin had brought some delicious mochi from here. I didnt even know you existed Hogetsu. Soooo very good! Loved the assortment of fruit and other flavored mochi. My favorite being the peanut butter dango. Hate to admit but that box did not last very long! Of course I quickly YELPED this place to see what other treasures that were available here. Looking forward to a trip to Chula Vista and to Hogetsu Bakery (and to see my cousins again of course :) !! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - What a nice gift, made locally in Chula Vista! - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

My mom and I LOVE mochi, and our go-to spot is a small shop in Gardena where my mom grew up. When we found out about Hogetsu, we were so excited - it's so much closer! Our favorite is the pink mochi stuffed with smooth white bean, and Hogetsu's version did not disappoint. It was so soft and fresh. They do accept credit cards which is convenient. This has to be the best mochi in SD! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Box of assorted mochi - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

This place is not the same. The old couple who ran the place retired. The girl behind the counter was very friendly and nice but didn't know much about the items she was selling. I don't know if it's just this one time, but they didn't have traditional Japanese sweets like they used to. Majority of items were flavored mochi which isn't authentic/traditional. Needless to say I was very disappointed. If I happened to be in the area, I would give another try, but I wouldn't drive down just to go there UNLESS they bring back authentic/traditional Japanese sweets. read more

The best place to get beautiful homemade mochi for a great price! The girl working there, J, was also so sweet and helpful making just the whole experience really wonderful. read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Delicious mochi, and honestly the only traditional mochi shop that I know of here in San Diego. I have been wanting to try this place but because I live near la Jolla, it is quite a drive (about 30 min) but well worth it. They allow only 4 people in the store at a time to maintain social distancing and have a plexi glass shield at the register. They also wear masks and gloves. Only one case of mochi was filled when I visited, which was close to opening on a Friday. The case was filled with a variety of flavors of mochi, traditional and non traditional. Some traditional flavors include green tea flavored mochi as well as mochis wrapped in a pancake, filled with lima beans, filled with azuki, or coated in kinako (soy powder). These are the mochis I grew up eating in Hawaii. They also have some non traditional flavors like cuppacino, pinapple, and more. I tried several of the mochis and enjoyed them all. They are all so soft and delicate they also melt in your mouth. I prefer the mochis with the lima bean inside, but I'm biased because those have been my favorite since I was young. I was hoping they would have some manju, but they didn't. Next time I'll call ahead to see if they have any. Finally, on top of the delicious mochi is the amazing couple behind the mochi shop. The shop has been operating for 38 years and the owner told me an amazing story about how he got his mochi license just to come to america from Japan. They are extremely friendly and personable and I would make the trek down to national city just to visit them (: read more

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Delicate decorative japanese pastey. The food is good. Service and ambiance are good. A lady behind the counter is knowledgeable and friendly. read more

Best Mochi I've had outside of Japan and Hawai'i.... HIGHLY recommended!! Service was prompt, friendly, and attentive. A must stop whenever I am in SD... read more

Hidden in Chula Vista, this small but rather iconic bakery is home to the most delicious mochi goodies I have ever tasted. My partner and I stopped by to visit after work one day and drove from Mira Mesa. It was about a 25minute drive haha. We must have really thought this place was worth it if we were able to drive that far. The bakery is located in a small plaza with limited parking. We got to the shop and right in front was just a rainbow of colors. Each mochi was perfectly created and snuggled up in its own little section. There were greens, reds, pinks, purples, browns and different fillings on some as well. We waited for someone to come out and here comes a little lady with a big smile. She pointed out some of her favorite flavors and we decided on 8! Strawberry, red bean, pineapple, apricot, chocolate, espresso and two which I cant remember (but they weren't really mochi). These flavors were amazing-they had such tasteful flavors that you can truly enjoy them. For instance, the strawberry almost had bits of strawberry. I was delighted by the taste as it was also in the mochi itself and not just the filling. The pineapple also had quite a kick to its flavor---you can tell each bite had a pineapple piece. The chocolate was delightful. The mochi treats were not too sweet and you can truly enjoy them. I will most certainly be back and will want to try many other flavors. 10/10 read more

Cute little store and yummm to the Mochi!!!! Lots of choice for the mochi!!! Recommended! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Fresh mochi!! - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I love that we have Japanese Bakery not far where we live. The place is very small but the manju is good they make it home made! But sure miss little tokoyo in L.A..we will be back to buy more sweets for our family. read more

It's no Fugetsu-Do of LA, but it's the closest match I've found in San Diego. We came at a good time, because shortly after we arrived, the line went out the door. When it comes to mochi, anything azuki is a must. Their peanut butter and matcha flavors are worth giving a try too. Minus one star since our batch of mochi was too melty and sticky but the flavor was there. read more

Walking into this store reminded me of finding small bakeries or shops in Vietnam or Chinatowns. This gem randomly placed in Chula Vista is definitely a MUST! It is first owned by a sweet couple who have mastered the art of making mochi. This is by far THE BEST mochi I have had ever! The texture is extremely soft and almost melts in your mouth when you take a bite. Not to mention their flavors are not only abundant, but minimize the usage of artificial flavoring or syrups. Each flavor tastes like your taking a bite form a real strawberry or eating a hazelnut... it's Insane! After a nice conversation and even after my friends and I bought quite a bit, the owner handed us each an additional free mochi afterwards. Will definitely be back to visit the couple and because I dream about this mochi. read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Display has labels for what flavors each mochi is. - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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I have come out of hiding to make this review lol. First of all, how are you going to review this place based on a slight confrontation over the phone and call it a horrible business? Get over yourself. This mom and pop shop is doing the best they can to accommodate their customers during this pandemic. Not all flavors and items are going to be available at this time ESPECIALLY when this establishment is only run by a couple of people and older people at that. I was speaking to the sweet Mrs. that runs the shop with her husband and she was venting to me that a couple people ahead of me were giving her shit about the flavors that they didn't have in house and they saw it in a yelp review previously. Well shit dude, it's not there. Does complaining about it not being there will magically show up instantly? No. It's not there. Take your mochi and leave. Be considerate. Anyways, the mochi itself is amazing. Best little squishy mochi things I've ever had! Coconut and orange have a very subtle taste and the chocolate and milk are one of my favorite go-to's, my toddlers couldn't share me a piece :/ they have several flavors and from what I can tell they change it up everyday. Kinda just have to go there and see what they have. I can't wait to go back there and get more!! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - From my recent visit! Top row - coconut (3), cherry, pineapple, cappuccino, butter, I think it's red bean? and I forgot the last one lol - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Hogetsu is a very cute and small bakery spot to pick beautiful and delicious mochi! There are more traditionally red bean filled mochi, as well as plain sweeter mochi available. Service was great, helpful with any questions we had about the mochi and the hours are something to be mindful of, but definitely not a deal breaker. Thank you Hogetsu for having us! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Variety of mochi - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

There's nothing quite like fresh, soft, chewy mochi from Hogetsu Bakery! The owners, Masa and Haru Takeda, have been making mochi at their shop for nearly 40 years and they nearly closed up shop. From a recent Facebook post about the shop it looks like they found some folks to buy their shop to continue their mochi legacy. This is the only place in San Diego that I know of that sells fresh mochi. So glad to know we'll be able to continue having Hogetsu for many more years to come! There's a variety of mochi that fits your flavor craving if you want something fruity like banana or more subtle like green tea. There's even a wasabi flavor that was quite delicious. I say ditch the boxed mochi from the grocery stores and support local by buying fom Hogetsu read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

This bakery is the absolute epitome of a mom and pop shop. The couple who owns the bakery are the CUTEST people I've ever be serviced by. They are very friendly, helpful and sweet. They've also been running this bakery for 35 years so thats super impressive! This place mainly sells different types of sweet mochi. If you've never tried mochi, it's a very soft, chewy Japanese rice cake. I would give it a try to see if you like it. This place sells super fresh, authentic made mochi. This mochi taste just like the one I had in Japan. It was SO freaking fresh. Also, they have sooo many flavors so it's really fun to pick and choose different ones to try. Each mochi piece is $1.85 so it's pretty affordable. I ended up getting the these ones: daifuku (red bean and grape inside), strawberry with red bean, green tea with red bean, butter, and milky. We tried the daifuku and milk ones already and they're so yum. I wish there was strawberry daikfuku when I went! The guy gave me a recommendation to put these in the fridge so they last for 3 days. If you can't finish them in 3 days, you can freeze it in a ziploc bag and pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds (but less or more depending on preference). He was so thorough and caring about giving me these instructions. I don't think there is any place like this in the San Diego Area, so I would definitely recommend this place if you are a mochi lover or you are trying to try something new :) read more

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I remember my dad's student gifting him mochi from Hogetsu as a kid, and they were so good that they were always on my mind. Years later after moving back to SD, I tracked them down and made plans to go. I finally made it down to Chula Vista the other day, and I was so excited. The store is an unassuming little place with a glass case of mochi as well as assorted Japanese snacks in shelves around it. The lady at the counter was very sweet and patient. I picked up a box of milk, strawberry, peanut butter, chocolate, white bean, azuki bean, and a treat that was some kind of dorayaki pancake with mochi wrapped inside. For 8 mochi, I paid $14.80. It's not super cheap but definitely worth it as opposed to buying the refrigerated/shelf stable mochi from Asian groceries. She also gave me a free piece of coconut mochi for the road. They are absolutely pillowy and melty- will totally change the mochi game for you, I swear. I hope to come back more often so I can try more kinds- I have seen some pictures from Yelp where there are gorgeous, colorful mochi, but unfortunately was not able to come across them during my trip. Perhaps they make them around Japanese holidays/American holidays? Maybe they also do custom orders? Not sure, but would love to find out. Also, make sure you have cash or check on you, as they're cash/check only. read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Column 1 (top to bottom: strawberry, 2 milk mochis, dark chocolate Column 2: white bean, red bean, mochi wrapped in cake, peanut butter - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

My friend drove us here after getting lunch one day and this place was almost closing for the day but we made it in time. The workers here were really friendly and told us that if we had questions to ask him. He was super detailed and really nice to explain everything to us. I ended up getting the green tea with red bean, fresh strawberry with red bean, peanut butter, uguisu (kinako powder and bean paste), and he threw in a coconut one for us for free. The mochi is super soft and you can definitely tell that it's fresh! Unlike store-bought mochi, this kinda melts in your mouth and has a really soft chew to it. It's not too sweet and the prices are super affordable so I def recommend supporting this business! It's a bit of a drive, but if I can drive all the way to TEG, I can definitely drive here! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - (L-R): green tea with red bean mochi, peanut butter mochi, fresh strawberry + red bean, redbean with soybean flour - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I didn't even know San Diego had a mochi shop like this. It's a small and owned by a cute Japanese couple. They are so sweet! The mochi is soft and chewy and not too sweet. There's many flavors to pick from. There's plain flavors and there's also sweet fillings. Go support your mom and pa shop!!! read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Chewy, coconut, strawberry, matcha, lemon, milk - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Super delicious mochi! I got the strawberry mochi and it was super soft and had the perfect amount of sweetness. Definitely tastes authentic. If you had mochi in LA or SF, then this place might not be as good but it's definitely the best mochi place in SD read more

Hogetsu Bakery - Strawberry Mochi - Bakeries Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Best mochi on this side of the Pacific!! The owners are incredibly kind and friendly (be sure to schedule a bit of extra time to have a nice conversation). Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything you get there. They used to have more selection but they will be retiring soon and are teaching a new young person to take over. They are fluent in English and Japanese. read more