Monica W.

Visited Modo Hawaii few weeks ago so this review is a bit late. I came on a Sunday morning and no lines! Parking was not too bad as I was able to secure a spot right around the corner. I love that they offer both poke and mochi donut! What a treat to be able to get both in one store! The staff that helped me was super nice and friendly. She explained all of the flavors they offered, her favorite flavors and popular flavors! I ended up getting 3 boxes of 6 donuts! (Lol just FYI not all for myself) My favorite definitely was matcha and black sesame. It's sweet but not extreme. The one downside is next day mochi donut does not taste the same unfortunately. They taste best fresh/the same day as next day, it felt a bit soggy but I warmed it up using a toaster oven. Overall it was a good experience and will come back again when I'm in the area!

Laura D.

The poke is much better than most of the poke spots in the city, I can definitely say that. But still not up to my standards. I'm sorry, I'm a Hawaii girl haha. But if I had a craving, I'd go here. A little sad I couldn't try the donuts.

Sherman L.

Heard about a new Poke spot in down so had to try it. Finally made the trip to grab a post workout meal. Parking - fairly easy on weekday. Meter parking along Taraval and residential nearby as well. Small spot in the middle of the block between taraval 24th and 25th. It's only for pick up so don't expect to sit down and eat. They offer Mochi Donuts, poke bowl with rice or salad, poke by the pound and only 3 drinks as options. Small but simple menu. I decided to try their Hojicha soy Latte, their half spicy half shoyu poke bowl with rice, and a mochi donut. Downside is they don't have any protein option besides tofu and tuna. Hojicha Latte - has a good hojicha flavor but not sweet at all. Had to go home and add a pack of Splenda. Turned out a lot better afterwards. They have matcha and ube as options too. I will say the drinks are on the pricier end. I think it was around $7.99? Not something id personally get again but was worth trying! Mochi Donut - this was actually really good. Probably the best I've had. The donut was made to order so it wasn't just sitting on display. It was fresh, hot and crispy with a soft interior. I believe the one they gave me was "Lilikoi" which is a popular flavor on their menu. Unfortunately, I had ordered a Strawberry since it's a monthly flavor that isn't on their standard menu. Somehow they got the flavor wrong when I was the only person there so they weren't busy whatsoever. The order mishap is why I had to dock down a star. $3 donut, $18 for half a dozen and $30 for a dozen. $12 for half a dozen Wednesday-Sunday from 11am-1pm. I think you need to order this at the desk instead of kiosk though. Poke bowl - downside is there's no other topping besides a small portion of seaweed salad. I personally love poke bowls for the diverse options of toppings such as edamame, kimchi, ginger, corn, carrots, crab salad, etc. The bowl here is just pure rice or greens, protein, and seaweed salad. But for the amount of protein you get for $13, it's really hard to beat. If you just want pure rice and fish, this is the spot. The spicy sriracha taste is a bit strong and overpowering. The fish tasted very fresh and good quality so I'll definitely come back for more. Another thing to note is they only have tuna. I originally thought the spicy one was salmon but it's also tuna. Students with IDs gets $1 off the bowls. Staff was nice and service was quick. Got my order within 10 mins.

Jessica W.

I stopped by on a Sunday about 10 minutes after they opened. It felt like the shop was still getting ready as one employee was still running around setting up, and another didn't arrive until about 30 minutes later. There was already a small crowd using the self order kiosks near the entrance. The space itself is tiny with no seating, so it's strictly takeout. One thing that was confusing was that there was a poster by the cashier listing what was available/unavailable, but the kiosk showed different options. My order ended up taking about 50 minutes, which was surprising since the poke is pre-marinated and should've been a quick scoop and serve situation. I ordered the half and half of shoyu + spicy. I usually avoid creamy poke sauces, but I'm glad I tried it. The shoyu was a bit too heavy on the sesame oil and felt overpowering on its own. The spicy tasted like a creamy sriracha vibe, but when I mixed the two together, the flavors balanced out. For $13, the portion size is seriously hard to beat. Just keep in mind there aren't extra toppings included. Hopefully they fix the kiosk system soon because I'd also love an option to do half rice and half salad instead of having to choose only one.

Jenna R.

I came here for the age sando pop up and I would do it again! There was a line when I got there but it moved along smoothly. When it was my turn I went up to the counter and placed my order, then waited outside. They made the sandos pretty quickly. I would say from parking to eating my sando it took 30ish minutes. They were delicious - who doesn't love deep fried bread topped with cream? I hope they do this again or decide to offer this permanently.

Olivia C.

A tiny storefront serving up mochi donuts and fresh poke. No seating inside, so definitely a grab and go spot. Super accessible through public transit. Parking is doable. I tried a half and half poke bowl with shoyu and spicy poke ($18), as well as a lilikoi mochi donut ($3). This spot is definitely for the poke purists who prefer all fish in their bowls and no toppings, just like how they serve poke bowls in Hawaii! The poke was served on top of a bowl of steaming rice and a small scoop of seaweed salad. The tuna they used for both flavors tasted fresh. The shoyu poke was very umami and onion-forward. The spice on the spicy poke was on the milder side. I was thrown off by the temperature of the rice, however. It was too warm. I also thought the ratio of rice to fish was a bit uneven, as I was left with a decent amount of rice after having eaten all the fish. The lilikoi mochi donut was absolutely scrumptious! It was served warm and had a sticky lilikoi flavored glaze. The donut had a slight crunch on the outside and was soft on the inside. The glaze was light yet packed a delightfully tangy punch. I would definitely come back to try the other donut flavors.

Christopher L.

Finally got a chance to try the mochi donuts and by golly, that might be the best mochi donuts I've had. That includes mochinut, mochilla, and other donuts places I've checked out. They came out super fresh and they dipped it in the different frosting/icing right in front of you. I don't know if they do that everytime, but to have warm, freshly fried donuts was such a treat. Got all three of the tuna poke again and I think it was better than the last time I got it. So happy to have a place like this near us. With all the restaurants, we are spoiled in the sunset and this place adds to it. The donut box also looks so cool.

Cherylynn N.

4.5 STARS At first glance, they may look like bootie beads but they're not. Coming in HOT... Unlike other shops, MoDo's mochi donuts ($3 each) are fried-to-order and have the most satisfying, bouncy chew with a soft, airy interior. They're then dipped with a velvety glaze of your choice. The glaze hardens as the donut cools but they're best enjoyed hot. SO glad MoDo has made it to the city so I don't have to trek to Santa Clara for it anymore! O T H E R I N F O: * MoDo started in 2017 in Hawaii. Their first Bay Area pop-up was in 2018 (Mitsuwa) and they later opened their brick and mortar in Santa Clara in 2020. * SF location (same owner as Santa Clara) is in soft opening phase with a grand opening: 9.12.25-9.14.25. Promo: Free pin for first 100 customers. Buy one dozen, get 6 donuts free. * Takeout only (no seating). Order online or via kiosk. * Rotating flavors: About 10-12 each week. My personal fav are the cookies & cream + strawberry (not available this week). * They also sell poke rice bowls ($17) or poke by the pound ($23): shoyu or spicy. Student discount: $12 poke bowl. - Spicy tuna poke bowl needs work. It was hella salty with an intense miso/doenjang (fermented soybean) flavor. And, it was served over steaming hot rice (should be warm or room temp).

Shirley N.

Currently soft opening. I happened to walk by while running an errand. Peeked inside, and decided to go in. They offer mochi donuts, drinks, and Hawaiian poke. As it's a soft opening there's no poke yet. I ordered - * black sesame mochi donut * milk chocolate mochi donut The donuts are made to order. Then each one is dipped into the flavor you requested. Put into plastic containers I took them home. I'm not an expert on mochi donuts. But the black sesame frosting stuck to my fingers as I took a bite each time. Should it? I'll have the milk chocolate one later. Unlike old establishments Modo doesn't take cash. Order at the kiosk, online or in person at the counter. Good luck with the grand opening next week. Located where Stix used to be.

Tiffany C.

We were going for a walk down Taraval when we stumbled upon Modo. We were surprised to find it but delighted to see that it was their soft opening (maybe it was their grand opening) so they had a few deals going on. We decided to go with the "buy 12, get 6 free" deal. I will give the benefit of the doubt that since it was the soft/grand opening, the workers were still figuring it out. Almost 20 minutes for 18 donuts is kind of too much. The pins that they were giving out, supposedly for the first 100 people, was sporadic too. It was whenever the cashier remembered to give it out. The donuts were really good though. Maybe the reason for the long wait was because they dip each individual donut based off the order (although, the dipping and then immediately putting it in the box means that it can get messy).

Katherine L.

poke could have been marinated a bit more but pretty good. spicy poke is heavy on the gochujang, imo shoyu poke is more enjoyable. mochi donut is plush and chewy, not getting much ube flavor though. ordered delivery so can't speak to anything else

Victoria W.

Really love Modo as a relatively new addition to the Taraval corridor of good eats. The mochi donuts are on point with great flavor and texture, and there's always something new to try with seasonal limited edition flavors (eg, gingerbread for the holidays). We've ordered donuts plenty of times for ourselves and to bring to work and friend gatherings - always a crowd pleaser. Finally got around to trying the poke bowl and was pleasantly surprised by the huge portion - the thing was HEAVY. And the fish was tasty and fresh. 5 out of 5, no notes.

Linda H.

Still the best mochi donut place in SF. I just wish they had more varied flavors. Got similar flavors to last time, the standouts are def pandan, cookies and cream, and cinnamon. Wanted the seasonal apple flavor but they didn't have it. Sad. Got the half dozen deal! The staff is sooo friendly and throw in a treat if you've been waiting for so long. Heart them! Love Modo!