I’ve been DYING to go here since I heard of their opening back in March and I’ve finally made it!
LOCATION: 544 JEFFERSON RD., ROCHESTER, NY 14623
I’ve been really wanting to try a Korean corndog and while I’ve been able to find frozen varieties, none of them come with outer toppings like potatoes which is key to this experience. I’ve also been so excited to try a mochi donut as I’ve seen them online and in youtube videos but haven’t seen a place that actually offers them in Rochester before this. Of course I’ve been to Rochester a few times since this place opened but I was initially waiting for the hype to die down a little because I’ve seen them all over social media and everyone has been saying the lines are super long and wrap around the building outside (granted it’s not a huge space indoors but still, that’s a lot of hype!) I’ve also been in Rochester with Caleb and he’s not a fan of hotdog/corndogs so I feel bad dragging him to a place where he can’t eat. However, this weekend is a solo trip and I’ve called in reinforcements to finally hit up Mochinut!
Julia has already scoped the place out with her husband Dan and told me she wanted to come back with me so we’ve started our adventure! We decided to get to Mochinut right at 11am to try to beat the rush. We ended up arriving a little early and there was already another car in the parking lot also waiting for them to open but aside from that, we were set to get in there as soon as the clock struck. We actually noticed a gentleman go in then the car next to us with two older women got out and entered right around 11 so we took that as our cue to go! I took a quick look at the case as they filled in the fresh donut flavors and Julia convinced me to get 1 donut, 1 ‘corn’ dog, AND a bubble tea. She is my true supporter to indulge and try it all. I love her. Thus, my plan was laid to get one of each item. I decided to go with the Milk (fruity) Pebble mochi donut, my classic Mango Fruit Tea with boba, and a Potato half & half hotdog. Go big or go home.
I was given my donut right away but there was a wait for my bubble tea and hotdog so after Julia finished her simpler order at the digital kiosk we went to sit down at one of the tables for the adjoining Seafood Harbor restaurant that’s currently under construction. It’s kind of a weird set up that there’s a full restaurant thats connected to Mochinut. I feel like it’ll be a little bit of an issue once the restaurant is open since Mochinut doesn’t really have seating for patrons. As soon as we ordered the line was already cramped up against the door too so it was a quick fill that I foresee being problematic.
Anyways, Julia convinced me that I should at least try my mochi donut while we were waiting. It might as well be a sweet starter to begin brunch. I took one bite and it was really sweet. It was a little oily which was disappointing and it honestly just tasted like a soggy funnel cake with frosting. The fruity pebbles helped give it more texture but I only managed a couple bites before needing a break from the sweetness. I understand why Julia didn’t order one and why her husband might not have wanted to come with us. She mentioned they had a couple when the went for the first time and made the same funnel cake comparison. It wasn’t really noticeably chewier than a funnel cake type of thing but it was more oily than I expected.
Not long after I tried my donut we got our drinks which came in a cute plastic ‘can’ with their logo stickered on and even had that can tab opening. Very fun in design but the opening of a can is barely enough room to fit a bubble tea straw through. Julia also lucked out with the kiosk and substituted her boba for lychee jelly which is honestly what I really wanted. Tips for next time, the kiosk leads to greater customization. This was a standard bubble tea and it wasn’t terribly special but satisfies the bubble tea craving.
A little later we got called up to get our hot dogs, the who reason for the trip! I was super excited and it came in a cute little box with a slot for the corndog stick. Julia wanted to come back with me so she could try the flaming hot cheetos corn dog and I convinced her to also go with the half & half so we could really have the whole experience of variety. This was a mistake. Important Lesson: don’t take menu advice from someone who’s never eaten at the establishment. We were already disappointed that these Korean corndogs aren’t coated in sugar like the original versions are but I’m just happy this isn’t a cornbread batter because I’m not a fan of cornbread in general. Instead, they’re typically made with a rice flour batter giving it a different texture and of course a different flavor. Unfortunately, the corndog was also very oily and my potatoes, while crispy, were also oil logged and so sad. The top of the corndog, the cheese half, was SO HARD to get through because the heavy combination of oil and dairy. Julia and I both hit a wall before we even made it to the hotdog half of our corndogs and were considering giving up. Instead, we took a small break just to talk and digest a little while trying to wash the oil down with our bubble tea. Eventually, we got back to the second half of our corndogs and it was a much better balance. Still oily but the meatiness of the hot dog halves made them much more enjoyable to finish off which made us realize that it would’ve been a better decision to just get a full hotdog. So many lessons learned for the future.
All in all, I’m not even sure I would go back. While there’s a great variety of flavors on their menu, everything was so heavy and oily it wasn’t enjoyable. I felt sick from the amount of sugar when I ate less than half of my mochi donut, and it was a battle to finish the Korean corndog. It was disappointing and while I’m not sworn off either of these foods, I don’t think this place represented either menu item well at all. After the excitement I felt in getting to try both of these things for the first time, it was such a let down. The only good thing about going was getting to spend time with one of my best friends. Fingers crossed for future trials of these things, somewhere else.