Minamoto Kitchoan @ Market St, San Francisco

For those of you who have lived in a cave/hovel/Uni-Bomber bunker, Mochi is a popular Japanese Confection consisting of sweetened rice that has been pounded into a sticky gooey consistency, conventionally filled with a sweetened bean paste called Azuki. It's definitely not your conventional sweet dessert, but texturally it's divine.

Nowadays, Mochi is pretty much everywhere, one iteration that is very popular is the Mochi Ice Cream (ice cream filled Mochi in various flavors) which is popular in Japanese restaurants.

However, for the real thing, you have to go and buy from an authentic Japanese confection shop; so when we're in SF, Minamoto Kitchoan is a destination must that should not be missed...



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You immediately get a sense of Japanese culture once you enter the store; like entering a pristine showroom, only with sweets on display instead of cars.....candy cars....anyways....

The interior is modern minimalism, clean but warm with distinctly Japanese touches.  The displays are incredibly elegant, each piece is shown like a piece of artwork, elevating them to a higher level. (if you could taste with your eyes, it would be heaven!)

Minamoto Kitchoan has all types of sweet and not all of them are the same: you have Mochi in it's plural iterations, Jellies and Custards, sugar candies, Castella (Portuguese Honey Cakes), and then there's something called Yokan- a Red Bean Jello/Agar brick block that is utterly horrendous, (my opinion)....I wouldn't get that....

                     
  

We have two favorites at this shop; they embody the best of both worlds.  It's a hybrid between the West and the East: Chocolate Mochi!!!

There are two different types: the Dark Chocolate Mochi has Powdered chocolate covered MOchi with a creamy chocolate center.  The quality of chocolate combined with the soft elastic texture of the MOchi provides the perfect meld between both worlds... There's six to a box, so it's a precious confection- we savor every bite

The other Mochi we get is the Green Tea White Chocolate-super heavenly delicious: Powdered Green Tea covered Mochi with White Chocolate Filling.  I love how the White Chocolate works so well with Green Tea, it's culinary evolution!

 Minamoto Kitchoan has stores all over the Country: LA, NY as well as all over the world (Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong and of Course, Tokyo).

If you're ever in the mood for some authentic and innovative Japanese sweets, Minamoto Kitchoan is a must, especially if you're a cultural enthusiast!