Our next sweet eats stop is Fujiya Hawaii which is another Japanese confectionary store that specializes in mochi. I believe I mentioned in a previous blog post that I was on the hunt for mochi on our previous trip and this was the second place that we visited. I again found it on Yelp and saw that it had a lot of good reviews so I was excited to check it out.
- Related Post: Where to Eat: Nisshodo Candy Store
Difference Between Mochi, Dango, and Daifuku
Funny enough, as I’m writing this blog post, I finally learned that there are different categories of mochi. I always thought the term “mochi” was used for everything but apparently, there are different words for different types of mochi. Below is what I have gathered so far from my quick Google research. If anyone is an expert in this and the information below is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll correct it right away!
- Mochi: Made from glutinous rice
- Manju: Made from wheat or buckwheat flour
- Dango: Made from rice flour (mochiko)
- Chi Chi Dango: Dango that is usually sweetened with other flavors. Usually not filled.
- Daifuku: Mochi that is usually filled with anko (sweetened red bean paste), fruit, creme, and/or ice cream.
Fujiya Hawaii Location
Please be aware that Google street view images are not up-to-date. They changed locations and Google has not updated their street view yet. The address (930 Hauʻoli St, Honolulu, HI 96826) and map (below) is correct though. Also, if you are staying in Waikiki, you will need a car to get here since it’s kind of on the outskirts. You could probably get there by bus since Honolulu seems to have a pretty decent public transportation system but there might be a slight walk involved.
Hours of Operation
Only Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Please always check their website or call +1-808-845-2921 to confirm their hours before you go. I’ve noticed that a lot of places have shortened their hours or they’ll unexpectedly close for a day or two so better double-check before you go.
What Is Fujiya Hawaii Store Known For?
Fujiya Hawaii is also another Japanese confectionary store that specializes in mochi. They have a wide variety of Japanese sweets but it seems that they are most known for their chi chi dango (flavored mochi with no filling). This is different from Nisshodo Candy Store which seemed like they had more daifuku than chi chi dango.
What Did We Order?
We ordered the tropical rainbow pack of chi chi dango ($10.95) and a small box of lychee-filled mochi ($3.00). I believe the rainbow pack came with strawberry, mango, banana, and melon. The mango one was probably my favorite out of the chi chi dango. I wanted to try the lychee-filled mochi because I’ve never had fruit inside my mochi before. I’m happy to report that it was delicious! It felt much lighter than eating your typical sweet bean or ice cream-filled mochi (aka daifuku).
Overall Review of Fujiya Hawaii
I thought the store was soooooo cute! I also like that you can see them making the mochi right in the back. There are a lot of other Japanese pastries and snacks that they sell in case you aren’t in the mood for mochi. I would highly recommend their chi chi dango though if you were going to go visit. I do wish they made a smaller pack of the tropical mochi sampler that we got through. It was too much for two people but we ended up taking the leftovers back to L.A. so we could enjoy it again later.
Other Pictures
