By Betsy Clarke

On a Friday night in March, some friends and I eagerly drove into downtown Richmond to try a recently opened Korean corn dog and mochi donut restaurant. Immediately after hearing about the restaurant opening, we picked a night to try it. We had seen countless viral food reviews of restaurants serving the same type of unusual cuisine. We had been yearning to determine whether the restaurant was worth the hype it had been receiving. 

Oh! Mochi, located on West Franklin Street on VCU’s campus, has a combination of culturally mixed foods. The restaurant menu contains only three different food items: mochi donuts, Korean corn dogs, and boba tea, but all come in many flavors. They also have a location in Virginia Beach.  Mochi donuts have become a popular trend in the food industry. They are a combination of traditional Japanese mochi and American donuts. Mochi are small circular cakes made of chewy and sweet rice called mochigome, and they are typically eaten when celebrating the new year. When mixing mochi with donuts, the circular mochi balls are fried alongside each other to create a donut-shaped dessert. 

Along with the intriguing mochi donuts, the restaurant’s Korean corn dogs are another twist on traditional American food. Typically, corn dogs are mini-fried hot dogs or sausages covered in cornmeal; however, Korean corn dogs are a step up in size and versatility. Korean corn dogs are sausages or mozzarella fried in batter and coated with many possible toppings, including diced potatoes, flaming hot Cheetos, ramen, sugar, and more. 

For drinks, the restaurant does not offer a typical soda but rather a spin-off of iced tea. Boba tea is a mixture of milk, water, tea, and tapioca pearls. The drink comes in many different flavors and has a colorful aesthetic appearance. A more traditional version of the drink is also offered, which is just a fruity tea containing tapioca pearls. 

As we drove through the streets of Richmond, our appetites steadily grew. We had been looking forward to this night all week. After finally finding a parking spot, we jumped out of the car and impatiently walked up the apartment complex stairs to the restaurant. Before entering the door to Oh! Mochi, we were overwhelmed by sweet and sugary smells. Immediately after walking in, you see the displayed mochi donuts covered in different icings and toppings. As we waited in line to place our orders, we discussed the different flavors of donuts and corn dogs we needed to try. 

We ordered four donut flavors: Toasted Marshmallow, Funnel Cake, Churro, and Samoa. The number of options for Korean corn dogs was overwhelming. After choosing a base for the corn dogs, there were many ways to top it, including fried potatoes, crispy ramen, sweet potato, flamin’ hot Cheetos, and sugar. We ordered five mozzarella-based corn dogs: an original fried, crispy potato, flamin’ hot Cheeto, and sugar-coated. Lastly, for a drink, we ordered a mango fruit boba tea.

The mochi donuts and tea were brought to us shortly after we found a place to sit in the main room’s small dining area. Our mouths watered as we broke the donuts into pieces to split. First, we tried a churro donut. Biting into it, I was surprised by the crisp outside and doughy insides, unlike normal donuts, which generally have a soft outer layer. Not only was I pleasantly surprised by the texture, but the flavor of the donut was nearly an exact replica of the taste of a churro. We quickly finished the other three flavors; the funnel cake donut was my favorite. It had a crispy yet doughy texture, but the flavors were a step up from the churro donut. Coated with icing and jelly, the donut had a particular sweetness that outweighed the flavors of the other donuts. 

On the other hand, Catherine Rohr (‘25) said, “The churro donut was definitely the best because of the simplicity and similarity to a real churro.” Going into the restaurant, Rohr had low expectations for the donuts, because she does not like mochi. However, after the meal, she stated, “The donuts were surprisingly my favorite part, and I think it was because they did not actually taste like mochi.” Additionally, the tea had a beautiful, vibrant orange color and tasted better than I expected. It was a perfect mix of juice flavor and tea, and the boba added a fun kick to the texture. 

After finishing the donuts, there was about a ten-minute wait until the Korean corn dogs came out, which was surprising, because I expected the donuts to be eaten as a dessert. After seeing the crispy and thick outside layer, I became hopeful that their taste would meet my expectations. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I started by trying the original fried mozzarella, topped with sugar. While the first bite or two were enjoyable, I quickly got overwhelmed by the amount of cheese and did not like the sugary flavor mixed with the savory taste. Maris Smutz (‘25) tried the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto one, and it almost immediately started falling off the stick. The size of the corn dog was simply too large to fit on a popsicle stick. 

I decided to give the corn dogs a second chance and tried the classic fried mozzarella one with no sugar, and I found that I enjoyed this one much more. While the size was still over the top, the flavors did not clash, unlike the other corn dogs. My friends all had similar opinions about the corn dogs. Maddie Jewett (‘25) said, “The corn dogs would have been better if they were smaller.” Rohr also expressed her disappointment:  “When the corn dogs came out, they looked good. However, the more I ate them, the more I felt nauseated.” I do not think my dislike for the corn dogs was a problem with the restaurant itself, but rather the overall concept of Korean corn dogs. The size is not substantial, and the ratio of cheese to the outer layer is overwhelming.

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the Korean corn dogs, the other items on the menu exceeded my expectations. Oh! Mochi’s overall vibe was friendly and clean. Decorations and lit-up signs hung on the walls, and the restaurant had lots of color. I would recommend Oh! Mochi for anyone who wants to expand their palate and try fun and trendy foods.

All photos by Betsy Clarke.