Japanese ice cream store to open in Oro

BE ONE to get the first lick of mochi, a Japanese ice cream, coming to Cagayan de Oro by Mochiko. It will start melting the hearts of ice cream lovers early November with its mouth-watering variety of flavors.

Mochiko, a Japanese ice cream store, will be opening a branch at the ground floor of the Atrium in Centrio Mall in time for the opening of the believed-to-be the biggest mall in Mindanao.

Mochiko owner Nowie Potenciano said the Cagayan de Oro branch is their second branch in Mindanao, next to SM City Davao which opened early September this year.

Potenciano said they decided to open stores in Mindanao based on the increasing demand in both Davao and Cagayan de Oro markets.
Mochi is a Japanese confection made out of glutinous rice flour or mochiko. It is usually filled with sweets such as anko or red bean paste and eaten as a snack.

“But at Mochiko, we put a new twist to this traditional dessert by infusing new flavors and fillings into mochi,” Potenciano said.

The Mochiko story began with Potenciano’s love for travel and desserts.

He said he learned the craft along with Odette Potenciano during trips to cities all over Asia where they encountered the sticky Japanese rice cake mochi. They got addicted to the unusual texture of the mochi and imagined infinite possibilities of flavor combinations one could do with them. It was in Japan where they studied special techniques to create the perfect mochi.

“It was there that we learned to use only the best ingredients and that is why our mochis are chewy and smooth,” he added.

An opportunity came along when a space at Cliffhouse Tagaytay became available. They took the plunge and came up with Mochiko which specializes in mochi ice cream. Since then, they served mochi in the different branches they opened all over the country.

They now have eleven flavors including the best-selling Green Tea, Azuki (Red Bean), Black Sesame, Caramel and Avocado flavors. Their newest flavor, Cookie Doug, was previewed at the Ultimate Taste Test and is now their top-selling flavor.

Mochi ice creams usually last up to 45 minutes off the freezer but can last up to two hours if placed in a Styrofoam box. Its shelf life is two weeks after purchase so long as it is sealed in a plastic container or placed in the freezer.