I’m sure many of you are familiar with the Korean Corn Dogs trending all over social media. Personally, my Instagram feed is flooded with reels of the tasty treat. I was dying to try them, along with the mochi donuts and boba tea combo. Well, just my luck, Mochi Ring opened on 1148 Kenny Rd. in March 2024. It falls in the Kenny Centre shopping area between K Studio and Xixia Chinese Cuisine. There are multiple other Korean/Japanese stores and restaurants neighboring Mochi Ring that most UA students likely aren’t familiar with, Sushi Ten being one of my favorites. Based on proximity alone, I was already feeling pretty
good about Mochi Ring.
As soon as I walked in, I was immediately welcomed with a bright smile from one of the workers. It’s not a family-run business, but everyone there was inviting and happy to see a new customer.
The restaurant itself is visually appealing with its pastel color palette and miniature cat figurines placed throughout. The glass display case of donuts is the focal point of the destination and the first thing catching your eye when you walk in. Straight ahead
from the entrance, there’s a wall with an assortment of charms, earrings and other accessories available for purchase. To the left, there is a flower feature wall filled with an array of pink flowers, along with a light-up LED sign saying “Mochi Ring.” I found it to be a welcoming room with an airy ambiance. The aesthetic aspects of Mochi Ring enhance the restaurant, giving each customer a light and fun experience.
They have a variety of delicious bubble tea flavors starting at just $5.95 with an additional charge of 75 cents for boba, as well as donuts with flavors varying from black sesame to pumpkin spice. As for the corn dogs, they have 5 different toppings to choose from. You can choose from a normal corn dog, one with cheese or a combination of both. The toppings include the original (topped with panko, a breadcrumb seasoning), potato, ramen, Hot Cheetos or Blue Takis. They also have a few different sauce options on the side. My total was $16.39 for a corn dog, donut and drink, so it was fairly affordable.
I thought it would be best to get a taste for the classic corn dog, so I went for the original with the cheese filling (since I don’t eat meat). The wait time for the corn dog was only about 10 minutes, whereas my Fruity Pebbles donut and rose boba milk tea came out almost immediately.
In all honesty, I’ve never really been a huge fan of corn dogs in general. The main (or only) reason I wanted to try them was because of all the mukbangs I’ve seen on social media. I was in just about the same situation with the infamous chamoy pickle as well (I must admit I love pickles, but the chamoy pickle was quite disgusting). However, this corn dog surprised me.
When my corn dog, or maybe I should say cheese dog, was served, it was the perfect temperature. Not too hot, but definitely warm and thoroughly cooked. The breaded panko topping was the perfect combination of savory with a touch of sweetness. Not to mention the crunch was superior, and I must say the cheese pull was a 10/10. Unfortunately, the one downside was that my cheese dog fell off of the wooden stick rather fast, which probably would not have happened with the traditional corn dog.
The donut was my favorite part, and frankly what I was most excited about. It was simply delicious (and I wouldn’t typically choose a donut for my sweet treat of choice). The base of the donut itself was delightfully soft and fluffy. The crunchy Fruity Pebbles complimented it nicely with the touch of fruit flavor. As for the boba, it was pretty sweet and had a floral aftertaste, but it wasn’t much different from any other milk tea drink I’ve had. Get the Fruity Pebble donut. It’s yabba dabba yummy (if you know, you know).
Overall, I would certainly recommend Mochi Ring to others. The atmosphere is friendly, it’s close to UA, fairly cheap and not to mention the food is quite satisfying. I haven’t experienced Korean street food before so I don’t have much to compare it to, but I can say my first visit to Mochi Ring will not be my last. If you’re looking for something new, Mochi Ring is the place for you.
