Mikawaya

Went here today. Service was horrible. Been to the one in little Tokyo a million times and I remembered they had a location at the Santa Anita mall. Ordered 2 chocolate mochis. The employees there a young Asain girl and a young white guy with glasses had the worst service. It seemed like we were bothering them when we ordered. They said absolutely nothing during the whole order and had very annoyed body language. I even said out loud «why are these kids so angst». Not piss them off but the bring to their attention that we clearly noticed their odd behavior. The young Asain girl just went on her phone and the young white guy handed is or change in a very condescending way. Think I’ll stick to little Tokyo. Give these kids the boot!

Was excited to find out they have a Mikawaya here in the mall. It’s very well known in Little Tokyo and is almost always packed there… a must when dining around Little Tokyo after dinner! Although this location tastes practically the same (obviously), the service doesn’t measure up to the other location.
First off, I don’t think they’re trained properly. The green tea ice cream we got in a cone… the employee dropped it in another ice cream bucket while trying to scoop it out and it just looked like one huge mess. Also it looked like they were taking their sweet time even though there was a line forming, and just didn’t seem very knowledgeable about what they offer overall.
I’ll probably stick to the Little Tokyo location.

It’s nice to see Mikawaya inside Santa Anita mall.
I only got ginger ice cream and orange mochi for my afternoon snack.
Mmmmm so good.
The workers were nice, but they were not very knowledgeable.
3.5 stars!
Mikawaya @ Santa Anita mall is kinda yummylicious!

Whenever I think of ice cream mochi, I get really excited to try them but this place just didn’t satisfy my cravings. They weren’t as hard as I expected them to be; I like my ice cream balls a little harder.
My boyfriend and I got plum wine, almond, hazelnut, coconuts mochi. We would rank them in this order:
1. Plum wine (suprising good) 2. coconut 3. hazelnut 4. almond
Maybe we didn’t get the right flavor, I’ll come back and try their gelatos next time

Tried the Red Bean Ice Cream… And it taste yummy! Very different from the other flavors.

I’ve passed by this place a hundred of times when I shop at the Santa Anita Mall. I came to the mall after I finished eating lunch and I wanted some kind of dessert, so I finally gave it a try. And by all means, I was AMAZED.
It’s located on the first floor near Lorna Jane and Kiels. Prices are reasonable set. I didn’t want the mochilatos because I felt that it would be really similar to the boxed mochi ice creams you could get at any Asian supermarket. So I decided to just get a scoop of gelato (since that’s what they’re known for).
I asked for samples, and I tried the guava and the green tea. The guava is really good in gelato form. Had a good flavor, but not as fruity as I would expect guava to be. So next I tried the green tea, and I loved it! I would say it’s really similar to a green tea latte/​frap.
I got one scoop of green tea gelato in a cup. Their sizes are really generous (which is always a good thing when it comes to dessert). And while the worker was scooping it for me, I thought that he must’ve misheard me when I said only 1 scoop because he kept scooping and scooping. Turns out, all of that gelato was actually considered as one scoop.
I am so mad at myself for not trying this place sooner because it’s so worth it! I would definitely be back for more gelato every time I come back to the mall. For all you people who are shopping at the mall, I would recommend coming here to get some gelato for a break from shopping!

GELATOO! So yummy! Love all their «exotic» flavors. I can never decide between green tea or guava. Both are so delicious. They give you a good amount in one scoop too. I love stopping by here while shopping.

Two words: GUAVA GELATO! Get it, eat it, and be happy. You can’t go wrong with this.
I pray for the day when they start to offer Guava Mochi here and then I’ll be in bliss. However, having them conveniently located at the mall with all their delicious gelato is good enough for me.
DO IT! :)

Best YOGURT & ICE CREAM
Fast service
Excellent staff
Great location
All time favorite has to be the ice cream ^_^

Very unfriendly workers!
Located on the first floor in the middle of the mall.
Matcha Green Tea Mochilato — $ 1.55 — Different from the green tea version. More matcha flavor, which makes it a little more bitter.
Pistachio Mochilato — $ 1.55 — I love me so pistachio anything.
Tastes exactly like the Little Tokyo location but the people are not as nice.

I always stop by the Mikawaya in Little Tokyo if I am in the area.
I came to this location inside the mall expecting the same level of quality. The gelato mochi and the ice cream mochi flavors were completely off. Definitely not comparable to that of the Mikawaya in Little Tokyo.
No ma’am.

A little on the pricier side compared to other cold dessert vendors in the area, but not too bad in its own right.
I had the chocolate hazelnut gelato, which you would expect to taste like Nutella, but faintly resembled it’s creamy counterpart. First time in my life not to finish my dessert because I got bored of it. If you guys have recommendations for other things to try, I would be more than open to suggestions!

I need to come back to reassess, but my first experience was unimpressive.
Their assortment of ice creams was intriguing. Plum wine was a standout, but they didn’t offer it with mochi. I got the black sesame mochi. My friend got matcha green tea mochi. The black sesame had the actual sesame seeds in it – a nice flavor – but the portion was on the smaller side. It was good but not the best I’ve ever had.
It’s a good concept, especially at the mall. Sometimes, mochi ice cream melts too quickly, but because of the a/​c, mine remained intact until I finished it. Or maybe the portion was so small that I finished it faster than it could melt. I’d give it another shot.

Large selection of snacks and desserts!
It’s definitely hard to narrow down our choices for desserts. The friend and I were debating what to get after our meal in the afternoon. In the end, we decided on ice cream! Their little kiosk stand/​booth is located downstairs in the heart of the mall.
They have two large glass displays in the front — left side for ice cream selections and right side for gelato flavors and mochi ice cream! On one corner, they have numerous packaged snacks such as crackers and chips. On another side of the kiosk, they offer many Japanese pastries.
My friend and I were bickering back and forth like usual — major props for the two gentlemen behind the counter for their patience. We had trouble deciding between the gelato and the regular ice cream. In the end, we opted for the ice cream because they have unique flavors outside the realm of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry!
We got the Black Sesame and Matcha flavor scoop in a cup! I wanted to give the Black Sesame a try, and it was good! Rich and creamy texture with some real sesame seeds embedded in the ice cream! The Matcha was too strong for my taste — but the flavor grew on my friend as she continued to eat it. I’ve tried their round red bean pastry, but unfortunately I wasn’t a fan.
During my most recent visit, the workers are nice, patient, and interactive, which is great. I hope this remains consistent in the future!

Located on the 1^st floor at the Santa Anita Mall (right in the middle of the mall), very close to BeBe store and Bath & Body Works, my husband and I decided to try this delightful ice cream place out this past Thursday evening.
With no one else in line, we looked at the two glass cases, one side with gelato and one side with ice cream. After thinking it over, we ended up getting:
Plum Wine Mochi ($ 1.65, after tax) — When I had a sample of this ice cream, I just knew I wanted to get a mochi ball filled with this. The mochi itself tasted like it was store bought (which I actually think is okay) but the ice cream had this nice light sweet taste. And the mochi ball is an excellent size for satisfying your sweets cravings, at a pretty fair price.
Toasted Almond Mochi ($ 1.65, after tax) — Just like the plum wine mochi ball, this mochi ball also had that store bought feel/​taste. The toasted almond ice cream was just average for me but I was impressed with actual toasted slivered almonds in the ice cream (a nice touch for me, but probably would not get this one again since it didn’t wow me).
Single Scoop Plum Wine Ice Cream ($ 2.70 after tax) — My husband opted for a single scoop of this flavor because he knew one mochi ball would not be enough for him. The size they gave him was more than what we were expecting for a single scoop, especially at the price. I would probably get this next time as well.
— — — — — —
(Total= $ 6, including tax. There is a $ 10 minimum for credit card transactions)
Initially I thought service was lacking because when I told the employee who helped us it was our first time, he didn’t bother to explain anything… I really had to ask him questions and eventually he warmed up to us and became more talkative (wished he came out of his shell beforehand).
I did want to mention that I had a sample of the ginger ice cream and I liked it but my husband didn’t. Which I thought was funny because I am not a huge ginger fan, unless it is in a cookie, but my husband loves ginger. The employee who was helping us said that ginger was one of his favorite flavors (along with the plum wine).
In the end, we only spent a mere $ 6 for a nice little dessert after shopping around at the mall and sat at one of the tables nearby. I would like to come back here and purchase their manju and try the other flavored mochi (but will take the employee’s advice and stay away from the pistachio gelato… the color looked very brightly colored green, which does not make me think it would taste good. And being that this employee has the opportunity to sample each and every one of these delicious offerings at this little place, I will believe him).

My friend from work and I stumbled upon Mikawaya at the mall while we were shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts for our husbands. They are a stand alone store/​kiosk on the 1^st floor located just below where the Gold’s Gym is and by Bath & Body Works, and Kevin Jewelers.
They have other existing stores located in Gardena, Torrance, and Los Angeles with their Head Office & Main Processing Plant located in Vernon, CA.
The first thing I notice is their Mochi Ice Cream and then the lady there says that on one side is Gelato ($ 1.50 for Mochilato) and on the other is ice cream ($ 1.25 for Mochi Ice Cream). What? Mochi Gelato?! Note that you don’t have to order the Mochi ball and can just get ice cream/​gelato by itself.
Their gelato flavors include Peaches & Cream, Pistachio, Choco Hazelnut, Coconut, Mint Chip, Toasted Almond, Crème Brulee, Plum Wine, Cookies & Cream, Raspberry, Hazelnut, and Matcha Green Tea.
I ordered the Chocolate Hazelnut Mochilato… wow so good!
My friend got an assortment of mochi. Note that they currently have a flier that expires at the end of the year (12÷31÷15). You get a FREE PASTRY with any $ 10.00+ purchase. I tried one of the mochi and it wasn’t overly sweet and had a nice texture.
Some of their mochi flavors include Peanut Butter Mochi, White Gyuhi (mocha filled with white beans), Orange Gyuhi (orange flavored mochi), Green Gyuhi (filled with smooth red bean), Pink Gyuhi (filled with white beans), White Daifuku (traditional mocha filled with crushed whole red beans)…
They accept debit and credit cards with a $ 10 minimum purchase.
Yum, next time I’m at the mall, I would definitely come back for another Mochilato…
⁴²⁄₁₀₀ Reviews for 2015

I was so happy to find a Mikawaya kiosk at the Westfield Santa Anita. it’s my favorite new addition to this mall! I no longer have to travel to Little Tokyo to enjoy a little mochi ice cream treat. it’s the perfect snack when you just want a little bit of ice cream! or if you want more than one flavor, getting two or three is still the equivalent of less than one regular sized ice cream scoop. they not only offer MOCHI ICE CREAMS and MOCHILATO (which is mochi filled with gelato!), but also 14+ varieties of WAGASHI/​MANJU, their very own line of ICE CREAMS, and various boxed Japanese treats which are ready for gifting. their ice cream and gelato flavors include: plum wine, black sesame, ginger, tiramisu, matcha green tea and many other Asian flavors.
I recently bought my mom and bro (Joseph A.) a box of 12 pieces of their wagashi for some sweets on their birthday. for myself, I had a GREEN TEA mochi ice cream and PEANUT BUTTER MANJU and for the hubby, one of his favorite childhood treats, a HIYOKO MANJU, which is shaped like a chick and filled with sweetened lima bean. oh and they also wrapped the box, which gave it that special touch!
the best part about this Mikawaya location is their super friendly service. they were really helpful and kind, which is the type of politeness you can refer to as «so very Japanese» and makes my hubby proud of his culture.

Yikes
It’s a small ice cream place located inside the mall, below Gold Gym. As I was passing by, I noticed it’s the same company as the one in Little Tokyo. I like mochi ice cream but wouldn’t make the drive just for it though.
Cute little shop. Great customer service for a starter. $ 10 min for credit card transaction. It has both gelato and mochi ice cream. And I got 2 mochi ice cream.
Vanilla & Green Tea. $ 1.25 a piece which is the same amount as Little Tokyo when you get special flavor. No biggie. Took my first bite into vanilla and oh my, the mochi skin was hard as rock. Well, not exactly as rock because that’s too extreme but it was HARD. For that reason, avoid vanilla at all cost. Or maybe it was just a bad batch. Either way, I’ll skip.

This place is located in the heart of the Santa Anita Mall, where the carousel use to be at. If you have never been to this mall, look for a map and look for gold’s gym. It is right underneath the golds gym. But, this stand is located on the first floor and gold’s gym is located on the second floor. Like I said before all the mochi ice cream is increased by 25 cents compared to the location in Jtown. So depending on which area you’re in it doesn’t matter. Because, In Jtown, you will have to pay for look and parking. But, for this location the parking is free.
This location you can pretty much find everything that you want from the Jtown location as well. In this location you can find the mochi ice cream, ice cream, gelato, and mochi. I came here with a couple of friends cause they have yet to try the mochi ice cream here. On their mistake, they got the gelato. They didn’t seem happy with what they got, so I decided to get them some mochi ice cream and they loved it better than the gelato. I thought the mochi ice cream tasted pretty much similar to the one in Jtown, so no complains.
Parking — parking may vary from days and hours. For instance, during holidays and dinner time this place can be difficult to find parking. Unless you don’t mind walking.

Hey, I don’t have to drive very far to get my fix! Just take all of my money already!
A double scoop ran me $ 5 more or less. Mochi was $ 1.25 each. They have green tea, red bean, mango, strawberry, plum wine. They also have gelato as well as some beverages, snacks and trinkets. 5 stars for convenience!