Pavlo Mochi serves some of the best mochi in New York City.

When our correspondent Waso visited a mochi café in New York, he didn’t expect to be this impressed. What followed was less a review and more a love letter to Pavlo Mochi and its vibrant Ukrainian-inspired flavors.

Mochi You Want to Share With the World

I used to really love sweets, especially desserts until I moved to the U.S. and gained some extra weight. But American classic desserts contain so much sugar that, if you’re not used to it, all your baby teeth might fall out—even if you’re already nearing forty.

These days, I only do dessert when it’s actually worth it, which, let’s be real, isn’t that often. I could’ve left it at that, but then Artem Baibuz, who works in restaurant PR and knows his stuff, messaged me.

He told me to get myself to Pavlo Mochi. Done. No questions asked.

Last spot he recommended? Laliko. Yeah, the one that just snagged a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025. So when Artem says go, you go.

Pavlo Mochi is a new project by Pavlo Servetnyk, a well-known Ukrainian chef. He’s a winner of MasterChef Ukraine and has a classic fine-dining background from Europe and Asia.

The bright pink facade, and the equally pink interior, made me double-check the address on Google Maps, but it turned out I was worrying for nothing.

It’s insanely good. I started with the vegan option, and after that there was no stopping me. Once I finished my own portion, I began demanding bites from my friends until I found my favorite combo: mango + passion fruit.

Inside: whipped cream with vanilla and a mango-passion fruit jam. The texture is perfect: soft, moist, generous filling. The taste is spot on, including the sweetness level.s me back to Pavlo Mochi again.

To somehow extend the pleasure, I took mochi to go as a gift for friends I’m visiting this evening. And honestly, the branding and packaging at Pavlo Mochi look like the team isn’t just aiming for Michelin… they might as well be eyeing a Cannes Lion for packaging and branding too.

Add to that the team’s hospitality, creativity, and attention to detail, and there I am, already planning my Manhattan walk in a way that brings me back to Pavlo Mochi again.