🍩 Olympia's First Mochi Donut Shop is Now Open

If you've been waiting for something genuinely different in Olympia's food scene, this is the one.

Kawaii Donut House officially opened inside Red Lantern Asian Fusion at 120 5th Ave SW, and it's the first dedicated mochi donut shop in downtown Olympia.

🌸 What's a Mochi Donut?
Mochi donuts are a Japanese-American fusion treat. Made primarily with rice flour and just 3% wheat flour, they have a soft, chewy texture that's lighter than a traditional cake donut but more substantial than a yeast donut.

They're shaped like a flower, eight little connected rings, and the family says cookies and cream is the top seller so far.

🍡 The Menu
At Kawaii, you'll find rotating flavors like:

• Matcha lavender

• Cookies and cream

• Cinnamon sugar

• Taro

• Strawberry

• Nutella (with banana chips, a flavor designed by the owners' 13-year-old son, Brandon)

• Seasonal specials

Pair one (or several) with a bubble tea from Red Lantern and you've got the most photogenic afternoon snack in town.

👨‍👩‍👦 A Family Project
Owners Tiffany Lin and Hung Pham opened their first Red Lantern Asian Fusion location in Yelm in 2018. They expanded to downtown Olympia last year, and Kawaii Donut House is their newest addition, inspired by their son Brandon, who came up with the idea and helped pick the name.

"Kawaii" means "cute" in Japanese, and it's also a nod to Hawaii, where mochi donuts have long been popular. The family tested the concept at school events, farmers markets, and football games before committing to the storefront, and the reception convinced them to go all in.

📍 Where to Find Them
Kawaii Donut House
Inside Red Lantern Asian Fusion
120 5th Ave SW, Olympia
(360) 786-8888

Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon – 8 p.m. Saturday.

You can also find them on weekends at the Olympia Farmers Market and at the Lacey Night Market.

📬 I'm Aaron Thomas, a local realtor sharing stories that connect us to the places we call home. Every Friday, we publish the South Sound Report, keeping you informed about what's happening in Tacoma, Olympia, DuPont, Puyallup, Lakewood, and the communities in between.

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