With its selection of Asian-American pastries and delicacies, Cafe Mochiko will satiate any sweet tooth. Owned by chefs Elaine Uykimpang Bentz and Erik Bentz, the café (fondly referred to as Mochiko by locals) serves up imaginative pastries like the fan-favorite everything cream cheese bao, a soft bun with cream cheese filling and everything bagel spice. If dinner is more your speed, Mochiko offers a range of dine-in-only dishes like fried soy-marinated chicken thigh drizzled in karashi mayo.

A Cincinnati cafe is getting national recognition.Cafe Mochiko in Walnut Hills is an Asian American Cafe owned by chefs Elaine Uykimpang Bentz and Erik Bentz. The cafe started as a pop-up bakery and restaurant under the name Mochiko before opening a brick-and-mortar store in Walnut Hills.The cafe is no stranger to national accolades, having been a James Beard award nominee and being named by Bon Appetit Magazine as one of the 50 Best New Restaurants.The cafe is known for their Asian American comfort food, turning from a bakery during the day, to a comfort food cafe at night, with dishes including decadent and unique pastries and ramen dishes. They also are known for serving up their special, Cincinnati-style chili ramen on limited occasions."The most memorable pastries at this Ohio sensation — prepare to stand in line — are eye-catching and often straddle the border of sweet and savory," the New York Times article states.

Luckily, Cafe Mochiko offers those familiar flavors in a new way. It’s owned and operated by chefs Erik Bentz and Elaine Townsend, who have made an exceptionally good name for themselves in the culinary world, being highly revered by foodies across the nation (Townsend was featured in a 2021 issue of Bon Appétit and was also named a semifinalist for Outstanding Baker in the 2022 James Beard Awards). Bentz pays homage to the Queen City’s chili fixation with Cincinnati-style ramen — a Cincy-chili-flavored broth filled with minced and spiced meat, housemade noodles, diced raw white onion, tamago (marinated egg) and thinly shredded cheddar.

While technically a “Japanese joint”, Mochiko has definitely been inspired by co-owner and James Beard nominated chef Elaine Uykimpang Bentz’s Filipino heritage. The bestseller is an ube hayala croissant, Elaine’s favorite item is the sweet corn bibingka, and for this month only to celebrate FAHM, she’s making carioca coconut mochi donuts, inspired by the Filipino fried sweet rice street food, carioca. The café was also recently featured on Food & Wine magazine Restaurant Editor Khushbu Shah’s list of best bites of 2022 for its Cincinnati Chili Ramen.

Run by Elaine Uykimpang Bentz and Erik Bentz, Cafe Mochiko is a James Beard-nominated spot with two personalities. By day, it’s a bakery doling out kimchi and egg croissants, and at night, you’ll find crowd-pleasing Japanese comforts like karaage and ramen. Set to open any day now, Covington’s Rekas Butchery & Deli by partners in work and life Shelbi and Ashley Nation—the name takes inspiration from Shelbi's great grandmother—will specialize in whole-animal butchery, prepared foods, and European pantry staples.

A cute Asian American bakery-café full of houseplants and Japanese art may be the last place one expects to find Cincinnati chili. But Cafe Mochiko in the city’s East Walnut Hills neighborhood often serves its own version of the dish: a Cincinnati-style ramen. Chef Erik Bentz, who co-owns the cafe with his wife, the James Beard Award–nominated pastry chef Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, says the development of their chili ramen took root during the start of the pandemic.

Erik Bentz and Elaine Townsend weren’t messing around when they moved to Cincinnati hoping to put their already impressive culinary chops into high gear. Since opening their brick-and-mortar restaurant last year in East Walnut Hills, they've been featured in the pages of Bon Appetit and Food & Wine magazines. If that wasn't impressive enough, Townsend was named a semifinalist for a 2022 James Beard Award.

Cafe Mochiko started as a pop-up restaurant in Cincinnati, offering a taste of authentic Japanese pastries and cuisine. The restaurant now has a permanent location on Madison Road. City Beat calls out Cafe Mochiko's delicious ramen and croissants as excellent additions to Madison Road's eclectic offerings.

1524 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45206Phone: 513-559-1000 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Café Mochiko (@mochikocincy)