Cafe Mochiko

Cafe Mochiko is an all day Asian American Cafe owned by chefs Elaine Uykimpang Bentz (formerly Townsend) and Erik Bentz. Prior to opening the cafe, the two ran a series of ramen pop-ups and pastry pop-ups under the name "Mochiko" over the course of 2 years.

Elaine and Erik met in 2015 in Napa, California. By fate, both had just moved into town as cooks looking to expand their repertoire, with Erik starting at The French Laundry and Elaine at Meadowood Napa Valley. The two fell in love, and who doesn't love a good love story?

After saying goodbye to the Bay Area, they made their way to Chicago, where Chef Erik honed his skills in Japanese cuisine at Momotaro, eventually running the Izakaya downstairs. Chicago is also where Chef Elaine was able to get a different look into Asian cookery, outside of what she learned from her upbringing around her grandma, aunties, and mother's kitchens back in California.

The two eventually made their way back to Bentz' hometown, Cincinnati, and decided it was time to pave their way into a venture of their own, a project that eventually became a love letter to Chef Elaine's experience as an Asian American growing up in two different worlds.

In 2022 Cafe Mochiko was named by Bon Appetit Magazine as one of the 50 Best New Restaurants in the country, and Chef Elaine was nominated as a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards for Outstanding Baker. In 2023 Chef Elaine was nominated as a finalist for the James Beard Awards for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.

Cafe Mochiko is open in the daytime serving pastries and coffee and in the evening serving Asian American comfort food. We proudly serve Proud Hound Coffee, and all packaging for takeout is made from compostable material.