After opening their first NYC locations in Flushing, Mochi Mochi Donuts and Jongro Dogs have capitalized on the popularity of their mochi donuts and Korean-style hot dogs by opening second locations in Koreatown on 32nd Street. Mochi Mochi Donuts specializes in Korean rice-flour-based donuts, which are offered in an extensive selection of flavors such as oreo, taro, and milk tea. Meanwhile, Korean-style corn dogs have gained popularity because unlike their American counterparts, they have mozzarella cheese inside and can be added with many toppings. From sugar to crispy, shredded potatoes, Jongro Dogs offers a wide variety of corn dogs to choose from. 

Recently, mochi donuts and Korean-style hot dogs have been popularized through TikTok and other social media platforms. After seeing posts on TikTok, I decided to try to get my hands on the mochi donuts and the corn dogs to see. So did they live up to the expectations?

To start off, I felt the prices were reasonable, given its location in Midtown Manhattan and recent popularity. For a pack of 3 donuts, it was $7.50, while for one corn dog, it was $5.43 after tax. The corn dogs were a bit pricey, but on the other hand, offered free sauces and other toppings like sugar that you could add on. You also have to account for the fact that there are only a handful of other Korean-style corn dog places in Manhattan. Though Mochi Mochi Donuts sells their donuts individually or by the dozen, at Jongro Dogs you have to order each corn dog individually. 

Mochi Mochi Donuts and Jongro Dogs don’t have their own stores; instead, the businesses are in the form of stands, sharing the space with Machi Machi, a popular bubble tea shop. It was not hard to find the two as there was a line around a kiosk outside the store, which is used for ordering. Although there wasn’t an employee manning the kiosk, it was convenient to order mochi donuts and corn dogs using the touch screen outside the store where you input the quantity you want to purchase and receive a receipt to bring into the store. In addition, the store also provided outdoor seating for the numerous customers that visit their doors. 

Since the space is one open space shared between the two stands and the bubble tea shop, I felt the operation was very unorganized as was the process of receiving the food. As the two stands are located in the back of a narrow hallway past Machi Machi, space inside was very limited, exacerbated by social distancing mandates due to the pandemic. Although the order numbers determined when your food was ready, it was unclear which of the three stores the numbers corresponded with. Later while I was waiting, I found that my food was ready and that the donuts were always pre-prepared for you to pick out. Picking out the donuts was honestly the best part because the worker, who I soon found out was the owner, was super sweet. He let me take my time to pick out my donuts since there was such a large selection. Despite the fact that picking up the corn dogs was a bit hectic, all the workers there were friendly. 

From the looks to the taste, the donuts were heavenly. Although some donuts tasted the same, certain donuts stood out because of their toppings. The addition of crushed Oreos and Fruity Pebbles gave the donuts a more distinct texture, but the mocha and bubble tea flavored donuts tasted too similar to each other in comparison to their other selections. However, the texture of the donuts were soft and chewy and it was unlike any donut I have ever tried in the past. They were unique and something I would definitely recommend trying. 

 I got two boxes of the 3-pack of donuts and I wanted to see how long they would last and if they were easy to bring around. They survived the long trip from Manhattan to my home in Queens. Even though the donuts were packaged in a simple box, they held up; neither the icing nor toppings fell off. 

As for the corn dog, I felt it was underwhelming. It was cold due to the long wait time and compared to the Korean corn dogs you can buy at H-Mart or any local Asian grocery store, I felt that it was not worth it. I would give the corn dog a 5.5/10 and the donuts a 9/10.

Overall, despite the tight shared space, I would recommend going to Mochi Mochi if you’re looking for a trendy sweet treat, but would skip Jongro Dogs for the sake of quality.