Taiwanese treat · Paris
Mochi in Paris: the soft rice cake that goes with tea
A soft, elastic bite with a discreet sweet center: mochi naturally extends a cup of tea or a bubble tea, from the Palais-Royal to Oberkampf.
A soft, elastic bite with a discreet sweet center: mochi naturally extends a cup of tea or a bubble tea, from the Palais-Royal to Oberkampf.
Mochi is recognizable from the very first bite: a glutinous rice dough, soft and elastic, wrapped around a sweet center. In Paris, you come across it more and more, on the menus of Asian pastry shops as well as in tea houses. At a Franco-Taiwanese tea house, it extends a cup of tea or a bubble tea, in the same spirit of homemade cooking and simple flavors as the rest of the menu.
Originally from Japan, the treat spread across all of East Asia. The texture remains its signature: soft, a little sticky, with that bounce under the tooth that sets it apart from a classic cake. Plain and rolled in starch, or filled with red bean paste, black sesame or fruit.
Glutinous rice, cooked then pounded, develops an elasticity that ordinary rice does not have. That is where everything happens: soft without ever turning hard.
The sweetness stays measured to let the tea speak. The mochi highlights the drink, it does not eclipse it — the opposite of a sugar overload.
Like the tapioca pearls of bubble tea, the rice dough relies on a material that resists just enough. The grain and the bounce, in common.
Two houses, two moods, the same care for tea and the treats that go with it: Le Tê, tea house at the Palais-Royal in the 1st arrondissement, and MAISON LE TÊ, rue Saint-Maur in the 11th. On one side an intimate space turned toward teas and treats, on the other a larger room with a real food menu.
The choice depends on the moment. The Palais-Royal lends itself to a settled break, after a stroll in the garden or a museum visit. The 11th, between République and Belleville, fits more a craving for something sweet in the middle of an outing. In both cases, it is the tea that sets the tone, the treat that goes with it.
The soft mochi, served at room temperature, brings out the suppleness of the dough and the sweetness of the filling. The ice mochi, for its part, wraps a scoop of ice cream in a thin layer of rice dough: the surface is cool and a little firm, then the center melts in the mouth. Two pleasures, one same base of glutinous rice worked with care.
The choice comes down to the season. In warm weather, the ice version wins out, refreshing and light; in winter, the warm soft mochi goes better with a hot drink. The same logic as menus that change through the year — nothing preventing, of course, an ice mochi in the middle of December if the craving is there.
For a first time, it is better to start with a familiar flavor before exploring the more surprising combinations. The simplest: think in terms of pairing with your drink. A green tea or an iced jasmine matches a delicate treat, while a rounder milk tea calls for a mochi that is richer too. This avoids the two cancelling each other out — the experience meets that of bubble tea in Paris, where texture also plays a central role.
The other good habit: do not pile up the treats. One or two mochis are enough to round off a tea break without saturating it with sugar. This measured approach is found in the spirit of the Taiwanese tea house in Paris, where the drink stays at the center and the treat plays the supporting role.
Mochi is a treat made from glutinous rice pounded until it forms a smooth, elastic dough. Its texture is soft and a little sticky, with a characteristic bounce. It comes plain or filled, in a soft or ice-cream version.
You will find mochi in several Asian addresses and Parisian tea houses. The Le Tê group offers a Franco-Taiwanese experience across two sites: a tea house at the Palais-Royal in the 1st, and a restaurant on rue Saint-Maur in the 11th.
Both are done. The soft mochi is served at room temperature or slightly warm, while the ice version is enjoyed well chilled. The choice mainly depends on the season and the craving of the moment.
Mochi pairs very well with a tea, hot or iced, and with a bubble tea. A green tea or a jasmine suits a delicate treat, while a rounder milk tea goes with a richer mochi. The idea is to keep the balance between drink and treat.
Mochi is a rice-dough pastry, bubble tea a tea drink with tapioca pearls. Both share a love of texture and of the bounce under the tooth, which makes them very complementary during a break.