Torori Warabi Mochi, which opened its first location in Ōsaka in 2020, quickly expanded across Japan and into Malaysia and Singapore. In late 2024, itopened its first Australian store on Level 2 of Market City in Sydney’s Haymarket. The location is somewhat unusual, given the floor’s history of underperforming outlets and low-traffic shops. Nevertheless, being Sydney’s first outlet dedicated to freshly made warabi mochi, we gave it a try.
Torori Matcha Warabimochi ($8.70 for a small, 180 g)
The warabi mochi was soft and melted in the mouth. The sweetness from the caster sugar in the warabi mochi paired well with the grassy, vegetal notes of the matcha, balancing out any bitterness. It was notably better when eaten alone than when served as a topping in their drinks, where the mochi’s sweetness competed with the sweetness of the drink.
Torori Okinawa Kuromitsu Black Sesame Warabimochi ($9.70, 5 pieces)
The warabimochi was overly soft, lacking the texture and bite found in Kamakura Warabimochi’s version. While the black sesame had a mild aroma, it lacked the rich fragrance and depth of flavour expected. The kuromitsu added an enjoyable depth to the sweetness, but the black sesame powder itself had little impact—chewing failed to release the deeper, nuttier notes typically present in high-quality black sesame. Overall, this was a lacklustre effort, and given the comparison, Kamakura Warabimochi remains the superior choice.
While the freshly made warabi mochi was enjoyable and worth returning for, the drinks did not impress. The addition of warabi mochi did not make them a worthy repurchase, especially when compared to more fragrant and better-executed lattes available at nearby places like Edition Roasters and Matcha-ya.
Torori Warabimochi is located at Shop K2.05, Level 2, Market City, 13 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000.