Marry Me Mochi opened up in the Stockyards this past winter and almost immediately, people were lining up down the street.

They call it "love at first bite" – and with good reason: these mochi donuts are a hit. At their peak, the wait time to snag one from Marry Me Mochi was two and a half hours.

The shop is run by five owners; Tommy Nguyen and wife Tuyen Nguyen, his sisters Salena Do and Sofia Nguyen, and their cousin Elisa Nguyen – a true family affair.

Salena, Sofia, and Elisa are the main bakers behind the donuts, while Tommy and Tuyen organize and run the business, taking care of the day to day.

It's their particular recipe that makes these donuts unlike any other mochi donut you may have tried. The team behind the shop spent months testing different dough recipes and flavours until they found the perfect blend. 

Typically, Japanese mochi is made with glutinous rice flour, however Hawaiian mochi is made using tapioca starch. Marry Me Mochi decided to marry the two (no pun intended), resulting in a uniquely light and fluffy dessert.

Compared to your typical mochi donut, these have a bit more of a bouncy chew. 

Working together stemmed from a real passion project. The family loved mochi donuts, but was often frustrated with them being overly sweetened and greasy.

Seeing there was a gap in the market for this, they opted to fill it, wanting to create elegant desserts you could consume while still feeling good afterwards. 

Mary Me Mochi did their very first food festival, Japanfest, in August and their initial fan base grew quickly. Nguyen credits their chic and eye-catching boxes for making them memorable and believes it was one of the main hooks that drew people in to try their products.  

Once you've tried these donuts, you'll understand why people would wait in line for them.  

Marry Me Mochi offers 12 different donut flavours daily: their "day one" flavours consist of "Creme Brulove" (a tasty creme brulée flavour), Butter Than Your Ex (cookie butter), Matcha Made In Heaven (green tea matcha), Strawberry Marry Me (strawberry Pocky), You Had Me At Chocolate (chocolate Pocky), and Cookies N Cream N Commitment (Oreo).

The other six offerings rotate between 40 flavours they have tasted and perfected.

Tommy shared with me that everything they do here is premium; "We wanted to make sure each flavour actually gave you an experience." The donuts may be light in texture, but they are not light in flavour. 

The day we visited, some of the specialty flavours included orange creamsicle, peanut butter crumble, and ube. Every one was unique, sweet without being overwhelming, and a fascinating texture that kept us wanting to go back for more. 

They are also known for their drinks which are nothing short of varied, creative and visually appealing. They serve different coffee-based drinks, including the popular Vietnamese coffees.

You can get a classic, or venture into their creative flavours like Pandan Viet Coffee and the Ube Viet coffee, both vibrantly coloured with cold foam. 

They also offer flavoured lattes, including a tasty Matcha Pandan and Taro.

Not to be missed is "The One That Got Away," a passionfruit orange green tea that is full of flavour and refreshing. All the drinks compliment the desserts well, running from $6.50 for a medium size drink, to $7.50 for a large. 

The donuts are not cheap – but they are high quality. One donut will set you back $5, however they do offer discounts when you purchase larger quantities.

They also offer "Mochi Dragon Balls," a mochi dessert similar to their donuts, filled with mung bean paste and coconut. 

The storefront itself is beautiful and it was all designed by Tommy, who also happened to do much of the building and construction himself.

There are pink walls, aesthetic lighting fixtures, and three large pink booths where you can sit to enjoy your donuts. 

They may have opened recently, but they aren’t slowing down their production in the least – the Stockyards location is their first flagship, however in the next couple of months, they’ll be opening shops in Vaughan Mills and Square One in Mississauga. 

While Marry Me Mochi is on the pricier side, what they've created is an indulgent treat that is well worth it.

Marry Me Mochi is located at 1980 St Clair Ave West, Unit #127A.