Two Ladies Kitchen is a hole-in-the-wall mochi shop on Kilauea Avenue that has become quietly famous across the Hawaiian islands. The signature is the strawberry mochi — a whole fresh strawberry wrapped in white bean paste and a thin skin of soft rice dough — but the counter holds dozens of varieties, from traditional Japanese styles to purely local inventions, all made by hand in the back in small batches.
The shop is tiny, the hours are limited, and the line frequently reaches the pavement; locals call ahead to reserve boxes, especially before holidays. Everything is best eaten the same day, which is not usually a problem. A box of assorted mochi makes the classic Hilo omiyage — the Japanese-Hawaiian tradition of bringing food gifts home from a trip.