This past weekend, a selection of Leisurely members took part in a mochi making class with Mimi Lau, the owner of Mochii NYC. Leisurely connected with Mimi after Sunday’s class to discover why she enjoys teaching, what members experienced during class, and why making food by hand is one of the best ways to de-stress these days.

Why do you enjoy teaching students how to make mochi?

It’s fun for me to be able to teach my childhood comfort foods. I enjoy teaching about the culture, and meeting people from all different backgrounds. It’s really fascinating.

How do you feel the Leisurely class went today? What were some highlights of the class?

The people bonding. We had a group of three people and three individuals. Everyone bonded together towards the end. People have walked out to get coffee together, lunch together afterwards, which is what they want. To connect with each other. It’s great to see a common interest with food. The age groups are also interesting. We had an older woman who was so curious, and asking great questions.

What is the best part of teaching a Leisurely class?

Being able to teach about the culture. A lot of people don’t know the background of Mochii NYC or its handmade products. It’s a tradition that’s dying out especially in the United States, where products like mochi are often mass produced. I still have people reaching out to me from after the class. Some want help with their recipes. Others have reached out to show new variations they’ve made, like a savory version of mochi. 

Why should more people learn how to make mochi at Mochii NYC by taking a Leisurely class?

Learn to appreciate food and handmade items. Everything we do is by hand. Most people and cultures eat with their hands. People eat with their hands. Learn to appreciate food and handmade items. Most importantly, we want people to have a fun. This is the place to take your outside stress, and forget about it for a few hours. We’ve seen people come in who’ve looked super stressed, but after a few minutes, they were relaxed and ready to have fun.