You don’t need a return ticket to Waikīkī to taste mochi pancakes and waffles… you can try them right at home. 🥞🧇 During our O‘ahu trip, these two breakfasts stood out so much that they earned the Replicate-Worthy Badge. Now we’re back in the studio to see if we can recreate the magic—or if the memory is impossible to match.
Along the way, we’ll ask our favorite question: Is it Replicate-Worthy? (Would we make it again at home?)
Watch the full video on YouTube
What We’re Making
- 🥞 Mochi Pancakes from Lulu’s Waikīkī, topped with house-made haupia (coconut) syrup
- 🧇 Mochi Waffles inspired by Eggs ’n Things, a longtime Waikīkī favorite
- 🥥 Both rely on glutinous rice flour (mochiko) for that chewy-meets-fluffy bite
- 🍯 A side-by-side comparison to see which recipe earns Success… and which one falls flat
Recipes We Used
We tested and adapted two great recipes from creators we admire:
Our Haupia Syrup Recipe
This creamy coconut syrup is what made Lulu’s pancakes unforgettable:
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz (400 mL) unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
Steps
- Heat coconut milk over medium-high until reduced by half.
- Stir in sugar until fully dissolved.
- Remove from heat and whisk (or use an electric mixer) until it thickens into a syrup.
- Pour generously over mochi pancakes or waffles.
Studio Test: Success or Fail?
Cooking with mochiko flour is always an experiment—too much and things get dense, too little and they go crepe-like. Our pancakes took some trial and error (hello, forgotten baking powder) while the waffles leaned chewier and crispier. Both had that signature mochi chew that instantly took us back to Waikīkī.
The final verdict? You’ll have to watch the video to see which recipe got the Success rating… and which one earned a Fail.
👉 Watch the full Replicate Review here
Would We Make It Again?
Absolutely. Even when things didn’t go perfectly, the process was fun, the flavors nostalgic, and the haupia syrup alone is worth adding to your breakfast lineup.
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