Meet: Mochiko Chicken:

Fried chicken gets a new twist: Asian fusion

Mochiko Chicken owners Sandra Lenska and Jerry Misa operated the acclaimed Dragon Grille food truck before opening their restaurant last year.

Describe your business.

Mochiko Chicken is a true Asian fusion restaurant highlighting influences from the Hawaiian and Polynesian islands. Our dishes are always fresh, never frozen and we offer an array of signature sauces. (Pro-tip: Ask about the secret menu!)

We serve lunch and dinner and prepare orders for delivery and takeout. We also offer catering services.

How has your business expanded over the years?

Mochiko Chicken

Address: 2101 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas 89102

Phone: 702-789-7103

Email: [email protected]

Website: mochikofriedchicken.com

Hours of operation: 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday

Owned/operated by: Sandra Lenska and Jerry Misa

In business since: August 2014

We launched Mochiko Chicken in mid-2014 after selling our food truck, Dragon Grille. We wanted to make sure the new owners not only acquired a reputable business, but they also possessed the passion, work ethic and skills to carry the torch. They’re doing a great job and are still winning awards.

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Mochiko Chicken features the dish Red Ginger Teriyaki served in a bowl with rice on Tuesday, April, 7, 2015.

Our goal has always been to create a franchise model worthy of regional and eventually nationwide acceptance and expansion. Having been fortunate enough to have grown up in a family that owned several restaurants and bakeries, it seems to have been just a natural progression.

You endured a health crisis; did it change your perspective on doing business?

Sandra realized after struggling with and overcoming breast cancer how important it is to dream big and to go for it. Her whole perspective changed. We will always integrate community-giving and awareness into everything we do. Whether it’s providing amazing food or donating to charity or participating in local events, raising awareness is part of our mission. We use the “health check-up” mentality we learned to overcome cancer and apply it to the everyday operations of Mochiko Chicken.

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Mochiko Chicken features the dish Hawaiian Hen House which is topped with a fried egg any style on Tuesday, April, 7, 2015.

Where are you recipes from?

Half of them stem from long-held family recipes firmly protected over the years by Jerry’s family, which owned several popular restaurants in the Philippines. Some are a systematic study of flavor and balance from collaborative works with several chefs from the Hawaiian Islands who now call Las Vegas home.

What is your business philosophy?

Innovation encompasses everything we do. Every person we cross paths with offers an opportunity to impart our vision. We’re not afraid to put out something new because taste buds differ so much, each and every palate is special and unique.

What is the hardest part about doing business in Las Vegas?

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Mochiko Chicken owner/chef Jerry Misa in the kitchen preparing a Red Ginger Teriyaki bowl on Tuesday, April, 7, 2015.

Las Vegas as a whole embodies change and is quite challenging for any new start-up restaurant simply because of the over-abundance in choices we have for food.

What is the best part about doing business here?

If you can make it here with your food, then you can make it anywhere. The ever-changing demographics of Las Vegas are a challenge daily, and what you have to offer must meet both the needs of the “I want the same thing” and the “I want something new” food mentality. This is important when one of your goals is to franchise and expand. Balance in Las Vegas keeps you on your toes, and what better place to test unique food offerings than a city that craves new?

Tags: The Sunday
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