Hoshi Japanese Cafe in Plano serves Japanese street foods, and at the forefront is its Texas-sized onigiri.
Hoshi is nestled in the inner corner of the shopping center, next to Krispy Krunchy Chicken. Despite its semi-hidden location, you can’t miss its large, magenta sign with a star-shaped obanyaki (small stuffed pancakes).
There are a few tables inside are a few tables, and the walls are filled with Japanese motifs as well as explanations for each street food. The wall near the kitchen has a map of Japan with a marker for each street food they serve.
Two overhead TV screens show the entire menu plus there are multiple menus and posters spread out on the counters with pictures of foods – perfect for those who want to know what exactly they are signing up for.
The drink menu has Japanese teas (green tea, hojicha, matcha), Japanese-inspired coffees, premium lattes, milk teas, Harajuku drinks, yuzu teas and cream sodas. There's also boba and jelly add-ons for drinks and different flavored foams like strawberry, sea salt and cheese.
But, as mentioned, the main attraction is the Texas-sized onigiri’s, which with 13 different filling options from spicy tuna to negi miso yaki. For dessert, Hoshi carries the popular obanyaki with 10 filling options including traditional Japanese sweet red bean, strawberry cheesecake and taro cream, to name a few.
Pandayaki is the same type of dessert, but panda-shaped and can be filled with the same options, but it exclusively has Nutella. These are bite-sized and come in a pack of six or 18 for about a dollar a piece, unless you get them plain with no filling, then it’s a bit cheaper.
The last dessert is a typical mochi ice cream in flavors like strawberry, mango and chocolate; it’s two pieces for $5.99.
The à la carte menu offers some classic Japanese meals and snacks. Choose from beef bowl gyudon (beef rice bowl), karaage chicken bowl with rice and chili mayo, takoyaki (pan-fried octopus balls), okonomiyaki (teppanyaki savory pancake dish), yakisoba sandwich, pork bun and yakitori skewers – each for less than $10.
Go for the Combo
Customers can get more for their money with a combo, which come with one onigiri, one obanyaki, and a drink for $11.99. Or, double-up on the onigiri for $15.99, which is what we did. For our two onirigi options, we got two spicy tuna mayo, regular tuna mayo and miso salmon. We went for the Oreo and matcha cream obanyaki, and a lovely and vibrant matcha strawberry cloud latte; any thicker and it would have been a milkshake.Not only that, we ordered the karaage bowl and takoyaki. A savory takoyaki was soft to bite and had a bit of a chewy element; but still good if you like a more fishy taste. A crunch on the outer shell would have made it similar to the original versions in Osaka. A mayo on a bowl of karaage boosted the plate, especially after putting the spicy sriracha sauce on top.
Saving the best for last, the onigiris made the whole experience worth it, truly 10/10. The amount of meat inside the fresh rice was substantial. I loved all the flavors I tried, but spicy tuna mayo was the best with its perfect spice level that wasn’t strong but still packed a punch, making it more flavorful.
Hoshi is a hidden gem for onirigis and the taste is very authentic, as is promoted. Japanese street food lovers would have a (rice) ball here.
Hoshi, 3304 Coit Road #700a, open Monday – Wednesday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Tuesday
