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A charming alcove tucked deep into Newton, Crystal Bakery is a great place to escape the Harvard bubble and get a well-deserved sweet treat after your Econ midterm. Specializing in Asian desserts, Crystal Bakery offers high-quality treats that cover a diverse spectrum of flavor palettes. Although the saccharine mochi may be overwhelming for those who prefer a milder flavor, customers with a taste for sweets will find Crystal Bakery worth the commute.

The bakery is a cozy space, if not a little cramped, with a blend of traditional Japanese music and soft American songs playing in the background. A piano sits to the left, while pictures of past customers cover the walls, a testament to the bakery’s reputation within the neighborhood. The service is fairly quick — however, the space inside the shop quickly becomes cramped during the afternoon rush. There are limited seating options, so if you are looking for a spot to chat for a while or start your next problem set, this is not the place.

There are a wide variety of food options, including mooncakes, rolls, boba, and—of course—their signature mochi. Mochi is a spherical, chewy, and stretchy Japanese dessert made from a type of sticky rice. Crystal Bakery offers a variety of flavors, such as strawberry, Oreo, chocolate, mango, and matcha, to name a few. The portions are relatively large, with each mochi cut roughly palm-sized. Four pieces come out to $17.99, which is a little on the pricier end. However, the quality of the mochi dough is simply extraordinary. It is chewy, soft and has the perfect texture. The effort put into making each piece is evident.

Starting with the strawberry mochi, the filling is made of neatly cut strawberries, which provide a necessary sour edge to cut through the sweet cream inside. With this skillfully balanced combination, the mochi is sweet enough to satisfy those sugary cravings but not so sweet that it overpowers the natural flavors. Being very light, it’s perfect for those who prefer airier, fruitier desserts.

Compared to the strawberry flavor, The Oreo mochi does not live up to its namesake. The filling contains Oreo cookie crumbs, wafer shell, and cream. The wafer shell gives a much needed crunch to the soft and creamy mochi, blending the textures well. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the flavors. The Oreo taste is hidden by the thick cream and shell. This mochi is also significantly sweeter than the other flavors, making it well-suited for those with a strong sweet tooth, but definitely too much for those without one. While delicious and well-made, it simply doesn’t deliver its promised balance.

The matcha and red bean mochi, on the other hand, offers a more complex flavor palette. The matcha and red bean cream filling is somewhat sweet, with subtle earthy undercurrents. However, a matcha connoisseur would likely be unsatisfied. The red bean overpowers the matcha, and the flavor is dissimilar to genuine matcha. Depending on one’s exposure to authentic red bean and matcha, bakery patrons may enjoy this mochi for its earthiness and sweetness — but those who are more familiar with these flavors will likely find this option disappointing.

The chocolate version is also slightly disappointing. Consistently, the mochi dough itself is spectacular — however, the filling leaves much to be desired. The heavy chocolate cream filling tastes too much like cocoa powder and not nearly enough like actual chocolate. Combined with the already powdery flavor of mochi, the taste feels chalky rather than satisfying. The filling is also far richer and heavier than the other flavors, making it seem out of place. Compared to the other flavor combinations, the chocolate mochi is subpar.

Among die-hard mochi fans, this mochi has earned itself a spot as one of the top mochi spots in the greater Boston area, delivering a soft, chewy texture and rich, creamy filling that leaves you wanting more. That being said, your experience heavily depends on your flavor preference and sugar tolerance. Those with less of a sweet tooth will have plenty of options with the bakery’s fruity variety, while those who love their sugar will be pleased with the Oreo mochi or milk teas. Ultimately, this bakery is a great spot to satisfy your cravings — so long as you are careful about what you order.