[19] The original plans for the puppets had them "as detailed as possible with animatronics" but decided to keep them simpler and Sesame Street-like with "puppetry rods clearly visible".

The website's critics consensus reads, "A deliciously silly serving of edutainment, Waffles + Mochi is a delightful treat.

[21] The Guardian critic Adrian Horton, giving the series a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, wrote that it is "hard to fault" and that it "strikes the difficult balance between didacticism, age-appropriate messaging and zany fun".

[22] The Los Angeles Times' Robert Lloyd described the series as "a well-balanced mix of familiar ingredients: a fanciful set, documentary visits to far-flung places, real kids being real, comical or calming adults, and puppets",[23] while Sonia Saraiya of Vanity Fair wrote that Waffles + Mochi "feels wholesomely entertaining" as a show.

[24] Time's Judy Berman penned that the series is the "Sesame Street of food TV", describing it as "engaging, illuminating, curious and effortlessly inclusive".