Located right near Northeastern, Matcha Cafe Maiko offers a variety of unique flavors of soft serve destined to please everyone.
1) Hojicha
Hojicha is possibly the most underrated flavor at Matcha Cafe Maiko. For those who don’t know what hojicha is, it is a roasted green tea that has origins in Japan. This soft serve is nutty, slightly smoky, and delicious. There’s something so comforting about the roasted flavor. It’s incredibly smooth and I find myself craving it constantly. Move over ube and matcha, hojicha is here to take your throne.
2) Black Sesame
Black sesame finds itself second on my list. While it may be hard to imagine black sesame as a dessert, it's something I grew up with. It's very common for Asian desserts! Black sesame is extremely nutty and complex. The more I’ve had the black sesame soft serve, the more I find myself loving it. It's rich and makes for a perfect after-dinner treat.
3) Matcha
The matcha soft serve here fits all my requirements: strong and good quality. After all, it's the flavor Matcha Cafe Maiko is known for. If you think matcha tastes like grass, you need to try this soft serve. Despite having an extremely concentrated flavor, it is not bitter and not too sweet. Matcha soft serve in a matcha latte = heaven.
4) Sakura
This flavor was an unexpected favorite. I'm not particularly a fan of floral flavors, but I would categorize this soft serve as fruity. It has a light cherry-like flavor that pairs well swirled with hojicha. Not to mention, sakura has a gorgeous pastel pink color that is perfect for pictures.
5) Ube
This purple yam from the Philippines had its time in the spotlight in 2023. Ube can be hard to describe if you've never had it before, but to me, it has a vanilla and coconut aroma. I must confess that ube is not my personal favorite, which is why it finds itself towards the bottom of my rankings. Nothing against this soft serve, but if you are an ube fan, you will be sure to love this flavor.
6) Vanilla
While this is certainly not a bad flavor, vanilla deserves last only because all the other flavors Matcha Cafe Maiko offers outshine it. Why choose plain vanilla when you can have hojicha or matcha? It's simply a classic and safe option when you don't know what to pick.
You can’t go wrong with any flavor at the Boston location of Matcha Cafe Maiko. They truly excel at what they do, and I would love to see them serve more flavors that the other locations offer. If ice cream isn't your thing, they also offer a wide variety of tea drinks. Plus, they have a 20% student discount for Northeastern students! When you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, I’d highly recommend coming here.