If you don’t know what matcha is, you should. The finely ground green tea powder is definitely one of the hottest food trends around, and for good reason. Here at Spoon, we totally dig it.
Not familiar? Here’s what you need to know in order to get down with the matcha trend.
Once upon a time, it was so hard to get good matcha. Now, most Asian grocery stores have it stocked on their shelves full time and you can even find it in most upmarket cafes and restaurants. And, honestly, we couldn’t be more excited about that.
Here are some of the coolest places in London you can have matcha. For more delicious places in England’s capital city, read this.
1. Tombo
Photo courtesy of @tombo_london on Instagram
Conveniently located minutes away from the closest tube stop, Tombo’s high quality matcha is sourced straight from the Mt. Fuji region of Japan, so you can know for sure you’re tasting the real deal.
Try their matcha iced tea latte (£4.20), but keep in mind there’s so much more. The entire place is a dedicated matcha cafe, so you can nibble on matcha brownies, soft serve, cakes, and more.
2. La Patisserie des Reves
Photo courtesy of Dom on chocablog.com
Can the French bake everything? This patisserie proves yes. Cover your French pastry and matcha craving in one fell swoop with a vanilla matcha-flavored mille-feuille or a matcha tea biscuit. Pair it with a cup of steaming matcha latte. Day made. Afterwards, try this cereal cafe out.
3. Zen Mondo London
Photo courtesy of London Chow at londonchow.com
This classic Japanese treasure trove sells delicious, affordable Japanese fare, including matcha. They offer matcha mousse, matcha cheesecake, and matcha ice cream. Uh, WHAT!! How awesome is that? If you don’t feel like trekking across town for some matcha ice cream today, try this insane frozen matcha smoothie.
4. Ice Cream Union
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
A recommendation from Japanese matcha expert Jameel Lalani, this place is known for delicious matcha gelato and ice creams. Save this one for one of those (rare) sunny London days, alright? If you don’t feel like getting out of your flat, try this super easy ice cream recipe (you don’t even need an ice cream maker!).
5. Boba Jam
Photo courtesy of @poorbuthungry on Instagram
Talk about packing two of your favorite Asian drinks into one delicious combo. Boba Jam does matcha boba, and we couldn’t be more pleased about that. You can even mix and match your boba, from red bean-flavored to black sesame, guaranteeing no matter how many times you visit, you’ll never be bored with the vast selection of options.
Don’t know what the heck boba is? We’ll give you the lowdown here.
6. Yumchaa
Photo courtesy of @yumchaatea on Instagram
This place does some of the most excellent matcha lattes in Londontown. They’ve even figured out how to infuse the matcha to add peach and other fruity flavors to their teas—and no, this isn’t just a summer trend. You can choose between hot and cold matcha. Excellent.
While you’re in the Camden area, why not try this great fish and chips place nearby?
7. Timberyard Seven Dials
Photo courtesy of @snowflakesfairy on Instagram
This dynamic place sells delicious matcha tea that will rock your world. They consider themselves a “workspace” that evolved with the needs of the London people to stay connected and get their work done, all in the comfort of the world’s fluffiest seating and best specialty teas. Sign us up.
Studying and need more delicious snacks, but don’t know what to choose? Check out this article about eating healthier to make your brain work.
8. Curators Coffee Gallery
Photo courtesy of Rebecca on runawaykiwi.com
This minimalistic place sells the stuff for a reasonable price (£2.80, for reals). Matcha is pretty bitter, but this place is great for matcha newbies who don’t have experience with the flavor. You can even sign up for their “Matcha Masterclass” and learn how to make everything from matcha lattes to matcha smoothies.
Don’t have time to go out and want to make your own coffee? Try this delicious recipe out.
9. Lagu
Photo courtesy of Lagu on Facebook
If you’re looking for the authentic Japanese experience, this is it. The matcha is smooth with a little kick, and this place is especially great since it’s open during most of the days. Try it with a traditional Japanese bento box, I promise it’ll change your life. Check out these other ah-mazing Japanese foods.
10. Paul Rhodes Bakery
Photo courtesy of @NottinghillPaul on Instagram
This bakery is the brainchild of famous chef Paul Rhodes, who happens to have three Michelin stars, so you know this place is fantastic. Their little Notting Hill location sells delicious matcha teas with Vivid Drinks matcha powder, brownies, and fantastic little cakes. For those who are lactose intolerant, you can even get matcha tea with dairy-free milk, so it’s basically all awesome.
11. Look Mum No Hands!
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
Like both cycling and matcha? This cute little cafe will let you sit down for a matcha, then you can go to their little bike workshop and mend your tyres and shine your cycle. Want more options to fuel up for your workout? Read this.
12. The Modern Pantry
Photo courtesy of Emily on recipesandreviews.co.uk
Though The Modern Pantry’s chefs are all kiwis (AKA New Zealanders—read this for more fun in NZ), they’ve also embraced Japanese matcha to create amazing foods like matcha meringues and marshmallows (seriously). Take your marshmallows to go and dip ’em into one of these hot chocolates.
GIF courtesy of giphy.com
We totally feel you, kid.