Japan has a long history of matcha green tea. Green tea originated in China, gaining popularity after a Buddhist monk brought it to Japan. Eventually, the ritual of drinking tea developed into chadō ("Way of Tea"), also known as the Japanese tea ceremony, a ritualized process of drinking tea that includes specific steps for the preparation of matcha tea.
You can easily find places in Tokyo to drink high-quality green tea. More recently, new variations of green tea dishes have popped up, like matcha desserts. For matcha desserts, don't miss out the following 5 best matcha dessert cafes in Tokyo.
5 Matcha Dessert Cafes in Tokyo
Here are a few of our favorite cafes for matcha desserts in Tokyo!
- Nana's Green Tea
- Kagurazaka Saryo
- Kinozen
- Saryo Tsujiri
- Urth Caffe
1. Nana's Green Tea
Nana’s Green Tea is a matcha dessert cafe that strives for excellence in their creation of green tea products, offering a brand new way to enjoy the aroma of matcha. They use high-quality Uji tea produced in Uji, Kyoto, which is renowned as the finest matcha in the world. Nana's Green Tea matcha desserts are classified into three categories: parfait, nama chocolate, and traditional sweets.
The parfait is made up of layers of kanten (a firm Japanese jelly), matcha jelly, crispy cereal, sweet red bean, and matcha ice cream. You can choose chiffon cake, shiratama dango (a type of mochi balls), or warabi-mochi as extra toppings, based on your own preference. It looks appetizing and the matcha ice cream’s sweetness is just perfect, complimenting the chewy shiratama dango and warabi-mochi. If you want to mix and match with matcha and chocolate, you can try their matcha nama chocolate, which brings a bittersweet aroma. Nana's Green Tea also serves traditional sweets such as anmitsu and azuki (red bean) soup as alternative options.
2. Kagurazaka Saryo
Want to eat something that both looks fancy and tastes good? Instagram-worthy matcha fondue is available at Kagurazaka Saryo, a traditional matcha dessert cafe in Tokyo with a healthy concept. It is convenient to get there, just a four-minute walk from Kagurazaka Station. Matcha fondue is such a unique and popular food, that many people come to Kagurazaka Saryo just to try it! The matcha sauce is creamy and sweet, as it is mixed with melted white chocolate. Ready to have a mind-blowing matcha tasting experience? Sweets and fruits are provided for you to dip into the matcha sauce. The hot and bittersweet matcha sauce surprisingly matches with all the food and especially combines well with cold, sweet ice cream.
3. Kinozen
If you are interested in trying east-meet-west matcha desserts, why don’t you go to Kinozen? Matcha bavarois is a green tea flavored pudding garnished with red bean paste and whipped cream. It is based on the bavarois, also known as "Bavarian cream," a sweet dessert consisting of milk, egg yolk, and sugar, which are mixed together to produce a thick custard. While the mixture cools, whipped cream is added. Kinozen's uniquely Japanese take on the matcha bavarois is velvety smooth and tastes completely different from other puddings. It melts in your mouth immediately, the sweetness is just right, and a slightly bitter taste can be felt afterward. Indulging in matcha bavarois served together with green tea, you can share your afternoon tea time with your friends at Kinozen. (Editors note: Kinozen is permanently closed)
4. Saryo Tsujiri
Summer is around the corner, so it's time to eat kakigori! Kakigori is a Japanese-style shaved ice dessert which is flavored with syrup. The matcha kakigori offered by Saryo Tsujiri makes use of genmaicha, hojicha, and ujikintoki matcha, and it costs 1350 yen to taste all three types of Japanese tea at once. Matcha provides a strong aroma and rich flavor while genmaicha and houjicha remove the astringent taste of tea and provides a sweet aftertaste, which is more suitable for children. Not only is the exquisite quality of tea leaves important, but the method of steeping tea is also crucial for extracting pleasant flavors and aromas. By mixing matcha, genmaicha and houjicha, you can enjoy a complex blend of aromas and flavors. Eating Japanese kakigori at Saryo Tsujiri is a refreshing and tasty way to beat the heat.
5. Urth Caffe
Urth Caffe is a matcha dessert cafe in Tokyo that is well-known among young people. The parent company is located in America and new shops are open in Yokohama and Daikanyama. The creamy and spongy matcha mascarpone pancake is the must-try item, served with a drizzle of syrup and thick organic matcha sauce. Mascarpone cheese is used to provide a milky flavor with a buttery sweet scent. It does not stop there though, green tea bubble tea is also offered in this shop so you can enjoy the silky mouthfeel and chewy tapioca bubbles.
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