As I strolled the streets of Palo Alto recently, the scrumptious matcha latte from Maruwu Seicha that I was sipping got me wondering about the Japanese cafes in and around Saratoga. As an avid matcha lover, I usually make my lattes at home, so I decided to give the three popular cafes nearby a try.
The Classic Honey Matcha Latte (left) and Strawberry Matcha Latte (right) from Izumi Matcha.
Izumi Matcha (Cupertino)
Izumi offers matcha tea, lattes, floats and taiyaki, with the non-dairy option of oat milk. One bonus is their wide selection of premium matcha powder by the Marukyu Koyamaen brand. Izumi’s website provides detailed recipes to make three of the drinks they sell, a unique and generous approach to marketing.
I ordered the Classic Honey Matcha Latte ($7.15), which was tart and refreshing with a subtly sweet flavor (I ordered the less sweetened version).
I also ordered the Strawberry Matcha Latte ($6.75). Despite the deep green color, the drink tasted more like strawberry milk than a matcha latte. Maybe this is why they offer an “extra matcha” option for stronger flavor, but I wasn’t expecting the regular matcha latte to have such a faint matcha taste.
Considering the mile-long wait outside the shop for over an hour, Izumi’s matcha lattes were nothing extraordinary, but quality matcha nonetheless. Their specialty drinks are likely better options than the plain lattes.
Falcon rating: 6/10
The Matcha Latte Float (left) and Matcha Latte (right) from Maiko.
Matcha Cafe Maiko (Santa Clara)
Maiko’s matcha is imported from Harima Garden in Uji, Japan, which they claim is “renowned for making topnotch, highly nutritious matcha.” Their menu features a variety of drinks and desserts, including shaved ice, soft serve, parfaits, teas, lattes, frappes and floats. They also offer three non-dairy alternatives and toppings.
I ordered the Matcha Latte ($5.50) and the Matcha Latte Float ($7.20). The plain Matcha Latte was very sweet, and even as someone with a sweet tooth, it became overpowering after a while. My biggest issue, however, was with the grainy consistency. In the photo, you can see matcha powder speckled throughout the drink, which eventually settled into a thick layer at the bottom. With every sip I took, I could feel the undissolved powder clinging to the sides of my throat.
As for the Matcha Latte Float, it came with a swirl of matcha ice cream topped with a sprinkle of matcha powder. Unexpectedly, the ice cream was filled from the bottom of the cup and the latte was poured into the remaining space (you can see the small puddle surrounding the ice cream in the photo). The float ended up being 90% ice cream and 10% latte, so the ratio was not very satisfying. While the ice cream was thick and creamy, the latte had the same unsatisfying grainy consistency. For $7.20, you might as well order the ice cream in a waffle cone for $6.40.
My impression is that although Matcha Cafe Maiko’s authentic matcha was tasty, I prefer my lattes smooth and silky. One advantage to their abundance of matcha powder, however, is that the matcha flavor is richly concentrated. If you stop by Maiko, I’d recommend their traditional parfaits and other desserts over their lattes.
Falcon rating: 7/10
The matcha lattes from Maruwu Seicha that inspired it all.
Cere Tea (Saratoga)
In addition to Cere Tea’s espresso and boba drinks, it has a separate Matcha x Hōjicha menu that makes it worth reviewing. The menu features four regular matcha and hōjicha (Japanese roasted green tea) options, as well as four einspänner (German hot espresso topped with cool whipped cream) versions that are topped with a big dollop of whipped cream. The drinks are customizable, with a large variety of toppings (perks of it being a boba shop) and four non-dairy options.
I ordered the Matcha Einspänner ($7) and Matcha Strawberry ($7). The whipped cream on the Matcha Einspänner made it a light, fluffy drink. The presentation of Cere Tea’s drinks was outstanding, with the cloud-like whipped cream gradually melting into the vibrant green matcha, which swirled elegantly into the creamy milk. Because the whipped cream sits and settles at the top, the shop gives you a little spoon for you to scoop and mix.
The strawberry jam in the Matcha Strawberry drink melts right into the latte for a faint strawberry taste. The latte itself was creamy and perfectly sweet, leaving a slightly umami aftertaste that high-quality matcha often contains.
Falcon rating: 9/10
None of the locations was too overpriced, though Izumi’s 20-oz. cups were the biggest for the price. The matcha flavor was the strongest at Maiko, weakest at Izumi and just right at Cere Tea. Cere Tea’s sweetness level was the most customizable (on a scale of six levels), while Izumi offered either sweetened or less sweetened and Maiko offered no options for customization. All three locations offered both matcha and hōjicha drinks, with Izumi and Maiko having the most variety of matcha drinks and desserts.
The matcha latte winner for me was Cere Tea, despite not being a matcha-dedicated cafe. Its balance of flavor and aesthetic presentation made it a standout choice. That said, Izumi and Maiko still hold their unique appeal, and I’d still choose Cere Tea over most chain cafe attempts at matcha lattes. Whether you’re looking for a quick caffeine fix or an indulgent dessert, each of these cafes offer something unique to satisfy your matcha cravings.
