Matcha Across LA
- Soraya Ladjili and Francesca Biasiolo
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Soraya’s ratings (and warnings):
Rose Market
This article was partially inspired by the fact that I have been absolutely craving the Rose Market matcha for forever. This seems to be an underrated spot in the Lycée periphery, but the matcha is amazing. My go-to everywhere is an iced matcha latte with oat milk and vanilla syrup, but no other matcha I have had tastes quite like the Rose market one. It’s a solid color, medium green, and has an incomparable flavor!
Chamberlain Coffee
Chamberlain Coffee, located in the middle of Westfield Century City, falls somewhere in the middle for me. The fact that it was founded by Emma Chamberlain gives it bonus points already. As someone raised on 2019 YouTube, I was there for prime Emma Chamberlain. Unfortunately, her homey, unique vlog style is not reflected in her coffee. I ordered her matcha to make at home once and had to use much more than the suggested amount to taste any hint of real matcha. Her shop in Century City is frankly overpriced for what it is, but I still fall for it every time! Good matcha, but there's better out there.
Commissary
Let me preface this; I love Commissary. It’s close to school, a great spot for studying between class periods, and has friendly service, but don't waste your time with their matcha. I tried it once and have stuck to their much better London Fog since then. The matcha is grainy, clearly nowhere near the ceremonial grade, and much too milky. If that’s what floats your boat then I’m not here to yuck your yums, but I also know matcha clumps are not supposed to be floating in my #E4EDB6 milk. Not to mention the prices of matcha these days. The matcha shortage has caused a rise in overall matcha prices that hardly makes this one worth it.
Francesca’s top spots:
Cha Cha Matcha
Matcha has taken Los Angeles by storm, but not everywhere has real and authentic matcha. I have grown to be a matcha connoisseur, finding the best iced matcha lattes in LA, and have 3 favorite matcha spots that everyone should try if they haven’t already. I adore Cha Cha matcha. They truly have great matcha there. I mean hello, it says so in their name! I also appreciate how this cafe also has other drinks that you can add matcha onto. One of my favorites is the ‘beautiful latte’ with matcha; it is pure perfection. For my birthday, I even got a Cha Cha Matcha hoodie! That is how good this place is.
Brandy Melville Cafe
Another great spot is the Brandy Melville cafe. I know this one is controversial, but their matcha hits every single time. Maybe even too hard in the bowel area, if you know what I mean. I sometimes encounter some grainy powder at the bottom, although the flavor is so pure and rich that it cancels out any negatives. The only downside is that sometimes it gets a little crowded, but an easy hack is to order your matcha or food from the self-serve iPad in the corner to avoid the line.
Alfred’s
Finally, there’s Alfred’s Coffee, the place I know can always turn my frown upside down. It has never failed me. Their matcha is sweet, but not too sweet, and doesn't taste milky. You truly taste the matcha, which is a must. I love the diversity in the add-ons to the drinks: strawberry, lavender, rose, etc...
These places are well known for a reason; however they can sometimes be overlooked because they seem so mainstream, causing people to not even try their matchas.
Maruwu Seicha
The brand new, viral Maruwu Seicha, known to have great matcha, is one of my least favorites that I have ever tasted. I know, shocking! Firstly, since it is brand new, I waited for a good 15 minutes in line for a mediocre drink. Not to mention it cost me 10 dollars!!!!!! Outrageous, in my opinion. When I finally got the drink, I took a cute picture of it and took a sip. You should have seen the look of disappointment on my face. I like to start off my day with a good matcha to get me motivated; however this one day gave me the opposite reaction. I tried not to complain to my friends about how milky and tasteless this matcha was.
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