What is green, comes with plenty of health benefits and has a strong vegetal taste? Matcha, of course! For the uninitiated, matcha is a type of premium Japanese green tea that is mostly harvested in Japan. It is highly sought after in many Japanese restaurants and bakeries that use the powder for beverages, desserts and baked goods.

Matcha is said to be packed with plenty of antioxidants and helps to calm the body and mind. In fact, research shows that matcha powder is actually better than loose tea leaf as it gives you more vitamins and minerals.

Beyond all its health benefits, many of us enjoy matcha simply because it tastes wonderful! Being such matcha addicts, nothing lifts our mood better than a matcha soft serve, matcha latte or matcha soufflé. If you agree with us, here are 7 Matcha Cafes In Singapore You Have To Check Out.

#1 DOLCE TOKYO

A Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant by MOF, there are currently two outlets in Singapore and you can find them at Bugis Junction and 313 Somerset. While they serve up a variety of savoury options such as curry rice and crostini, Dolce Tokyo is more well known for its range of matcha desserts such as Matcha Cakes (S$13.16) and Matcha Parfaits (S$12.80).

200 Victoria Street
#03-10H, Bugis Junction
Singapore 188021
Tel: +65 6336 4808
Daily: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Bugis

#2 HOSHINO COFFEE

Hoshino Coffee is an extremely popular Japanese establishment that has since expanded to five outlets in the country. We love their pot-baked soufflé (S$10.80), which is available in either matcha or vanilla flavour. Another one of our favourites is the Ice Matcha Latte with Green Tea Flavoured Softee (S$9.30).

68 Orchard Road
#03-84, Plaza Singapura
Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 6338 3277
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 10pm
Sat, Sun & PH: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Dhoby Ghaut

#3 MACCHA HOUSE

Maccha House serves an array of Japanese-style savoury mains (think udon and rice bowls), but we say skip the mains, and dive right for their amazing desserts. Their matcha latte (S$4.49) is one of our favourites and one that we always return for.

181 Orchard Road
#B1-40 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 +65 6636 5830
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

#4 NANA’S GREEN TEA

Voted the best Japanese cafe once, Nana’s Green Tea does not disappoint. Their Matcha Latte is, without a doubt, one of the better renditions that you can find in Singapore. Although Nana’s also offers savoury mains, we say skip it and dive right for their matcha items—Kanmi Japanese desserts (from S$11.80) and drinks (from S$6.50).

The Atrium @ Orchard
60B, #03-80/82, Plaza Singapura
Singapore 238891
Tel: +65 6684 4312
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Dhoby Gaut

#5 ST. MARC CAFE

You can get a more-than-decent cup of Matcha Latte at Saint Marc Cafe for only S$5. A perfect combination is to pair this up with their ever-popular ChocoCro. While their matcha latte is not the best on the list, we love the fact that it goes down smoothly and is easy to drink.

252 North Bridge Road
#B1-44M, Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore 179109
Tel: +65 6338 8043
Daily: 9am – 10pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

#6 THE MATCHA PROJECT

Tucked in the basement of The Sail, The Matcha Project has since made a name among working professionals whose offices are nearby. Feed your tea obsession with matcha, houjicha and genmaicha drinks there. They also serve delicious Matcha Soft Serve (original – S$5, large – S$6.50) which makes for a perfect sweet treat!

2 Marina Boulevard
#B1-08C, The Sail
Singapore 018987
Tel: +65 9223 0245
Mon to Fri: 8am – 6pm
Sat: 10am – 4pm
Sun: Closed
Nearest Station: Downtown

#7 TSUJIRI TEA HOUSE

Tsujiri probably has our favourite and the best matcha soft serve (S$4.80) in town. The intense matcha flavours and consistency of the soft serve always remind us of the decadent cones we’ve had in Japan. You can also top up S$1 for toppings such as Shiratama, Genmai and more.

313 Orchard Road
#B3-53 313 Somerset
Singapore 238895
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

Read: 7 Matcha Lattes in Singapore that will bring you back to Japan.

You see incredible matcha cakes and pastries everywhere you go, but have you thought of making your own matcha treats at home?

Preparing matcha treats at home can be easy peasy. Well, we are not talking about crazy matcha soufflés or decadent matcha truffles, but what about cookies and no-bake cheesecakes? Prep time for these recipes are all approximately 5 minutes, and they really aren’t rocket science.

Go to your nearest grocer and grab a good packet of Japanese matcha powder and we can begin. Here are 5 Simple Matcha Recipes You Should Try At Home.

MATCHA PANCAKES

1 serving = 4 slices of pancakes

What you need:
1/2 Cup Pancake Mix
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Full Egg
1 tsp Matcha Powder (any)
Butter (to grease pan)
Honey or Maple Syrup

1. Mix the pancake mix, milk, matcha powder and egg together in a large mixing bowl.
2. Slightly grease a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat.
3. Wait for the pan to heat up, then place about 1 1/2 tablespoons (or use your best judgement based on your pan size) of the batter and cook for about 1.5 minutes on each side or until each side turns to a nice golden brown.

For those who are after a richer taste, you can increase the number of teaspoons of matcha powder.

Drizzle syrup of your choice, and complete your pancakes with your favourite fruits.

For a savoury option, top your pancakes with a simple fried egg or bacon to complete.

TOASTER OVEN MATCHA COOKIES

1 serving = 6-7 pieces

What you need:
2 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg Yolk
2 tsp Matcha Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour

1. Melt butter slightly in the microwave oven, then mix the sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in the yolk, matcha powder, baking soda and flour. Mix evenly.
3. Portion the cookie dough and place them on a baking tray (laid with baking sheet) with ample space apart from each other.
4. Place the whole tray in a toaster oven and bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn brown.
5. Let the cookies cool before serving.

#MATCHA CREAM CHEESE DIP

What you need:
1/2 cup Cream Cheese
2 tbsp Milk
2 tsp Matcha Powder (or as much as you want)

1. Mix all the ingredients together (yes, it is that easy)
2. Serve with pretzel sticks or graham crackers.

ICED MATCHA DRINK

This is probably the easiest of the lot and you can switch it up any ways you want.

What you need:
Matcha Powder or Sweet Matcha Powder
Milk or Vanilla Ice Cream
Ice

1. Boil water and mix half cup of it with your preferred matcha powder.
2. Pour the mixture into a glass and fill the glass with ice.
3. Either mix in some milk or serve with a dollop of ice cream on top.

NO-BAKE MATCHA CHEESECAKE

1 serving = 3 cakes

What you need:
12 Oreo Cookies
5 tbsp Unsalted butter
2 tbsp Sugar
200g Cream Cheese
1 1/4 cup Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Matcha Powder

1. Crush Oreos in a ziploc bag and pour it into a mixing bowl. Mix Oreos with butter.
2. Press the crust down into 3 individual bowls or a large pan and chill for about 15 minutes.
3. Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth, then add in the condensed milk, a little at a time.
4. Add in vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.
5. After your crust is done chilling, pour the filling into the crust. Wrap bowls or your pan with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours (best results: overnight) before serving.

You can sprinkle more matcha powder atop your cake before serving. Some berries might go too.