For my taste, the matcha flavor wasn't quite bold enough, taking a definitive backseat to the dairy. The matcha milk element was just a bit too powerful, creating a profile that was incredibly creamy and smooth, but one where the distinct, earthy notes of the green tea got a little lost in the liquid. But overall, it is good. It’s still a very pleasant, sweet, and comforting drink.

Tried the matcha soda, which is very refreshing on a sunny day. It’s a very fuss-free place, with some seats, great for a tea time break after walking the main shopping street. They also have matcha liquor options which were very interesting. They provide stickers for you to stick on the wall with a world map to indicate where you’re from, which I thought was very cute!

+1

After a walk down matcha street, of all the places we could have stopped, Masuda Chaho caught our eye. Based on a brief Google search, we read that this specialty tea store was founded in 1912, so we had hopeful expectations for a great matcha latte. Keeping things simple, all three of us each ordered a regular iced matcha latte. The employees asked us how much sugar we wanted. I don't recall seeing specific sweetness levels displayed on the menu, so we opted for “just a little bit”. They whisked the matcha and poured it right in front of us at the counter. The beautiful deep green matcha cascaded over the milk, but upon first sip, it was actually milk that took the driver’s seat. The flavor of the tea itself was almost completely masked. I went back to read some Google reviews (wish I did that earlier!) and others said the same thing as well. The sweetness level was fine, but it also had more ice than expected as well, so I was a little disappointed with how it turned out. Right outside, they run a small stand that serves matcha ice cream and dango. The ice cream appeared to be a hit so I’d recommend skipping the latte and grabbing a cone instead! 3.25 stars.

This matcha place is right across the Byodoin temple so it gets a lot of traffic. The matcha is pretty mid and quite pricey. You can tell it’s in a touristy location since it’s ¥800 for a matcha.

This place has a nice shop and a more modern-looking cafe next door. The cafe was very aesthetic, but the matcha latte just tastes like milk once it’s mixed. Maybe it’s better if you only like a faint matcha taste. You’re definitely paying for the Instagram look here. I liked the affiliated shop next door, the shopkeeper was very friendly and explained in detail the grades of matcha and what its best used for.