Trader Joe's Matcha Almond Beverage: I was really excited to see this Matcha-flavored almond milk at Trader Joe's because I've recently become accustomed to making chia-seed pudding at home, which requires the use of non-dariy milk. As a beverage on its own, it's just ok - the matcha doesn't have the distinct bitterness of a quality matcha drink, but it does taste familiar. They're like the Trader Joe's Matcha Joe Joes - they're perfectly enjoyable as a snack but the matcha flavor is not very good if you really judge it solel... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks greentea nondairy traderjoes matcha almond beverage 3.0
Happy Lemon Kiwi Matcha Slushie: I didn't expect to enjoy the mango matcha slush I had a few months ago at the Happy Lemon in Berkeley, so I decided to try the kiwi version in New York (I'm pretty sure this wasn't an option in California). Alas, despite the similar green color, this is not a match that's meant to be. If it were just a kiwi slushie, it would be pretty good because it had kiwi seeds for texture and was remarkably tart. But the addition of matcha threw it off balance. At Happy Lemon, I would stick to just ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks slushie happylemon kiwi matcha 3.0
Nature's Soy Matcha Soymilk: I first discovered this brand of asian soymilk at Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown but have since found it available at larger chains like Fairway. Since I enjoyed Nature's Soy's black sesame soymilk, I was looking forward to trying their matcha version. The soymilk is a thicker and grainier than most store-bought soymilk, which I don't mind because it tastes fresher. The matcha flavor, though, tastes too similar to matcha-flavored biscuits or cookies to me – overly sweet and hard to dr... (read more) 3.0/5.0
fairway drinks soymilk asian matcha greentea tea naturessoy 3.0
Keki Matcha cheesecake: My company lets us pick our birthday-treat-of-choice. I learned my lesson last year, when I requested my favorite dessert (mochi) but found there weren't good ways to order it fresh in NYC. This year I went for a local favorite instead: Keki cheesecake, which was introduced to me by my RC Food Club friends. My indoctrination to Keki was through their original Japanese cheesecake, which has an excellent light and fluffy texture, but we also ordered their matcha 'fancy' cake to try. It costs ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
cake dessert japanese nyc keki matcha cheesecake 3.0
Morinaga Pino Uji Matcha Ice Cream: These are popular frozen treats you can buy at most shops in Japan. They're shaped like large Dots candies with a thin outer coating and ice cream interior. The classic version has vanilla ice cream with a chocolate coating. I purchased their Uji Matcha flavor, which tastes of a mix of matcha and red bean, though both the shell and ice cream were matcha-green. I was surprised how much red bean flavor came through. The coating is not like American coated-ice cream, which tends to be cris... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese dessert redbean Maruetsu morinaga pino uji matcha ice cream 3.0
Azabu Sabo Matcha Ice Cream: Azabu Sabo is an ice cream stand located in Akihabara station that offers a variety of classic flavors as well as several green tea options. I ordered their stronger matcha flavor, which had a solid balanced bitter green tea flavor. The texture of the icy was fluffy, which was pretty surprising, but you could also taste the sugar crystals so it wasn't entirely smooth. Overall, not bad but not one of the better options in Tokyo. 3.0/5.0
icecream akihabara japanese azabusabo matcha ice cream 3.0