Matcha Republic

This matcha latte is served in a rarely seen cute ink bottle-shaped container I have not seen elsewhere. It’s made of glass and looks just like an ink bottle, and the shape of it is very cute. It’s so cute that there are always people taking pictures of it. Not only does it look cute, but because it’s made using freshly ground Uji matcha the taste is also great. It has enough of that “matcha taste.” They also have matcha green tea and matcha zenzai, so altogether they have three different types of matcha ink-drinks. You can also buy this drink to go as a souvenir.

This rock salt matcha latte contains Uji matcha with rock salt and cream cheese. This is a special drink you can only have here, so I hope you will try it. On top of the Uji matcha drink you have a thick cream cheese “crema.” The cream cheese crema also contains whipped cream so it’s thick with a smooth texture. When drinking this, it’s almost as if you were eating a sweet made of matcha and cream cheese. The slightly salty rock salt brings a nice accent to the taste. On top of the crema you have the phoenix of the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple, a famous place in Uji, so this is a special drink to have when visiting Uji.

This is a matcha soda, a drink you don’t often see in other shops. The combination of matcha and soda is rare, and I couldn’t imagine the taste before drinking. But as I drunk it, I noticed that the taste was even better than I had thought. The refreshing taste of matcha and the bubbly soda go together well, without feeling like a mismatch. The drink contains small pieces of dried lemon so it’s easy to drink and the aftertaste is refreshing. The drink is not too bubbly so anyone can drink it. This drink is not too sweet but has a clear taste, so I recommend it to those who don’t like sweet drinks.

They have something else up their sleeves besides the drinks. You can enjoy the ultimate premium soft serve. This matcha Cremia is made by topping the premium soft serve Cremia with high-grade matcha from Uji. The rich taste of sweet milk in Cremia and the slightly bitter matcha go together well. The taste of cream is rich but the aftertaste does not linger and is not too strong. The cone is actually made of buttery French cat’s tongue cookie dough, so this soft serve truly is more refined than most.