New York has been sending us all of their hits lately—Smorgasburg, Roberta's, talk of a Dominique Ansel restaurant—and this week, we will officially have one more East Coast favorite on the best side of the country. MatchaBar, which launched in Brooklyn and has a second outpost in Chelsea, is having its grand opening in Silver Lake on February 22, offering east siders a new alternative to Intelligentsia and Alfred.
And we're not just talking basic matcha lattes, either. The café, which was founded by brothers Max and Graham Fortgang, uses matcha sourced from a family farm in Nishio, Japan, to create unique drinks like a carbonated sparkling cucumber-lime matcha. Other concoctions made specifically for the L.A. shop include a turmeric ginger matcha latte, which uses a dash of black pepper to give it a kick; and the "Harmless latte"—a latte made with Harmless Harvest coconut water, almond milk and ceremonial grade matcha.
What is 'ceremonial grade,' you might ask? It indicates that the matcha is made for tea ceremonies, as opposed to culinary grade, which is generally used for cooking or flavoring. While plenty of coffee shops use culinary grade matcha in their teas, MatchaBar has built their brand on ceremonial grade matcha—and the proof is in the cup.
MatchaBar will serve food as well, collaborating with Amara Kitchen to provide breakfast and lunch dishes that range from a huevos rancheros egg pot to a rice and veggie bowl. They'll also be offering pastries from Gjusta Bakery—the first time that Gjusta has ever been offered on the east side.
MatchaBar is located at 3534 Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake, and will be hosting its grand opening tomorrow.
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