SLT Soho's Matcha Café Lives Up to Its Name with Plenty of Emerald-Hued Delights
Clearly, Beijing's zeal for matcha hasn't yet faded. Case in point: the aptly named Matcha Café recently opened in the basement of Sanlitun Soho, joining the neighborhood's legions of other businesses doling out that emerald-hued Asian dessert.
The café looked upscale from outside – a dark floor-to-ceiling glass window, a small terrace made of wood inside the café, a chandelier on the ceiling, a counter lined with various matcha-related sweets, and various delicate pots and kettles for matcha placed behind those wares. Just don't let the small Christmas lamps ruin your mood, and instead enjoy the painting of a kimono-clad woman walking in Paris.
The Jinyuzi (金玉子, RMB 45), which literally means gold egg, was covered with charcoal powder, packed with matcha mousse under its thin shell, and dusted with gold powder. The mousse was soft, and the center was a sweet marshmallow, though the matcha powder rife bottom was a bit dry. It was also candy for the eye, its egg-shaped mousse nestled on the shallow iron plate in black, with an equally dark metal twig reaching out and a blackbird perched upon it. We could instantly imagine lots of teenagers taking selfies with it.
The signature matcha lava cake, meanwhile, was a bit too soft to maintain its intended Fuji Mountain shape. It was more like a collapsing green mountain, but the flavor made up for the presentation. Its oozing green center was sweet, and the cake was soft with a strong milk powder flavor, making it an accessible choice for those who aren't accustomed to matcha. It was dusted with sugar powder to give an extra kick of sweetness. We paired it with some hand-pour matcha tea (RMB 46), which was served in a pretty glass pot and boasted a mild flavor thanks to its floral osmanthus petals.
The good thing about Matcha Café is that it is quiet and comfortable, and you can get your tea re-filled for free. That means we now have an alternative working venue when the nearby cafés become over crowded – one with more distinctly Asian desserts to boot.
Matcha Café
Daily 12-9pm. B1-122, Bldg 1, Sanlitun Soho, 8 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (159 1088 7271)
抹雅：朝阳区工体北路8号院三里屯SOHO1号商场B1层122号
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Photos: Tracy Wang
