Matcha Cafes in Kansai

Kobe Cay Hane

This clean and bright three-year-old tea house and cafe on Rokko Island offers a large variety of Japanese teas (¥400) as well as tasty lunch and dinner sets (¥600-¥850). Try the sweet sake matcha latte (¥500) or sample a variety of tea sets, ranging from Sencha, brown-rice tea, Hojima and Uji accompanied with gourmet Japanese sweets (¥750). For something more substantial, the matcha soba noodle set (¥700) comes topped with tofu, daikon radish, and tea leaves with a broth to pour over your noodles. You can order green tea with a small tea-leaf salad covered with sugar and soy sauce accompanied by pickled cabbage and a side of brown rice. Additional sets come with salmon, chicken or pork and there is plenty of black tea to help yourself to. Online tea ordering coming soon for all your matcha needs.

• Open: 10am–7pm
• Closed Wed
• Price Range: ¥500–¥1,000 (credit cards accepted)
• Address: Higashi Nada-ku, Naka-cho 6-9, Kobe Fashion Mart 2F
• Access: Rokko Liner Fashion Mart Stn, 1-min walk (parking available)
• Tel: 078-858-6710
• kobe-teahane.com

Kyoto Gionkiosi

After visiting Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto’s bustling Gion district, Gionkoisi is a charming cafe where you can enjoy matcha sweets while gazing at beautiful spot-lit woodblock prints. Beat the summer heat with a tall glass of refreshing hiyashiame, a drink of ginger mixed with honey and malt syrup on ice (¥560). Or, dig into an epic green-tea-lemon parfait (¥1,180) built with layers of plain and lemon-flavored agar cubes, green-tea syrup, vanilla and green tea ice cream, apricots, rice dumplings, chewy green-tea jelly, boiled beans, and more. Explore a medley of textures and contrasts of tastes with the Maiko’s Favorite Frappe (¥1,340) – watermelon, kiwi, orange and other seasonal fruits are mixed with brown sugar, green-tea syrup, and red-bean paste. It is then filled with green and vanilla ice cream, agar cubes, and rice dumplings and sprinkled with soybean powder.
The shop on the main floor has a dazzling variety of sweets and matcha treats to take home, as well as online ordering.

• Open: 10:30am–7pm
• Price Range: ¥560–¥1,340
• Address: Kyoto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Gion-machi Kitagawa 286–2
• Access: Gion-shijo Stn, 10-min walk
• Tel: 075-531-0331
• g-koisi.com

Osaka Kura Cafe Yanoen

Disappear into this cozy cafe tucked behind its tea shop to relax in a quiet, contemplative atmosphere. This renovated {kura} (traditional Japanese warehouse) in Shinmachi features rustic wooden floors, high ceilings, and tetsubin cast-iron kettles lining the walls. Although no English menu is available, the wait staff speak enough English to explain their skillfully prepared creations made from Kyoto Uji tea. A thick, chilled, milk-based hojicha-tea pudding (¥650) comes topped with spots of whipped cream and toasted soybean cream and a side of brown sugar syrup to drizzle on top. Choose from a variety of teas, milk-based matcha drinks, and parfaits (from ¥600 to ¥1,000) layered with everything from vanilla ice cream, matcha blends, matcha jelly, sencha cake, rice flour dumplings, matcha jelly, sweet bean paste, and whipped cream. Of those, the Yanozen parfait (¥970) is the most popular.

• Open: 10am–5pm Fri, Sat, Sun & national holidays
• Price Range: ¥600–¥1,000
• Address: 1-9-11 Shinmachi Nishi-ku, Osaka
• Access: Yotsubashi Stn, Exit 2, 5-min walk
• Tel: 06-6531-4188
• yanoen.com