The long awaited opening of Matcha Cafe Maiko in Metro Vancouver, specifically Richmond is just days away with a Grand Opening of May 2, 2019. Matcha Cafe Maiko is a popular matcha cafe in Hawaii known of their fun and delicious matcha treats. Since opening in Hawaii, they have opened more locations across North America. Last year, we went to their San Francisco location in Japan Town and enjoyed their soft serve mix and Maiko Special Sundae.
This location in Richmond will be the first in Canada to open.
We were invited for a sneak peek of their Richmond location to try a few of their signature items. If you’re looking for parking, there is paid street parking right outside.
Interior
The interior is small with only 2 tables to seat 4 people. It is mostly a place for take out or enjoyed outside. There is a park close by, so during hot days, it’s best to eat it outside anyways as you enjoy the weather.
If you insist on being inside, there are some benches for you to sit down.
Menu
Maiko Special
I like ordering this as it has a bit of everything. We got this with the mixture of the matcha and vanilla cream. It also has matcha chiffon, corn flakes, red bean, kotuko jelly, chestnuts, and shiratama mochi. I really enjoyed the shiratama mochi with the mix soft serve. My personal favourite item to order but it is just over $10.
Hojicha Tea
There is hojicha tea on the menu served cold on ice. It has a strong roasted flavour and will give you a nice tea buzz.
Kokuto Matcha Latte
This is their matcha latte with kokuto jelly (brown sugar jelly). It gives the drink a bit of texture and the brown sugar jelly gives extra sweetness to balance out the matcha.
Hojicha Latte Float
This has the hojicha latte tea on the bottom with the matcha and vanilla soft serve mix. It’s a good option to order if you want to try the taste of the Hojicha latte and their soft serve without getting 2 separate items. It comes in 2 sizes, so we recommend getting the larger size so you get more of the latte drink on the bottom.
We didn’t mix these together and just enjoyed with a spoon and straw to enjoy both parts.
Soft-serve Ice Cream
Their soft serve ice cream comes in vanilla, matcha, or a mix of both flavours. It comes in a house made waffle cone and you can add toppings to it for an additional charge. I added Kinako and Shiratama mochi balls to it.
If you want to be even more extra, they have a version of this with the gold leaf foil.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s good to have more matcha options in Metro Vancouver and Matcha Cafe Maiko has been a popular chain that customers wanted. I enjoyed their Maiko Special Parfait as well as the hojicha items.
Address:
199-8279 Saba Rd, Richmond, BC V6Y 4B6
Website:
http://www.matchacafe-maiko.com
