An afternoon at a matcha-themed café on Buford Highway

On a rainy afternoon this week, 285 South ventured out to Matcha Café Maiko, a matcha themed- café in the Metro Atlanta region (they also have a second location in Duluth).  

The café, which opened its Atlanta location in 2019, sits right on Buford Highway. Less than 10 feet from its storefront, cars rush down the seven lane artery. But that noise is left behind when you walk into  a peaceful, zen-like space, decorated with bamboo paneling, matcha colored accent walls, and a row of cherry blossoms (artificial, of course), with soft instrumental music piping through the speakers.

Matcha Café Maiko has almost two dozen franchise locations across the country (as well as one in Canada and another in China). It first opened in Honolulu, Hawaii eight years ago. Its website boasts it exclusively uses matcha imported from the Harima Garden in Kyoto, which has been in operation since 1858 (though matcha itself has been around for nearly a thousand years, first introduced to Japan from Chinese monks). The matcha “is carefully grown and…takes a very long time to make,” reads the website, alongside photos of farmers surrounded by green tea leaves.

The most popular items at the Buford Highway location are the classic matcha latte, the Brown Sugar Matcha Crystal Boba Latte, and Strawberry Matcha Latte, the young woman working behind the counter told us. The café also serves matcha flavored soft serve ice cream and shaved ice, along with a seasonal flavor (right now it’s mango).  Commenters on the popular ATL Asian Eats Facebook page also recommended the matcha latte float, Hojicha, and the soft serve with corn flakes (“adds a nice crunch!”).

And don’t miss the freezer by the front door – it’s stocked with intriguing ice cream flavors – everything from Lavender Milk Tea to Durian to White Rabbit Candy (a popular milk based candy manufactured in China).

285 South ordered an iced matcha latte that was smooth, silky, and rich – far outshining the matcha you find at your corner coffee shops.

The young patron (an 8-year old) accompanying 285 South tried the “Golden Sho-gun” – a mix of the matcha and mango ice cream in a waffle cone, painted with “edible 24 karat gold.”  It’s a steep $10.99 – but maybe that’s not bad considering you’re eating gold? He described the gold’s taste as “popping” and “hot,” and preferred the mango to the matcha (“too strong for me”).