Matcha Cafe Maiko

I visited with some friends and we all ordered something off the menu. I ordered the Red Bean Matcha Latte, the Banana Pudding Matcha Latte, and the Strawberry Matcha Sundae. The sundae was excellent and the matcha ice cream tasted great. My main complaint was that the Banana Pudding Match Latte just tasted like a regular matcha latte and when I saw the company post pictures of it to their social media it was very different than what I was served. However the employees were all very friendly and provided us with prompt service. The dining room is a bit small, but given it was a saturday evening, there was still a spot for my group of 4 to sit down.

The staff was so helpful when I was deciding what I wanted to get off the menu. She didn’t make me feel rushed and she made sure I got some thing that I would like. She was very patient and explain the menu well. The Matcha was very good definitely will go back.

would recommend coming here for matcha! i got a large maiko special with matcha and lychee ice cream. the staff were really nice and even offered to give out samples of the ice cream for us to try. overall this is a great place to chill out and hang out with friends. plus they have great taste in jpop and jrock music too.

Maiko Special & Uji Kintoki Shaved Ice were amazing. Unfortunately, there isn't one in the state where we live, but it seems to be in 15 states across the US, so I would like to visit if I ever visit a state where they have one. July 2022.

Love love lovee this Matcha place… they have a diverse menu… I tried Matcha And Ube Soft serve anf could definitely say the matcha was high quality. Definitely coming back

I didn't try the matcha, my friend did but she said it was good! I had a hot Yuzu honey, it wasn't too sweet which I loved, and it felt really nice drinking in the windy weather. The atmosphere was cozy, it smelled really clean and the lights weren't too bright. Overall I would go again!!

Been coming here since it opened and never had an bad experience with this place, until today. Ordered a hot Macha latte was great and a oreo Macha frappe. They made a hojicha frappe instead. As both had oreos inside, I just thought they added more oreo than normal so it was a bit darker. Took a sip and realized it was the wrong item. Went up to tell them they made the drink wrong and expected to at least get an exchange for the correct one, but was told the company policy is that if you take a sip, too bad. Should've looked at it and made sure it was correct first. Then was told I drank "too much" of it already. I added the picture for reference. It is insane that the policy is if you got the wrong item and only found out after a sip, because you expect the item you ordered to be correct to begin with, too bad so sad.

One of the best soft serves I have ever had! We are so lucky to have a great matcha dessert right in Philly’s Chinatown. Can’t go wrong with their desserts

Thai Tea and Matcha soft serve This was delicious! This is such a cute little matcha dessert shop. Nice little cafe vibes. The matcha soft serve was excellent, but wow the thai tea special flavor was exceptional!!

I've gotten their hard matcha ice cream 3 times now and it was phenomenal, and I rarely repeat ice cream flavors since I like trying new flavors. Unfortunately, the formula must've changed, as the most recent one I got was too soft, and was sweeter than the ones I've gotten before. It detracts from the matcha flavor, which wasn't as deep as it used to be, either. I usually get takeout, which is a cute space with friendliest staff, but I've also gotten this delivered as well.

Good Ube. Good matcha. We stumbled upon this place looking for a dessert place after dinner in Chinatown. This place is on the smaller side but is very clean and bright. There are a lot of options but we went for ube, melon, matcha. All the ice creams were very good! We wanted to strawberry matcha as well but they were all sold out. The portion size is really big as well so we couldn't finish our ice cream the workers were very friendly as well!

Best soft serve ever! This time I got their Strawberry with Vietnamese coffee combo along with my all time favorite combo of Ube and Matcha. The former was ok - would have liked it if the Vietnamese coffee flavor was slightly stronger - just like the actual drink, but it was still great. The Matcha/Ube is the best though!!

Got the Sakura matcha and it was sweet and tasty. I'm a big fan of matcha and this place didn't disappoint. Service was relatively fast and this place was good to chill and connect to the WiFi.

Upon entry, I immediately noticed a foul smell in the cafe and was turned off. Because we had arrived here in the afternoon, my mom sought a drink with no caffeine, and the best option was the yuzu hot drink--something we can easily make at home. I ordered the Sakura matcha. It's too sweet for my preference, but the Sakura has a pretty scent. I was unable to tell if there was a high caffeine content because I didn't particularly feel perky nor energized after the drink. Service was nice, but it doesn't make up for the experience. Overall, not my favorite experience here (and I've been here a few times for the delicious ice cream). Next time, I'd be open to trying the matcha latte to see if that suits me more because I do appreciate a specialty matcha cafe in Philadelphia.

A place for dessert in Chinatown, with a focus on matcha, and drink combinations as delightful as the service. Yessss! Such a place does exist and I have stumbled onto it here at Matcha Cafe Maiko. Their "Matcha and Hojicha are carefully grown at Harima Gardens in uji, where only the finest leaves are picked, delivering an authentic and traditional taste". You can taste the quality. The space is inviting with clean lines and an efficient layout. Menus are on display via the two screens in the middle of the seating area. Service was friendly, signage was charming - the one about suggesting hair cover made me giggle out loud, which I haven't done in a while. Definitely check out this spot and grab a drink in the am or dessert all day or a dessert in the am. Adulting is hard, treat yourself!

The ube soft serve is delicious. It's a great treat whenever I'm in Chinatown. They offer different flavors are well but the ube is always my go to because it's my favorite. The soft serve is rich and creamy and very picturesque.

Came back to try the matcha/ube swirl and it was perfection! Creamy and the cone was tasty as well. They have seasonal soft serve flavors so keep a look out for that. This place doesn't disappoint, fast service, and small but nice seating area. Definitely check this place out after dinner!

I was craving for a drink with their ice cream, so I decided to give them a call when I was heading off from center city. I placed a mobile order and give them an eta. Because of parking issue, I was hoping to parked right outside their shop, rushing in, pay and grab the order and head out. But the mobile order actually did nothing except for the girl to expect I am coming. Because she didn't make my drink until I arrived. I thought she can make the drink first then when I get there, add the ice cream if afraid they will melt. Lucky there were no other customers in line, so the transaction did went quickly and I was in and out within 30 seconds.

There are a lot of seats and the server was pleasant, helpful, and quick. The Matcha Sakura Latte was really good and I don't like matcha. The environment was comfortable, clean, and bright. I would come back very soon.

I love their soft serve!! The limited time flavors are always interesting to try. I even had the wasabi soft serve during Halloween and it wasn't bad! I've had their drinks a few times as well and it was also quality stuff. A small space with an okay amount of seating and service has always been quick. Cashiers were always helpful with answering questions.

Well lit, seating available, service was relatively fast. Ordered the black sesame soft serve. It tasted good but not as flavorful as the black sesame ice cream from Daango Cake Lab in Markham. Takes credit cards. Would return.

Black sesame and Jasmine Tea $6.48 the black sesame flavor was mild while the jasmine tea was strong making it a nice combo

Located in Chinatown, I ordered their ube hard ice cream, ube soft serve ice cream, and matcha cream with beans. Everything was delicious and cost about $26 in total. The place was crowded and small, but I will definitely go back if I'm in the area.

Cafe Maiko's Matcha Ube Swirl was very tasty and had a light ube flavoring. The Matcha was definitely the star due to its strong flavoring. If you love the taste of authentic matcha as much as I do then this is the place for you! Service was fast despite being very busy. If you plan on having a seat, you may not be as lucky especially if it's a weekend. Kind of a grab and go type of place. Would go back again!

One of my go-to spots for dessert in the city! I absolutely love their soft serve and highly recommend anybody try this spot at least once. Atmosphere: They do have some tables inside (maybe around 10 seating spots), though it's less sit-down because most people are staying or just grab the soft serve to-go. Service is very fast if it's soft serve you ordered! Desserts: Their soft serve comes in multiple flavors - they almost always have their matcha and ube (both delicious; the matcha is slightly more bitter since it's matcha). I also love the seasonal flavors they bring in - I've tried their black sesame, Vietnamese coffee, and Thai tea. I do think their soft serve is the best thing on the menu - my husband has gotten the oreo matcha smoothie a few times but I personally don't think it's as good as just a soft serve in a cup or cone. Overall: 5/5 - I frequently visit this spot for dessert, especially if I'm passing by Chinatown. Highly recommend!

Stopped here after dinner in Chinatown and it was a sweet and creamy frozen yogurt with delicious Asian flavors. The sugar cone was really good quality and held up the crunch to the last bite.

Love this place and you will never experience Matcha like this place. It can keep you up at night from caffeine but oh well.

So yummy!!! I got the Ube soft serve because the worker said it was the most similar to vanilla. It was delicious, the flavor was light and the ice cream was so creamy and smooth. Highly recommend!

Amazing Ube Soft Serve in a handmade waffle cone. I thought it couldn't get any better than a nearby matcha dessert shop but Matcha Cafe Maiko definitely has the best Ube Soft Serve. This Ube was just the right amount of sweet and creamy body swirled in a crispy paper wrapped waffle cone. I also tried the Matcha Panna Cotta which had a consistency that was just a bit heavier but like others have noted, the Matcha flavor was strong. I asked to forgo the bean topping that normally accompanies the dish. On a cold winter evening, I was one of two customers in the shop, so I didn't have to wait very long for my order to be made which was another big plus. I'll be back to try other items on the menu, including the other soft serve flavors, for sure.

So Matcha Cafe Maiko is known for their matcha. However, we saw that they had Thai tea and lychee soft serve, something I haven't seen at other Cafe Maiko's in other states. I got the swirl with Thai tea and lychee. It was so delicious, it had the classic Thai tea flavor but the lychee was light and floral. It brought a nice balance. Definitely recommend trying this flavor combo.

Stopped in for ice cream and saw they had ube soft serve, which was very tasty. Also have matcha and Thai tea soft serves. Lots of other dessert options, and they also have floats for a mix of tea and soft serve. A few tables inside to sit down to enjoy.

Staff was quick and efficient. The only part I enjoyed was the ice cream and mochi. The other affine in the bottom weren't that great to be honest. The cake was dry.

Decently busy on a Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed the Ube flavor for my soft serve. They also have matcha, jasmine tea, and lychee flavors available. I would like to try the other flavors when I get a chance. The cost of the cone was $6.48.

Super creamy and delicious ice cream!! Loved the ube flavor. They allowed me to try different soft serve flavors before picking, which I appreciated!

I love when they have the pandan flavor! I had the pandan soft serve with chestnut, red bean and corn flakes. They know how to make a parfait perfect with some toppings on the bottom and the top. Can't wait to try the pandan hard ice cream next time.

Stopped by after dinner on a saturaday night with my family and we discovered a new flavor. They had the pandan flavor this time! The pandan flavor is my favorite. Its a little sweeter than the matcha, but it has a very strong pandan flavor. My entire family loved the pandan flavor! We think it is one of the best, I hope they keep it often in their rotation!

It's amazing the amount of bubble tea and dessert oriented shops that have open and Philadelphia's Chinatown recently. I don't even know how I new vthis particular shop is, but I think it's about a year and a half old. I only noticed it because we were looking for the Hong Kong bakery close by. We like Matcha and Ube so naturally, we had to give the place try! We ordered a couple of desserts, all containing Ube soft serve, and I have to write it was very good. The Ube flavor was strong, and the sweetness was not overly sweet. I personally like the consistency of soft serve. We also ordered to maiko special. This was very interesting with a bunch of different textures and flavors. It was a little bit like Halo Halo but more Japanese style. I would go back to Maiko again. It was especially good on a hot summer afternoon.

Place is clean, in a great location, and has very friendly staff. Also, let's not forget about their awesome desserts! I was debating on a few things on their menu, but then opted for the shaved ice topped with their custard. The ice was a bit icey (I know this sounds weird, but I'm used to a smoother texture), however, their custard is great and creamy. My daughter loved the ube side and my son was a bigger fan of the matcha. Red bean was delicious! Slight hint of sweetness that balanced well with the rest of the dessert. I didn't get a chance to try the mochi but per my kids, they enjoyed it. Chestnut was good too. Not too sweet. I do with they put more toppings on it as there was just too much ice, but overall, it was good. I will surely be back.

Our ice cream connoisseurs approved. The flavors were perfectly balanced and not too overwhelming. We had citrus and taro and they were both very tasty, if you like soft serve you'll enjoy this. The line was long but it was moving really fast. We'll definitely try different flavors next time.

The matcha soft serve is more flavorful than the other one in the area, but they don't have the cool looking charcoal cone. Also the items are bit pricey for Chinatown after browsing the menu.

The matcha soft serve was delicious! Match shaved ice was something new to me & I liked it. I will definitely be back again!

Cute little shop ice cream was delicious would definitely bring my friends from out of town to try

Love this place and their soft serve! I like that they have their standard flavors, ube and matcha and two other seasonal flavors in rotation. Ube and matcha are must trys, I also really like the hojicha, and during the fall they had pumpkin spice and in the summer Thai ice tea. I've gotten their drinks as well but typically go here for their soft serve

I'm an ice cream purist. I used to love getting "the works" (toppings, dips, etc.) but now I just want the ice cream itself to carry. And the soft serve here does. It's not too sweet or heavy. I'm pleased as punch by the price ($5.50) and portion and I am excited to go back with friends!

Matcha Cafe Maiko is a cute little ice cream and shaved ice shop. As you can guess from the name, its focus is on matcha and matcha desserts. It has a limited but enjoyable selection and a friendly staff. I've passed by more than a dozen times to see a small crowd inside. I finally managed to beat the post-dinner crowd this passed weekend and enjoyed my Matcha Ice Cream sundae. I do feel you are paying a bit for presentation, however, we do that for dinner so why not for dessert?

I don't know if I got a bad batch, but the black sesame hard ice cream was extremely disappointing. It came in a container with a lid, which was nice. The ice cream itself was an unappetizing uniform gray color. No black flecks that I've seen in other black sesame ice cream. It was also extremely hard (could barely scoop any out) and not creamy at all. Even after waiting awhile to allow it to melt a bit, it was still very disappointing. It had almost no black sesame flavor. That being said, my friends got the soft serve matcha and ube flavors and those both looked good. I would give it another try but not the hard black sesame ice cream.

Their shaved ice has got to be the worst shaved ice I've ever had. Texture is way off. This is definitely not shaved. It's more like crushed ice - big chunks you would get from your own fridge ice maker. I expected the fluffy finely shaved ice. This is more like a snow cone but with sharper edges of ice. I will be back to try other products like drinks and soft serve, and will update. But for now my rating is 2 stars for shaved ice

We had to grab some soft serve right after hot-pot! Our usual order is the mixed soft serve (half vanilla, half matcha); I usually order in a cup, my friend gets it in a waffle cone. Our favorite flavor is actually Ube, but they only come out with this flavor once in a while. According to the server, they always have this flavor in the freezer and randomly brings it out (usually on a weekend) so you have to be pretty lucky to come when they're serving this. I wish this was a permanent flavor being served! Also, we were offered to sample the Thai tea soft serve flavor (for free!) and it was so good! I'll definitely have to order the full size next time they bring out this flavor.

Pros - the maiko special is amazing. we get it every time we're here! - They change up their soft serve ice cream flavors- now they have strawberry and Thai tea in the summer! Their regular flavors are matcha, ube, vanilla - food portions are generous and worth the price - easy and clear system of ordering and picking up your order - clean and bright interior - offer some indoor seating - menu is clear with pictures that are accurate to the actual item! Cons - not easy to get into the store with a stroller (there are a few steps!)

It was all just fabulous. I got greedy and when my sister asked to share I said no lol. I'm glad because she ended up getting the Maiko special to try and turned out even better than it sounded. It was a nice little surprise wit every scoop and the crunchy corn flakes provided another dimension that was unexpected but exactly what was needed to make it "special". I loved the matcha shaved ice with my matcha ube soft serve. The flavors were perfectly balanced and the texture profile between crunchy ice and soft serve made my palette dance. The water chestnut was another special surprise that I wasn't sure about seeing it on the menu but so happy it was there and of course who doesn't love mochi. Could've used more mochi but only bc the little guy ate mine. I only got half of one. Can't wait to come back when I'm in the area.

The softserve here is delicious! They have a Thai iced tea flavor right now on rotation. Yum!

Hard to believe that Philly Chinatown can support 2 places specializing in matcha-flavored desserts. We tried the smaller of the 2 and left with mixed feelings. Ordered 3 drinks and while all quenched our thirst, nothing truly popped. The staff was friendly but efficiency seemed to be lacking as it took over 20 minutes to make 3 drinks. Decor was pretty standard cold counter along a wall in a narrow space. The matcha tea in the drinks was ok, but the soft serve ice creams were very good. The ube dessert was tasty and colorful. Might steer more in that direction on our next visit. A bit pricey for what you get.

I like the concept of this place, which is everything matcha and hojicha. I was a bit afraid their drinks will be too sweet, but it was a pleasant surprise it wasn't. The space is not large, just few two seater tables, and bar style seatings along the wall. Service was friendly, and pretty efficient considering only one worker was behind the counter when I went there. I ordered iced hojicha, and kokuto matcha float. I liked the iced hojicha - good hojicha flavour, subtle sweetness, and good tea strength. Kokuto matcha float - matcha soft cream was not overly sweet which was a huge plus, however, kokuto jelly was overshadowed by lots of chunky ice cubes. It kind of compromised the flavour, so it will be helpful if they can break up the ice and put little less of them. Overall, a good experience.

We came here looking for something sweet, but not too sweet and this place delivered. We got a large maiko special with matcha ice cream - (bottom to top) jelly, cornflakes, red bean, matcha cake, matcha ice cream, mochi balls, and a chestnut. Jelly and cornflakes added a good contrasting texture. Red bean was nothing special. Matcha cake was too dry. Matcha ice cream was on point. Mochi balls were nice and chewy (not sweet). Chestnut seemed a bit out of place, but not bad. The special was good, but probably will just stick to the ice cream and / or a float next time.

back again. ordered the kokuto (brown sugar) matcha latte. my previous glowing review still holds up

Matcha latte: a perfect drink to refresh on a hot summer day! The matcha tastes like matcha and isn't too sweet. I really enjoy the flavor and would buy the drink more often if I was closer. The icecream: i got a swirl of vanilla and matcha to try, and I think if I were to get icecream from here again I would get the matcha alone. The vanilla is sweet, and like any vanilla icecream. The matcha icecream is a great mix of matcha and sweetness so it would be good alone. The icecream also has some cereal and mochi balls in it like a parfait. I love that it gives it texture if you like that. I think the icecream alone is also great because I love icecream and I could keep eating it. Though I know some enjoy crunch and chew in theirs. The place accommodates everyone because also their concept is simple, they have many options. You can get icecream in a cone, parfait, or cup. There are also various matcha drinks. I'd recommend if you like matcha!

Food and Drink Ordered: * worth trying - [Kokuto Matcha Latte*]: The kokuto (brown sugar jelly) gave the perfect amount of sweetness to the matcha latte. - [Matcha and Black Sesame Maiko Special Parfait]: My husband requested to include the black sesame soft serve. I liked all the different textures from all of the different components in the parfait but I thought the dessert was too dense for my preference. Definitely good to share with one or two other people. - [Matcha Strawberry Latte]: The strawberry puree/jam made the drink a bit too sweet but I still kind of liked the drink. I especially liked the chunks of strawberry in the puree/jam. I'm torn if I would recommend this. - [Matcha Panna Cotta]: This was a more dense panna cotta and the matcha flavor was definitely present. I thought this was good but I would recommend other items over this. - [Matcha Soft Serve*]: I really like the matcha flavor in the soft serve and I like the dusting of matcha powder they put on top. - [Matcha Latte Float*]: I like their matcha latte and their matcha soft serve so I would definitely recommend this! Overall, if you're torn between Matcha Cafe Maiko's hojicha or matcha flavored items, I would hands down go with the matcha. Their hojicha is a bit too earthy and bitter to me but their matcha is rich in flavor and high quality. Would I go back? : Definitely! As a matcha lover, I've already gone back multiple times. This spot is very popular and all of the seats are filled every time I go.