Matcha lattes, desserts, ice cream, pastries; tea ceremonies






















"12 Matcha smells like a new car and looks like somewhere you’d take a $200 sound bath. The Noho cafe is state of the art, offering ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from a family that’s been in the business for nearly two centuries. Each drink receives roughly six grams, dissolved into a ladle of rebalanced filtered water. Should you have a spare 30 minutes to stand in line as if you’re at the Stüssy store, the end product is worth it—softly bitter, with lingering tannins and a nutty finish. photo credit: Michael Carbone photo credit: Bryan Kim photo credit: Michael Carbone Pause Unmute Once you place your order, watch the process unfold: First, some gentle dabbing with a whisk. Next, hypnotic twirling, followed by vigorous flicking that results in a frothy, paint-like consistency. If you want to taste every note, get an americano. For a milder beverage, try a latte. The matcha basque cheesecake is a nice add-on for something sweet and fudgy, and you can eat it on a Klein blue chair beside a tall mid-century lamp. There’s another room downstairs that’s just as serene, with a few low tables and a view of the crowd lined up on the sidewalk." - Bryan Kim
"The matcha movement might have a new epicenter. 12 Matcha in the East Village comes from a group of owners that include a 180-year-old Japanese tea farm, a food scientist at Cornell, and the current pastry chef at Danish fine dining temple Noma. Expect long lines." - will hartman, bryan kim

"A flagship matcha cafe and shop partnering with Hotta Katsutoro, an 180-year-old family-run tea farm in Japan, with Noma’s head pastry chef Francisco Migoya serving as culinary advisor. Offerings include matcha sweets such as Japanese-style soft serve, ice cream, and Basque cheesecake; the space includes a cafe, retail area, and a zone for tea ceremonies." - Nadia Chaudhury
"The matcha movement might have a new epicenter. 12 Matcha in the East Village comes from a group of owners that include a 180-year-old Japanese tea farm, a food scientist at Cornell, and the current pastry chef at Danish fine dining temple Noma. Expect long lines. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Will Hartman
"For matcha, I queue up at 12 Matcha to get my fix." - Lindsay Cohn