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THE HUNGRY HOURS

In LA's matcha frenzy, which cup is worth the drive? | My favorite matcha in LA

LA has gone full matcha-crazy the last two years: people line up 40 minutes, even eyewear shops sell it. After a full lap, the one I drive back to most is Kettl in Los Feliz. Why it's my favorite matcha in LA, how to order the first time, plus seasonal specials and a take-home list.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

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  1. 01 | LA's matcha mania

    People line up 40 minutes for a matcha, there's an eyeglass shop in Koreatown that also sells matcha, and even Kyoto's Ippodo once limited purchases because demand was so high. In LA, matcha stopped being just a drink a long time ago.

  2. 02 | Why LA is so crazy for it

    With matcha you drink the whole leaf: caffeine plus L-theanine, which a lot of people describe as calm alertness. In a city where everyone's looking after their nervous system, it happens to be the gentler caffeine.

  3. 03 | After drinking my way around, this is the one I go back to most

    Kettl in Los Feliz is, in my book, the best matcha in LA, and I've been back three times in 2026 alone. The kind worth a special drive.

  4. 04 | Long before this wave hit

    A Japanese tea company from Brooklyn: Zach Mangan and his wife Minami have bought directly from tea farmers since 2010, and supply 40+ Michelin-starred chefs. When he started out, he had to explain that 'matcha isn't mate.'

  5. 05 | In LA, coffee shops live in your GPS

    Before opening, Zach wrote to his team: in New York, the coffee shop is on the corner; in LA, the coffee shop is the destination, people drive there on purpose, so make it a place they want to keep coming back to after one visit. Well, I went three times in 2026 alone.

  6. 06 | Almost three years of waiting before it opened

    It was originally going to share the space with Konbi; when Konbi closed, Kettl took over the whole place and brought in Michael Tower, the architect of its Greenpoint flagship, to redesign it, finally opening on February 21, 2025.

  7. 07 | Walking in

    The whole wooden wall on the right is lined with tea tins and teapots; look up and there's a wood grid ceiling with globe lights. The long concrete bar is a tasting counter with only four seats, booked on Resy; the mezzanine is quieter, and there's a bench out front too.

  8. 08 | Why it's the best

    For latte matcha you choose the origin: Yame Hukuju, Nishio Suiteki, Uji Homare, like picking beans at a specialty coffee shop. The tea is shipped weekly straight from the farmers, whisked to order, and even the matcha powder on the foam is sifted on the spot.

  9. 09 | How to order your first time

    To start, order the Hukuju latte, $6.75; to taste the matcha itself, switch to a cortado; the top grade is the Uji Homare latte, $8.75; no milk, order Usucha, $6; in the afternoon, if you're worried about sleep, get soba tea or barley tea.

  10. 10 | Every tin of tea has an ID card

    The tea card lists five scores (sweet, umami, astringency, aroma, color), the origin and the brewing ratio; snap a photo and brew it the same way at home. Insider tip: before buying the $52 tin of Hibiki, order a $14 Premium Usucha, which uses the exact same tea.

  11. 11 | A reason to come back every season

    In spring we ordered the seasonal almond orange blossom matcha latte; summer had a $10 lychee sudachi matcha soda (lychee, roselle, sudachi, sansho) and an $8 osmanthus mango hojicha tonic. Seasonal drinks rotate.

  12. 12 | A popsicle with a story

    Kettl × August plant-based ice cream comes in matcha, hojicha and soba tea; chef Malcolm Livingston II was Noma's pastry chef and the inspiration for Marcus on The Bear. It contains tiger nuts, so heads-up if you have allergies.

  13. 13 | The flip side of the craze: why matcha keeps getting pricier

    The average price at Kyoto's first-flush tea auction jumped from ¥5,402 per kilogram in 2024 to ¥14,541 in 2025 (+169%): demand exploded and there aren't enough pickers. Matcha goes down fast, but it grows slowly.

  14. 14 | The take-home list

    Kinmokusei hojicha tea bags, 12 for $27; Fuuka hojicha powder, 100 g for $35; Okuju matcha, 30 g for $45; plus Minorien incense and matcha tools. Free US shipping on the website over $150.

  15. 15｜Before You Go

    4677 Hollywood Blvd (at Vermont), open daily from 8, with metered street parking out front. Afterward, drive north to the Greek Theatre and Griffith Observatory; the team's favorite nearby is Kismet Rotisserie.

  16. Last word

    LA's matcha craze will cool off someday, but a really good cup of matcha is what still gets people driving back after the hype is over.

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).