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THE HUNGRY HOURS

The LA matcha map | Where should you actually drink matcha in LA?

My phone has a photo folder called 'Matcha'; this is every place in it, plus the new 2026 spots everyone's lining up for. LA matcha is really several totally different things, so the map is organized by 'which kind you want' and by matcha street.

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

Key points

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  1. 01 | Learn to order first: the LA matcha menu, translated

    Ceremonial means tea-ceremony grade, good for drinking straight; an einspänner has a thick layer of whipped cream on top; a tonic is mixed with tonic water. If it doesn't taste how you want, it's usually the sugar; say 'half-sweet.'

  2. 02 | Why does matcha keep getting pricier?

    US retail matcha sales grew 86% in three years, Japan's harvest depends on the weather and is short on hands, plus tariffs; Ippodo even limited purchases in 2025. Behind a latte that starts at $8 is a very long road.

  3. 03 | Team tea flavor: Kettl

    In my book, the best matcha in LA. They work directly with Japanese tea farmers, the shelf lists each tea's harvest date and origin, and the four-seat tasting counter takes Resy reservations for a matcha flight.

  4. 04 | Team tea flavor: Archives of Us, Community Goods, Stereoscope

    Upstairs in Chinatown, Archives of Us uses Kagoshima first-flush tea; Community Goods was the first shop to sell Rocky's Matcha; Stereoscope skips cream tops and serves the tea itself.

  5. 05 | Team tea flavor: La La Land Reserve

    The Beverly Hills spot opened in December 2025, with matcha poured from a handmade tap, chosen after the team tested more than 700. A totally different experience from a regular La La Land.

  6. 06 | Little Tokyo matcha street

    Midori doesn't sweeten and whisks to order, plus Kyoto-style soft serve; the owner of Tea Master trained in the Edo Senke tea ceremony; Okayama Kobo has a banana cream matcha; Rōk opened its fifth location next to the Metro station on 9/28/2026.

  7. 07 | Team dessert: Maruwu Seicha, Cafe Matcha

    Kyoto's Maruwu Seicha, where you can add Hokkaido soft serve to an Uji matcha latte; the Alfred team's Cafe Matcha doesn't even serve espresso, and there's now one on Melrose Place too.

  8. 08 | Koreatown matcha street: the dessert strip

    Memorylook inside an eyewear shop, Rōk's Matcha Duo, Damo's chestnut matcha einspänner, Stagger's Double Matcha, Matsu's five-level gelato. Order every cup half-sweet.

  9. 09 | Melrose matcha street: the shopping strip

    West to east: Pantry's courtyard, Cha Cha Matcha, Cafe Matcha, GG, Olive & James's colorful matcha, Be Bright, Dayglow. 'One street, seven matchas, remember to order half-sweet.'

  10. 10 | Silver Lake matcha street: the strolling strip

    Along Sunset Blvd: Yala, Rōk, Olive & James, Alfred, Dayglow, one after another. 'Koreatown is matcha's dessert street; Silver Lake is matcha's strolling street.'

  11. 11 | New in 2026

    Blank Street opened its first West Coast store in Studio City on 8/21; Nana's Green Tea opened its first company-run US flagship in Pasadena; Damo expanded to the Arts District. LA's matcha shops are opening faster than its coffee shops.

  12. 12 | Worth the drive + the ones everyone knows

    Junia in Gardena was The Infatuation's No. 1 matcha of 2026; Bonsai on Sawtelle does a Matchatini at night. La La Land has 7 locations in LA County, and Cha Cha's most photogenic one is on Robertson.

  13. 13 | Four matcha routes

    In Koreatown, drink your way from Memorylook to Matsu; do Melrose west to east in sections; in Silver Lake, start at Kettl and head southeast along Sunset; Little Tokyo + Chinatown link up by Metro.

  14. 14 | Two-city mirror

    In Taipei, matcha tastes like a trip to Kyoto and Uji; in LA, it's the cup in your hand after morning Pilates. 'Same green cup: in Taipei it's travel, in LA it's everyday.'

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