Six cafés to curb your cloud matcha cravings in Canberra
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With creamy foam and a refreshing splash of coconut water, a cloud matcha is the trendiest drink of the summer.
Matcha has come a long way in Canberra in the last few years. Starting off as a specialty drink only found in a few cafés, the drink has now taken over the city, with many venues adding variations of the green tea to their menu. And there’s one version currently taking over every matcha lover’s FYP – the cloud matcha.
But what is it, and what makes it different from an iced matcha?
Made with a base of either milk or coconut water, unlike an iced matcha, a cloud matcha is topped with a thick, whipped green tea foam. With the ‘cloud’ sitting over the base layer, each sip blends the flavours together, resulting in extra texture and creaminess. Add in the fact that it’s also very aesthetically pleasing as well as refreshing, and it’s no wonder that a cloud matcha is gaining a reputation as the perfect summertime drink.
Whether you’re a long-time matcha drinker or just curious to see what the hype is about, here are five key spots to find a cloud matcha in Canberra.
Brew & Crust (Manuka)
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With their own dedicated matcha menu, Brew & Crust is Manuka’s newest Instagrammable café. Along with a Honey Sea Salt Cloud Matcha, here you’ll also find a Strawberry Matcha Cloud. Both made with premium-grade pure matcha, they’re sweet but not too sweet, and poured over a signature nutty and creamy blended milk.
Shop no 33/18 Flinders Way, Griffith | @brewncrust.manuka
Good Neighbour (Kingston)
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The matcha bar that started it all, Good Neighbour, is a must-try when sipping your way through cloud matcha’s in Canberra. With a different flavour for every mood, options for cloud matcha here include strawberry, pistachio, coconut and double matcha. Why double? Because sometimes one serve simply isn’t enough.
1/55 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | @goodneighbour.cafe
Deakin & Me (Deakin)
Deakin & Me might only have two matcha cloud options, but they do them very well. Choose from the Coconut Cloud (coconut water over ice with strawberry puree and matcha foam) and the Matcha Cloud (matcha over ice with strawberry foam), and enjoy the mix of earthiness and sweetness. They also have two cloud options for coffee drinkers (Raspberry Cloud and Mont Blanc), making this café an ideal spot for your next brunch date.
7 Geils Circuit, Deakin | deakinandme.com.au
Ujin Matcha House (City)
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Canberra’s only speciality matcha store doesn’t disappoint when it comes to cloud matcha. Honouring the traditions of Japanese tea culture while nodding to the modern variations of the drink, here you can order a Coconut Matcha, Matcha Einspänner, and Jasmine Matcha – all made with house-made cream foam. Perfectly balancing the umami flavours of the green tea with the velvety foam, they’re all very, very sip-able.
64 Northbourne Avenue, City | ujin-matchahouse.com.au
Mayfair Espresso (City)
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This Asian-fusion cafe specialises in matcha drinks and desserts, with an extensive menu to choose from. As well as offering a classic Coconut Cloud, at Mayfair you’ll also find a Ube Foam Matcha and a Sea Salt Foam Matcha. Curious what Sea Salt Foam Matcha tastes like? Think a perfectly smooth, matcha base topped with a thick, savoury-salty foam, giving you one complex sip.
G20/40 Marcus Clarke Street, City | mayfairespressocafe.com.au
Supersweet (Braddon)
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Supersweet in Braddon has the art of a cloud matcha down pat. Perfectly fluffy and balanced, the menu here spans a Coconut, Double Matcha, Strawberry, and Ube Match Cloud, all made with premium Japanese matcha. And while you’re there, it would be rude not to try their matcha crepe or Basque cheesecake.
G11/27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon | @supersweetcafe
Feature image: @supersweetcafe
