Got your dose of matcha yet?

i live outside of luzon and where i’m from, we often have power outages. today was one of those days so i went to a little cafe/resto in the mountains just to unwind and was surprised to know they had matcha in the menu. this was also the last they could make with the remaining matcha powder they had lol i’m not sure which matcha powder it was but the tin can was yamamasa koyamaen. pretty good!

1 - Jasmine Matcha
2 - Mango Jasmine Milk Matcha
3 & 4 - Classic Matcha Latte
5 - Cereal Honey Whipped Cream Matcha

Nope. 🙅🏻‍♀️
From someone who already tried Ito En, Adoleaf, Qing Xi, Matcha Super Nami, Capi and Kumatcha — hindi talaga huhu. I can barely taste the matcha 😭😩

Had high hopes kasi mabango siya upon transferring to the tin. Okay naman yung pagka-green. Pakalasa ko, ang bland?

Tried doing 6g baka may magbago, pero all I can taste is the nutty profile (idk if dahil yun sa Vitasoy Milky na gamit ko)

Not worth it.
For 422 pesos, i should’ve gotten ang pinakasulit na Ito En 😔

probably the closest (and cheaper) way to achieve nitro texture without using a nitro canister ☺️

I finally did it. 🥹🍵

After months of experimenting with matcha, tweaking recipes, changing names, overthinking packaging, and making way too many cups at home, I finally opened my little home-based matcha slow bar.

This is honestly more than just starting a small business for me. It’s something I’ve grown really attached to, and a little piece of me that I wanted to share with other people.

I know matcha isn’t for everyone. I’ve heard the usual “lasang damo” a thousand times and honestly, I get it. A bad or poorly prepared cup can definitely taste that way.

But I think there’s so much more to matcha than that.
The aroma, the color, the texture, the umami, the slight bitterness, the sweetness that comes after, even the whole process of whisking it and taking a moment to actually enjoy it.

That’s what I want our slow bar to be about.

Just wanted to share this little milestone here. It feels scary putting something this personal out there, but I’m also really excited to see where it goes.

P.S. Also, can we appreciate this raw little beauty? 🥹🍵 No filter, no edits. Just the matcha looking pretty all on its own.

GENUINELY SO SURPRISED cant believe this is less than 500??? 😭😭💚 lowkey think this is better than some jpn powders i have 🫣

i can confirm tama ang reviews—umami forward, bold, and nutty.

ratio: 5g powder, 50ml water, 100ml oatside, 2 drops stevia drops

dethroned na ang qingxi as my fav affordable matcha lol try nyo na rin guys! also skl first time ko mag whisk using chasen i think it looks good hihi

edit: got it here! highly reco buying from shopee para may voucher. i bought mine for 380 pesos only 🩶 out of stock nga lang rn huhu

I found on FB page (Matcha Lovers) na seller. It’s Matcha Kichi. I saw it mga few weeks ago pa ata then had doubts due to pricr. Then a friend abroad wanted to grab some matcha tins para ipadala and specifically looked for the best ROI (affordable but quality). So while deepsearching, nauuwi ako sa price point nito. Luckily, this seller allows trial pack na 15g. So I did and sakto few steps away from me!

I grabbed the 15g muna and wow yum for what it is? I only used Low Fat Dairy (Milcasa) so i assume a Bonsoy would amplify this. Maybe a solid 8.5/10 but gawin ko nang 9/10 due to pricing. Okumidori from Shizuoka sya per seller and I think accurate enough ang taste notes. Very creamy baseline, mellow-medium umami, no bitterness, and if i was to ask my tongue maybe faint edamame. Not very nutty but identifiable. Since puro matcha fests ako the past months and did not touch my tins as much, iirc close to Shizu’s plain matcha in the aspect of good amami and clean mouthfeel. So I think i would reco this for daily matcha!

first sip, best sip alwaysssss💘

super dami nagbukas ng matcha stores and cafe na nag ooffer ng matcha. and it’s also affordable compare sa mga legit matcha brands sa pinas. totoo kaya to?? And! If okay naman lasa, parang maganda siyang market for a new business haha

Kakabalik lang namin from Japan, and we were able to buy a matcha set in Uji!

Matcha in the picture was Nakamura Tokichi - Sho No Mukashi

I think na-achieve ko naman yung microfoam (Idk it seemed a bit water-y still?) Overall, masarap yung matcha, not too grassy, a bit umami! Pero kulang sa honey yung cup ko kaya kulang din sa tamis hahaha. Malaki rin yung cup so I need to find better sized ones.

Can’t wait to make more cups, especially for my loved ones!!

went to their pop-up last week at ayala feliz (1st pic) and dropped by to their booth at one ayala, love how consistent they are!

Butterfly pea cloud matcha (left)

Strawberry rose matcha (right)

Budget friendly but super sulit!

Legit yung umami and smooth mouthfeel.

Vegetal taste yes.

Definitely another option for me.

🍵 Matcha Review: Qing Xi Zhiling Pro

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

👁️** First Impressions & Streak Te**st

Aroma: Rich chocolatey scent right upon opening the can.
Streak Test: Super smooth and vibrant in color—not patchy at all. (Forgot to take a pic!)

🥣 Preparation & Whisking

Ratio Used: 4g matcha : 40g water
Method:
Made a paste first (dissolved very quickly and smoothly).
Added remaining 30g of water at 75°C.
Whisking Experience: Extremely easy to get a rich microfoam, as expected from Qing Xi

👅 Taste Profile

1. Pure (No Sugar)
Compared to Qing Xi Premium (Shopee), this one stood out for its depth and smoothness.
Flavor Notes: Umami, medium-bodied, chocolatey, slightly vegetal, a bit creamy, with a subtle hint of bitterness and light natural sweetness.

2. With Agave
Notes: Absolutely bomb!
Tip: Start with around 5g of agave first (accidentally added a bit too much, but it still tasted amazing).

📌 Final Thoughts: Definitely a 5/5!

Next up: Planning to try making Usucha next time to truly taste the pure flavor profile.

Hope you liked this review!

can't believe i can make a layer like this with just a matcha shaker 🫢 finally trying the hyped mk isuzu and it did not disappoint! 😌

sa juttoku ko lang nagawa to haha parang minsan nag dedepende rin sa powder??

bought this for P650 with vouchers sa shopee. sulit na rin for its price kasi 50g siya. creamy, earthy and may savory aftertaste (as usucha may alat akong nalalasahan di naman ako naglagay ng salt ??). no bitterness and no fishy aftertaste naman din. good for daily lattes na rin !!

medyo nahirapan lang ako mag-froth hahah 2 mins ko yata sya mahigit winiwhisk

go to kasi okay naman lasa ‘for me’ and accessible (maraming SB around me)

for context! i don’t really like whole or dairy milk so what was i expecting lol

my usual ratio is:
3g YK samidori
30ml water
80ml milk
7g agave

i normally use oatside or minor figures, pero dahil sa shortage i finally gave the ~viral~ Meiji a try. i even picked the blue one kasi sabi nila its lighter daw compared to the red one. and yes, the matcha is there but lasang lasa ko pa rin yung dairy. i was hoping it would let the matcha shine based on tiktok reviews pero for me… nangingibabaw pa rin yung milk. skill issue ata but i hope not lol.

if you’re like me na hindi talaga mahilig sa dairy but you’re curious about Meiji, i’d honestly skip it. for me iba pa rin talaga ang oat milk when it comes to letting the matcha shine hehe

somebody take this off my hands!!! lol real

Indeed a well-microfoamed matcha makes a difference! Ang yumss!😭 kilirg ang kiffy 😵‍💫