17 Matcha Foods that We Love So Matcha (We like No. 5 & 14)

Oooohhh my bittersweet friend. The trend of Matcha foods (desserts especially) is still invading our Instagram feed and there seems to be no one pulling the brakes yet. Here is a guide to assist you in conquering all these foods in Singapore one by one. And just in case you’re worried about dem calories, Matcha is actually proven to enhance weight loss by boosting your metabolism. (I KNOW RIGHT, this means time for more desserts!) Let’s jump right into our Matcha favourites, shall we?

1. Matcha Tang Yuan

Pop goes the glutinous bubbles; feel the rich fillings disintegrate into a sweet mess in your mouth. Amidst all the innovative food fads that come and go, don’t we all just appreciate a bowl of some good old school Tang Yuan in a fragrant peanut soup? Despite having a few branches islandwide, Ah Balling Tang Yuan still makes their great balls of love by hand, and stuffs them generously with five types of filling, including a unique green tea flavour. The green tea glutinous rice balls, packed with a sweet green tea paste, are slightly chewy yet firm. You’ll be glad to know that they still keep prices affordable at 50 cents or less a ball, depending on the portion ($2 for 4 balls). I went for the classic peanut soup that was not overly sweet. Longan Soup, Ginger Soup and Almond Soup are available as well. You don’t need to splurge to get your green tea fix!

2. Matcha Egg Tart

I was introduced to Fancy Delight’s egg tarts (or should I say cups) a few years ago. They have a wide variety of egg tarts, including a matcha one that not many are aware of. It may turn you off a little with the unusual combination of a green crust and yellow custard, but the taste will make you change your mind. Their Matcha Egg Tart ($1.50) breaks apart easily due to its crumbly, buttery green tea crust. The insides are filled to the brim with a soft and eggy custard. This egg tart is not too sweet, and perfect for those who simply wish for a mild matcha flavour.

3. Matcha Azuki Choux

5cm in diameter, Ollella’s choux are beautifully topped with a matcha Chantilly that drew our attention from afar. The Matcha Azuki Choux ($4.50) features a green craquelin choux and sweet azuki beans. We couldn’t bear to destroy this elegant creation and snapped away with our cameras before finally breaking it apart. Every mouthful was bursting with flavours. While the matcha cream was light, the rich azuki beans provided a good contrast.

4. Matcha Pancakes

Pacamara ranks high on everyone’s go-to cafes list, I believe. Not too long ago, this lovely café launched their Matcha Pancake ($17.50) with azuki bean paste, fresh berries, azuki ice cream and vanilla sauce. The pancakes itself were soft and fluffy but we wished that there was a stronger punch of matcha flavour. The little pot of sweet condensed milk for the pancakes did not impress us, but at least the azuki ice cream received more stamps of approval.

5. Matcha Croissant

Tiong Bahru Bakery has long been a thing among cafe hoppers and pastry lovers. I, myself, have been a fan of their almond croissants since I tried them at the Tiong Bahru outlet. As we were wandering around looking for more yummy Matcha sweets, we chanced upon the Green Tea Almond Croissant ($4) at Tangs Plaza and boy, was I glad to have tried this rendition of the almond croissant. The Matcha taste did not overwhelm the classic buttery flavours. Despite the unappetizing flat outlook, this croissant will lure you in with its flavours. The exterior of the croissant was flaky and crisp, while the interior (which I go crazy for) has a bread-like texture and was buttery and moist. The difference between this and its predecessor is the light matcha paste, which generously filled the centre of the croissant. This is undoubtedly one of the better matcha desserts that we’ve tried.

6. Matcha Pudding

Matcha Pudding ($2) for you? Top up just $1 for Taro Balls, Sweet Potato Balls, Red Beans and Konjac jelly for extra satisfaction. Shelves of puddings are refrigerated, and toppings are scooped atop the pudding upon order. The pudding itself is firm yet bouncy, with a hint of Matcha. I was told that their puddings are handmade, which is less common now considering how factory-made pudding appears to be a rather tempting option for many. The toppings added some chewiness to the otherwise simple curd. This ain’t your cup of pudding if you’re going for a rich dessert, but this pudding is a great dessert to follow a greasy Char Kway Teow meal at Golden Mile Food Centre.

7. Matcha Lava Cake (The Coolest one Around)

Let it flow, let it flowwww~ Watch the hot bomb of Matcha White Chocolate Lava explode into the cold chocolate soil, almond nougatine and roasted green tea gelato. The Matcha Avalanche ($13.90) from Non Entrée Desserts is a good option for those who love their desserts thick and rich. Use a knife to slice open the lava cake and watch green magma drip into the glass cup. After all the action, crack the almond nougatine to let the lava cake fall into the glass. Enjoy this interesting dessert at this little cosy café situated along Rangoon Road.

8. Matcha Mochi

If you see Stateland Café and are confused, step right in because you’ve actually arrived at the right place. Their Matcha Burst ($15) comes with a swirl of cookie butter soft serve and three matcha mochi balls that comes loaded with an oozing reservoir of molten matcha sauce. You’ll want to pop these chewy glutinous balls straight into your mouth – cutting into them makes for a foodporn worthy shot, but you lose all the molten goodness as a result. While the individual components tasted good on its own, the flavours ultimately failed to come together and we found ourselves eating the various parts of the dish in silo.

9. Cha Soba

Hana Japanese Restaurant recently took Singapore by storm, riding on their magical flying noodles that easily captured the attention of Singapore. Even though it was located at a more secluded area on Orchard Road, don’t be shocked to see the queue form before the restaurant is even open for dinner at 6pm. We flew down to unravel the mystery behind their Flying Cha Soba (soba noodles made from buckwheat and wheat flour, infused with matcha) with Spam Maki ($16), but it seemed like it didn’t take us on the ride that we were highly anticipating for. We wished that the matcha taste in the noodles could be stronger, even though the texture was pretty springy. The noodles came with 2 dipping sauces – Soba dipping sauce and Cha Soba Sauce with onsen tamago, with the latter being our personal favourite. And if you’re wondering what to do with the raw quail egg served aside the noodles, you may have it together your noodles as the staff let us in on. Experiencing the novelty for yourself but don’t expect the taste to take you to the skies.

10. Matcha Bingsu

O’ma Spoon has been around for quite a period of time, before a large number of Bingsu speciality shops started popping up one by one. The Matcha Bingsu ($13.90) was such a feast for the eyes. Standing tall, the Bingsu consisted of a large scoop of matcha ice cream resting mighty atop a generous tower of shaved milk shavings. We felt that the nuts (peanuts, cashew nuts and almond nuts) cut through the sweetness of the Bingsu and added a lovely crunch. The shaved milk shavings could have been creamier though. After all the shopping in town, have a seat and enjoy this refreshing cold dessert to recharge, mmhmmm.

11. Matcha Cheesecake

When we think about Japanese cafes, it might not come as a surprise that Café&Meal MUJI pops up off the top of our heads. I personally enjoy shopping at MUJI’s food section, and I guess I was secretly hoping to feel the same excitement from their desserts. Unfortunately, I didn’t. While their Matcha Cheesecake ($5.40) wasn’t the best I’ve tasted, the mild matcha taste comes through the cheesecake well. Furthermore, the mixed nuts crust was a good change from the usual biscuit-based crust. However, the cheesecake might also come off a tad dry to some.

12. Matcha Parfait

Hvala Waffle Bar has joined the closely knitted family of small bites at the basement of 313 last year. After trying their speciality, I finally get the hype behind their Matcha Soba Soft Serve. They offer a few signature Matcha Parfaits for your pick, although you may create your own if you wish to. The Tsubu Parfait ($10.80, including the puffle) appeared to be the most appetizing, as it included a few traditional Japanese elements such as grilled dango (sweet dumplings) and senbei (rice crackers). The chewy dango and salty senbei were interesting touches that we did not expect to go well with the soft serve. Just take a good look at that gigantic puffle in the background; even we were surprised. We particularly enjoyed the chocolate fondue sauce on the puffle, combined with the soft serve. Albeit on the pricey side, sharing this dessert with your friends will not cause a hole in your wallet.

13. Matcha Freak Cake

Step aside freakshakes, freak cakes have arrived in town. These cakes are called freak cakes for a reason, but in a good way of course. Montana Singapore has launched this new series in September, which drew everyone’s attention to their gorgeous looking cakes that includes the Matcha Black Sesame Freak Cake ($14.80). The exterior is covered with matcha buttercream and there is black sesame frosting dripping down the sides of the cake. After slicing the cake in anticipation, this is what you get – moist distinct layers of matcha cake amidst smooth black sesame buttercream. If you’re particular about the cake texture, here’s a heads up – the cake itself seems to be more fudgy rather than spongy and airy. The only weird thing was the black sesame soil that was left untouched due to its slight rubbery texture. Montana Singapore has done a pretty good job in balancing the flavours, but it definitely looked better than it tasted. Do drag your friends along to share this large serving of cake!

14. Matcha Pretzel

Auntie Anne’s started way back in 1988, and has done a magnificent job in keeping its business thriving for so long. You know Auntie Anne ain’t messing around with their pretzels, when you finally taste her work of art. Their Matcha Pretzel ($3.40) consisted of a buttery and bread-like pretzel tossed in some matcha powder and sugar. Unexpectedly, we enjoyed the Matcha Pretzel as the matcha powder did not overwhelm the hearty pretzel itself. I would definitely recommend this if you don’t mind spending a little more to indulge in a snack.

15. Matcha Soufflé

I’m guessing Hoshino Coffee probably rings a bell in your head? Alongside their signature “Hand-Dripped” coffee and French toasts, they too whip up a relatively satisfying souffle. Their Matcha soufflé ($10.80) had a very light and wobbly interior encased by a crisp and nicely browned crust. Dusted with icing sugar and matcha powder, perhaps the soufflé dessert could be elevated with a scoop of ice cream for a hint of creaminess. In our opinion, it was slightly undercooked but the taste made up for it.

16. Matcha Milk Tea

In the gently refurbished space in ICON Village lies Matchaya opened by Kaelyn Ong and Kevin Chee. Their dedication to pioneering the idea of providing organic premium matcha drinks shine through the milk teas that they have worked hard to create. Certified organic premium ingredients from different prefectures in Japan have been combed to produce a variety of Japanese milk tea. Keeping the sugar level to a minimum, there are four milk teas for you to choose from – Matcha Milk Tea, Houjicha, Royal and Kuromitsu. The fragrant Matcha Milk Tea ($4.90) is pleasant and juggles the sweet and bitter notes well. If you prefer a stronger matcha flavour, top up $1 for another shot of matcha.

17. Matcha Expresso

This year, Starbucks Singapore released their Teavana series that revolutionized the idea of tea in the coffee chain. Lovers of matcha definitely would have heard the news about the new Matcha Expresso ($6.90 onwards) – their signature Expresso Roast combined with fragrant Matcha milk. The layering of the coffee and Matcha milk is beautiful, isn’t it? The expresso came through too strong, almost overwhelming the matcha flavours in the drink. Undoubtedly, the drink is definitely a caffeine booster for anyone who needs it, but if anything, it’s simply more of a coffee than a matcha drink.

Turning green with envy? Satisfy your matcha cravings and you will be grinning from ear to ear in no time. Ride along this matcha wave and enjoy the health benefits that comes along!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid for its own meals at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to these places. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!