From humble beginnings as a powdered green tea that gained popularity in North America in the past decade, matcha has become mainstream in today's food and beverage culture, with numerous food and beverages including this inconspicuous green powder.

During my early-university days, a friend introduced me to a retired Japanese café in Vancouver called Basho, where I tried my first ever Matcha Latte, and from then has ignited my love and passion for all things matcha.

Procuring my own Chasen (Whisk) and Chawan (Bowl), I ventured into the realm of creating my own matcha lattes at home - as someone who only drank hot chocolate and loose leaf tea, this was a welcoming change to my morning beverage routine.

Being a self-proclaimed matcha connoisseur (and coining #matchamonday on social media), I set forth to try all things matcha. Living in a city where almost every café has their own version of a matcha latte, it has become a staple menu item.

Given the vast offerings and multiple renditions from local cafes, I was curious to find where I could procure the best Matcha Latte in the city - it has become my mission to find the best matcha latte this city has to offer. 🍵

• The microfoam is great, and makes for a nice light drink that works really well with their matcha.

• There is the perfect amount of sweetness for me in this latte. They serve 30% sweetness by default, which is just enough sweetness that comes out from the oat milk and additional sweetener. I particularly love the balance of the sweetness that pairs with their matcha.

• Their ceremonial matcha is a staple for all my lattes at home, and the way they put this drink together with the powder is on another level from what I make at home. Provides a rich and delectable matcha flavour that brings this drink full circle.

• They are known for mainly using oat milk in their drinks, and because of that, I believe that is why they have perfected the art of crafting their drinks with their oat milk. It was the perfect temperature to drink right as soon as I was served the drink, which I think is an important aspect that can alter the flavour profile if served incorrectly.

• No particular latte art, but it was a nice little swirl to still make the drink look visually appealing.

• Hands down my top contender for matcha lattes in Vancouver. The staff and owner are really friendly, and I am proud to say that I own many of their teas as part of my daily routine, so it was a treat to come into their shop and enjoy one made by the baristas!

• The microfoam is just right, and has a great frothiness. It's not gritty at all, and the drink overall has a nice mouth feel, which is a consistent experience from start to finish.

• I asked for half-sweet, but it was definitely more on the non-sweet side. It was fine for me since I appreciated the subtleness, but I would probably just ask for regular sweetness next time.

• The matcha quality is top notch and has a bitterness that I enjoy, but it is just right and it works well with their choice of oat milk.

• Their oat milk is merely a vessel for their matcha and doesn't disrupt the flavour like most other oat milks do at almost all other cafes. Perfect temperature and just thick enough to make the tea truly shine in this matcha-forward beverage.

• Nice little heart latte art, and prepared in a traditional matcha tea bowl!

• This place brings me back to my first matcha experience, and although it's not the same place as before, it still maintains the same reputation of what I remember feeling back in the day trying matcha for the first time! I am also amazed at how this perfectly crafted drink can work well with any savory or sweet meal. Amazing lunch sets and little mochi muffins (moffins) to complete your dining experience!

• The microfoam works well both practically and aesthetically, resulting in a beautiful drink that also hits the perfect consistency when drinking.

• Their regular sweet is just enough sweetness for me drinking this on a rainy afternoon. I also like how the sweetness doesn't take away from the quality of their matcha. It truly blends really well together. If I'm having a sweet-tooth kind-of-day, I'd probably ask for it to be a little sweeter!

• They use their ceremonial matcha for this drink, which I appreciate great quality matcha when it comes to a matcha latte that stands out. The initial notes are subtle, but the matcha really comes through as you continue sipping your beverage, leaving you to want to keep sipping more and more.

• I opted for an oat milk alternative instead of the soy that traditionally comes with this drink, and it works just as nicely. The temperature was also perfect to drink right as soon as the drink came to my table. It also serves as a way to enhance the flavour of the matcha, rather than overtake it (which is really easy to do with oat milk).

• Very pretty latte art! Always love some attention and care for the little details before drinking my latte.

• Knowing that their matcha powder is used in my favourite gelato from Passione (Matcha 4.0), I knew that this latte would not disappoint. I don't normally frequent this area, but this cafe has a friendly neighborhood-vibe that makes me want to come here and do some work with a tea latte in hand!

• There is a good amount of foam on this drink, and it's very light and airy.

• I asked for half-sweet, and it was perfect. It didn't taste artificial, and it was satisfying and balanced with every sip.

• The matcha quality is really good! Their matcha is sourced from Kyoto, and you can tell that they did it service by providing such a pleasant drinking experience with this strong matcha.

• I think they used the Minor Figures oat milk that I usually dislike from other places, but they hands down do it well here if it is the brand they use. Temperature was a bit on the hotter side, but it thankfully didn't distract from the taste.

• Nice little flower to accentuate the experience!

• A great latte at it's price point! A little on the smaller side for what I'd drink, but perfect for that matcha latte craving. Cute aesthetic mug when seated, but cool cat-dinosaur design on their to-go cups. Interesting location where you need to buzz into the building for access, but it's a lovely spot in the city to visit!

• It has a good amount of microfoam on top - nothing substantial, but it makes for a drink with perfect textures.

• I asked for half-sweet, which I think is a good amount of sweetness. I would probably just go with regular sweetness next time, to counter-balance with the strength of their matcha.

• The Uji matcha quality is really good! It is bold, yet smooth. It is so smooth that I could drink a lot of it without ever feeling like it's too much matcha.

• Oat milk works with their drink, and hits the right balanced notes to not stand out, but as a vessel to accompany the matcha flavour. It was the perfect temperature as well. In most cases, I prefer an oat milk that is thicker to make the drink more creamy, but because the matcha is already so smooth, it doesn't necessarily need that kind of oat milk.

• Beautiful floral designs that pop out, especially with the aesthetic of their plating choices.

• I really enjoyed this latte! This one is a perfect accompaniment to a sweet treat, and I appreciate when a latte uses premium quality matcha from Japan. Their pistachio croissant was also amazing, and I would love to eventually try their other drinks and pastries!

• The microfoam is always spot-on, which makes for really aesthetic drinks, and also doesn't leave a weird texture to the drink.

• The sweetness tends to vary for me from being just right to a little on the sweeter side, but I thought that the sweetness was the perfect balance at the time of this review.

• Matcha quality is always spot on, and it pairs well with their milk and sweetness.

• Oat milk is good, in the sense that it doesn't make the drink taste very different from their standard matcha latte that I was used to having. The milk was extremely hot at the time of this review, so it made it hard to drink for the first few sips.

• Beautiful hearts and flowers made by the staff here, regardless as to whether it's for dine-in or to-go.

• One of my favorites since my university days when looking for a cafe to study at. It hits the mark as almost a perfect matcha latte for me at a 4.5, with potential room for improvement to find the greatest balance between all of the above latte factors.

• The drink was nice and airy, and the microfoam was done really well.

• It doesn't normally come with any sweetener, but they asked and I requested half-sweet, which was the perfect amount of sweetness for me.

• Great quality matcha - very smooth, very green, and very easy to keep going back and drinking more and more of it.

• It's a good consistency of oat milk. There's a bit of a tartness that I'm unsure about, but the temperature was perfect. They also didn't upcharge for oat milk - not sure if they forgot or if it was a free milk alternative change.

• Nice flower design for such a small glass cup.

• A really great overall drink composition. I do feel like it's quite small for the size though - I wish they had a larger option. It pairs really well with their croissants and cruffins, of which are some of my favorite pastries to get here in Vancouver.

• The amount of foam was good for the drink, and there was no gritty textures.

• I don't think any sweetener was added, but it actually had a subtle sweetness, which was good enough for me ordering this first thing in the morning.

• The quality of the matcha powder is actually pretty good from what I tasted.

• It's definitely oat milk, although it's lighter than what I would usually prefer. I think it's slightly sweet from the oat milk, and it was steamed at a good temperature.

• Nice little flower latte art, even in a to-go cup.

• I appreciate the aesthetic and theme that they go for, and I think that there's a lot of good going for this latte. I would definitely get it again, and perhaps add some sweetener to it to enhance the flavour even more! Borderline rating, but I'll give them a 4.5 for a unexpectedly great drink from the Brentwood Food Court.

• Foam was good in the sense of contributing to a nice light drink, although I wasn't a fan of the first couple sips that were mostly foam, but I could look around it for how balanced the other components of this drink were.

• A good level of sweetness, which complemented the matcha and milk well.

• I'm not sure if the matcha powder was of the best quality, but I think they did a really good job in making this drink from what they had. The color did not have that deep green that I typically look for, but on the spectrum of doing matcha well, I think the execution was spot on.

• They only had a soy milk alternative, of which worked really nicely in their drink. I was afraid that the soy-component would overshadow the flavour, but it was just right to complement the matcha and sweetness quite well.

• No latte art which is a bummer because of the foam, but no matter with regards to affecting points for the overall drink!

• I enjoyed this one! And it goes well with the savory meal I had, which included one of my favorite dishes here - the masago pasta with hamburger steak, so yummy! Would definitely order again and come here for all their affordable and delicious food options!

• The foam was good, such that it helped with the airiness of the drink, although the height of the foam may of taken up more of the volume off the top of the cup than I would like.

• It was definitely on the sweeter side to feel more like a dessert (might be a simple syrup?), but I didn't think it was overpowering and worked well with their matcha and oat milk.

• Pretty good matcha powder quality - very smooth and easy to drink.

• This oat milk was at the perfect temperature, and was the perfect vessel for their matcha. The milk probably had some sweetness to it, in addition to whatever sweetener they also added to it.

• An attempt was made to make some latte art in this to-go cup. The foam also made it a bit challenging to do art since the bubbles from the frothing were quite big.

• Pretty good overall - I think I remember trying this a long time ago and not being as good, but I think the spa put in more effort over time into their cafe to deliver the drinks and desserts that they offer up now. I would totally come back to do some light coffee work with their ample table space inside.

• The amount of microfoam was good and didn't make the drink gritty.

• The drink was a bit on the sweeter side than what I usually prefer, but I actually liked it for this drink.

• Matcha tasted good, but I don't think it quality they used was the best.

• Oat milk is on the lighter side, but it was okay with me since it was a balanced drink. It has a hint of a vanilla taste, but it's not overpowering.

• Attempt at latte art in their mug, but not that visually appealing otherwise.

• It's a solid 4 - a bit on the pricey side, but worth getting it if you're in the area and looking for a good matcha latte in a cafe that isn't too crowded.

• Just enough sweetness, and has a great matcha taste, with only a little bitterness, but in a good way.

• Oat milk is lighter than what I'm typically used to, but it goes well with their matcha and doesn't taste milky. It also feels like they don't have a vanilla taste like others have that I've tried recently.

• Good amount of foam on top, doesn't feel gritty when drinking it. Not really much latte art, but I'm more concerned about the flavour anyways.

• It's a solid 4, but I think it could be a 4.5 the more that I drink it! Not sure what the exact size is, but the large feels like it's on the smaller size compared to most places that offer a large size.

• There was quite a bit of foam that I got through before I could get to the drink itself, which was a turnoff right from the start, but it eventually got to just the milk-part itself, which was nice.

• The drink has the right amount of sweetness for me - it's a bit on the sweeter than average-side for regular sweetness, but it works well with their milk and matcha.

• The matcha they're using is good. It unfortunately was gritty through the first few sips due to the foam I mentioned, but otherwise it's a good blend they are using.

• The oat milk has a good consistency. Temperature is good and is a good vessel for their choice of matcha. I would say that the sweetness of the drink partially comes from the natural sweetness of the milk itself, in addition to whatever was added to the latte.

• The latte art was very cute with the flower design. It really popped in this beverage and in the space as well.

• A convenient café that has plenty of space for work and parking, and it's right beside my climbing gym, which makes it a good spot overall. With the initial mouthfuls of froth aside, it's actually a solid latte, and one that I can easily go back to if I overlook that part of the experience.

• Good amount of foam, although it is challenged by the type of oat milk being used, and hence does not contribute much to the airiness of the drink.

• I requested for the drink to be half-sweet, but it was still quite sweet, relative to what I expected. The sweetness does not overpower the drink though.

• There is a strong matcha taste, of which has a consistent flavour and a good green color. As mentioned, the oat milk unfortunately is a distraction to the quality of the matcha.

• The oat milk has this lightness and bitterness (of which tastes similar to the one from Aperture), which is the main factor that throws me off for this drink, but it still feels like they did a good job to make it work with their ingredients.

• No particular latte art, but just a cute little blob.

• It's a cosy cafe that is perfect to just hang back and pair a beverage and dessert. I thought the latte was good overall, and was a good pairing with the macarons I ordered, but on it's own, it could benefit from using a different oat milk and drink composition to help bring it's rating up.

• The foam was good, but it didn't really affect the consistency of this drink.

• There is a natural sweetness that is nice. I feel like it's a very natural sweetness - whether it comes from the milk or some combo or otherwise.

• The matcha quality is actually pretty good. I haven't heard of Single Estate Maccha (as it claims to be on the menu), but it has a bitterness that I enjoy having as a tea. I don't think it works with their milk though, it might just be more suitable as a tea and not a latte. (I did some research after and it's a blend that comes from a single cultivar, giving it a sweet and rich flavour!).

• The oat milk they use is super watery. It's either that or maybe there wasn't enough oat milk used, but just enough to make latte art.

• A nice touch with the heart blob, and it makes the green of the matcha really stand out.

• Overall not bad. It does get quite heavy in matcha the more you drink it, especially since it's not too sweet. They have a bunch of pastries, as well as their round croissants that they're known for, and so I think drinking this latte would be a great complement to their pastries.

• Foam looks good, but it doesn't really add to the latte airiness (I realize I tasted this same oat milk at Little Cafe on Robson).

• The sweetness is subtle, but it's nice. It doesn't taste like a sweetener was added, so I'm assuming it's coming directly from the matcha or oat milk.

• Matcha quality is not bad, but definitely on the lighter side. I think if they added more of their matcha and paired it with a better oat milk, it would improve this drink.

• The oat milk is too watery - it's the Minor Figures brand that I'm not a fan of. It was prepared at a good temperature nonetheless.

• Nice little design for what they can do with this oat milk, with the blob on top.

• I would describe this drink as a subtle sipper. I could see it easily being a 4 if they make some minor tweaks to their choice of oat milk and find a better balance of the components.

• Foam was good, although it didn't really contribute much to the airiness of the drink. It looks like they used the same type of Earth's Own Oat Milk that I used, so I'm surprised that it's not as airy as what I would prepare at home.

• It's regularly on the sweeter side, which I suppose matches with their matcha choice, but I can elaborate more on that below. I would prefer for it to be less sweet, especially if I want to pair it with a pastry or such.

• The matcha is okay - it very much reminds me of the instant matcha from the store, but still stronger in taste than those packets. This is where I feel like the sweetener comes in, to match with the matcha powder or mix that they use for their beverage. It still tastes good though - don't get me wrong.

• The oat milk was good, although the drink does fall on the heavier-side since it was not as airy as I would like it to be. There's the sweetness from the oat milk, on top of what extra sweetener was added to the drink.

• No latte art for the matcha, but they did for my friend's flat white!

• It's an okay latte. It's a nice little neighborhood spot though, so I would definitely come back here to do light work and hangout, and maybe just go for more of their coffee products, which it seems like they are more known for.

• Foam is pretty decent, and it does add some lightness to this oat milk that would have definitely overpowered the flavour profile of this drink.

• It's definitely on the sweeter side, with the sweetener that they used. I would definitely enjoy this on it's own without getting any of their other desserts so that it's not a sugar-overload.

• Matcha tastes okay, it definitely gives me the vibes of the instant matcha sachets, but there's nothing wrong with it for this latte overall. There were little clumps of matcha at the bottom of the drink, so that was a little disappointing.

• The oat milk they use is definitely on the milky-side, but I think because they steamed it properly, it doesn't overpower the drink. The oat milk is also just the right temperature.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• Not bad for a bakery - I probably wouldn't go for it all the time from here, unless I was really craving a matcha latte. It's on the cheaper end of most matcha lattes these days, so I give them the upper-hand from the average latte in the area.

• Foam is minimal - I expected more since it was a customizable option.

• I modified it to have one less pump of syrup and one extra scoop of matcha, which is the sweet spot amount for me.

• Good quality matcha, although I'm unsure if they properly mix matcha powder because there were clumps of matcha powder in my drink (could also be because I added more than recommended for the size of the drink, giving them the benefit of the doubt).

• Oat milk is light, but works well with their matcha, a very straightforward flavour of matcha.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• I think it's a 3.5 - nothing amazing, but I think it's a reliable drink for anyone who is looking for a matcha latte from a major cafe chain in the city.

• There was a minimal amount of foam, which wasn't too noticeable given that the other aspects of the latte overpowered this factor, although it's worth noting that the foam wasn't a disturbance either (with regards to any bad textures).

• This drink was really sweet. I think it was partially due to the vanilla-tasting oat milk, but it tasted like there was additional sweetener that was added to the drink.

• The matcha tastes artificial - it's strong, but I wouldn't say that the quality is there. It tastes like an instant drink like I mentioned above.

• The milk was fine, but the consistency of the drink is thicker than I usually go for. The temperature was good though, so it didn't detract from the overall flavour that the drink was portraying.

• An attempted heart for latte art on top, but nothing special.

• The drink is fine, but it has a long way to go for improvement. The balance of the drink is fine, other than the grittiness that I'm getting. I would probably order some of their other items that look more appealing, such as their desserts.

• Unsweetened, but has a good matcha taste that blends well with their oat milk.

• I wish it was a little sweetened, but it's fine as it is. Always appreciate some nice matcha art.

• The first mouthful was a little gritty, which I was not a fan of, but it mellowed out the more I kept drinking it.

• It doesn't have a super grassy taste, so I can tell that the matcha is of decent quality.

• I thoroughly enjoyed their Winnie the Pooh Honey Jar, which was a creamy vanilla-infused pudding with layering of honey peach syrup and wafer cookies - I would come back just for this dessert!

• There was a little foam on top, but didn't make a substantial difference for the type of milk used. I actually expected it to be naturally watery because it was almond milk, but it was thicker than expected (even with the foam).

• It was slightly sweet, and normally I like it that way, but with the mix of their milk and matcha, I would of actually preferred some additional sweetness for the drink.

• I really enjoy their matcha in their desserts, but something about the bitterness  and grassiness of their matcha and the lack of sweetness didn't make it as palatable in this drink. It's good quality powder, but just doesn't work the best in this drink.

• They only had soy and almond milk as option alternatives, so I decided to go with the almond milk. As mentioned, the almond milk was thicker than expected, but not in the same way as oat milk naturally does. Other than the texture, the almond milk wasn't a suitable vessel for their matcha powder. It's good that the almond didn't overpower the taste of the matcha, but it still wasn't the most appealing combo.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• It's a decent latte given some of it's challenges. What really makes it challenging is the price point. I was borderline debating on giving it a lower score at the time of this review - a matcha latte should never cost more than $10 after tip. I see that the prices of their tea parfaits that I enjoy have also gone up in price by 50%, so I don't see myself going here unless I'm already in the area and have that specific matcha- and sweet-tooth craving.

• There was a good amount of foam on top,  and it contributed to the lightness of the beverage.

• It was a little too sweet for my liking, and there was this predominant vanilla sweetness that is distracting to the overall taste of the drink.

• The matcha has this bitterness and licorice kind-of taste that I don't like, and together with the sweetness of it, it throws me off. I might add the remark that it does have this taste of instant matcha, aside from potentially the quality of their powder being quite old.

• The milk is okay - I'm sure this is where the vanilla taste is coming from, and it's definitely fairly strong in this drink. Either that or their choice of syrup that they're likely using.

• No real attempt for latte art, given that it just had this olive green color.

• It's an okay matcha latte. I wouldn't get this one again from here, and instead try some of their fancier lattes. The location of this café used to be the first Coffee Monster location until they moved to only be in Surrey now, but unfortunately it does not live up to the same legacy that the old place had.

Old Rating - 2.5★ (September 2023)

• Nice amount of foam, and only slightly gritty. Unfortunately the foam doesn't really add to the airiness since the drink tastes quite milky.

• Good amount of sweetness - might be a tad on the sweeter-side. Big milk-sweetness with an additional sweetener (just granulated sugar I'm guessing).

• The matcha quality is above average, although gritty. The milk and additional sweetener overpower the matcha taste.

• The milk texture was too loose for me. Very much like cow milk, sweetness is good. I just think the milk choice is not the best. Temperature of the milk seemed just okay too.

• Pretty floral design for latte-art, although because of the foam, it becomes super bubbly real quick.

• The matcha side-of-things is not bad, but I wish the latte hit different notes that weren't so milky, and with a better milk to match, I think it could bring this drink to high ratings. Don't get me wrong though, I love their desserts (as I enjoy their earl grey choux puff while writing this review - I love all their cakes and pastries!).

• There was a little bit of foam on top, but it didn't really contribute much to the texture or flavour of the drink. The top layer was also gritty, but I was surprised that most of the drink was also quite gritty.

• It was very sweet from the first sip. It has that artificial vanilla sweetness that comes from those instant matcha drinks that you make at home.

• The matcha quality was really good, but I think that it may have been a bit too much matcha, as it overpowered the vanilla taste that normally overpowers the matcha taste from the oat milk.

• The milk texture was okay, but to my previous point, it definitely had this vanilla taste that was being overpowered by matcha and sweetener.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• This drink has a lot of potential. It needs to find the right balance between sweetness, matcha quantity, and milk quality. It tended to overdue all three of these, which can make this drink a bit too much to handle, unless you're looking for a matcha latte that can deliver a punch, in which case this would hit that category.

• The drink feels gritty unfortunately. The foam doesn't really add to the lightness that this drink has from the milk.

• Asked for half sweet, which was actually pretty good and a suitable level for my taste.

• Not a very green latte, and I think that speaks to the matcha quality with how gritty the first few sips of the drink were. They didn't skip out on the amount of matcha powder that they used, so I'd say that is a bonus.

• A very neutral oat milk - I don't know what brand they are using, but I taste mainly sweetness from the added sweetener. I also think it's because the milk was really hot, which ruins the flavour profile provided by the milk.

• Very cute drink - you can tell the barista took great care when crafting the latte.

• Not bad, but nothing special with regards to the overall drink composition. The flavour also got lighter the more I drank it. Not a regular I would order, but if someone was in the areas and needed a matcha latte to hold them over and get some work done or chat, then I wouldn't mind coming here for that and the friendly service.

• It has a bubbling amount of foam on top, but not overwhelming. The drink is light though, which works in this drink.

• I asked for half-sweet, but the drink was already quite sweet for me. I think the vanilla taste (from the oat milk) added an additional sweetness that I wasn't looking for.

• The matcha had an initial sharp bitter taste, but mellowed out after. The matcha looks a bit yellow, so it felt like it was of average quality.

• The oat milk overpowers it as you keep drinking it. It has a lighter consistency and a vanilla taste. It was really hot at first, but it also cooled down really fast.

• Nice flower latte art for classic latte designs.

• I may be biased from a previous experience for their old café on Broadway, but their matcha used to be more green and they had a really good matcha affogato. I haven't tried the affogato from the Main St. location, but I'm unsure if I want to try it given the quality of the matcha at the time of trying this latte. I also think the oat milk option needs to change, and the price point is also really big for the value of what I got.

• No foam, since I don't think they normally pay attention to these details for most of the drinks they serve here.

• It was a solid amount of sweetness. The owner mentioned that they don't use regular granulated sugar, but the difference was subtle, so I don't think I would of known if she had not told me,

• The matcha quality is very good, and the owner is very proud of how they source it from Japan. I would actually really like to just have their matcha on it's own as tea, or tried it in one of their sweeter dessert items. There was unfortunately some clumps though toward the bottom that were not whisked well.

• They use the Costco oat milk, which was okay, but I think they used too much milk, the consistency was very light, and the oat taste contrasted a bit with the matcha to create a different kind of bitterness that is different from the matcha bitterness.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• I feel torn because there's some really good elements about this latte, but also some not-so good elements. My experience of this drink also changed from the first sip to the last, and so I feel like I can only give an average rating overall.

Old Rating - 1★ (October 2023)

• There was a good amount of foam on top, which was a big improvement over my drink the last time I had one to-go. The drink was nice and light and not gritty, which made it very easy to drink.

• It had a natural sweetness to it, which popped out more this time as well since the milk was properly frothed. They might have added a little bit of sweetener this time, but it wasn't overly sweet by any means.

• The matcha taste comes through, but I think they just use an average quality matcha for this drink - nothing special that stands out from the flavour.

• The drink definitely used oat milk this time, and it was prepared at the right temperature. I still think that the oat milk they use doesn't blend well with the overall composition of the drink, but it definitely passes this time around.

• Some nice little latte art. Definitely pops out more with their coffee beverages, but I appreciate them putting in the effort for a dine-in experience.

• Still not my preferred place to get a matcha latte, but a major improvement nonetheless from my previous experience that was very disappointing. There needs to be a better balance overall in the drink composition and price-point to match.

• There was basically no foam. Additional comments below about why that happened. No grittiness in the drink, which is the positive side of it.

• There was no sweetness, which is actually okay so that the matcha flavour comes through when drinking it.

• The matcha powder seems to be of decent quality,  but the drink is just not balanced to really make it shine. I feel like it has potential if the other elements of the drink came through more.

• Okay, I think the milk here was the problem. Rather than a proper latte, it looks like it was mainly water, with a splash of oat milk added (carelessly by the barista) right before I picked up the drink. The milk is also very light and has no natural sweetness to help balance the drink.

• No latte art - the barista just splashed the milk into it with no care.

• It's a drink with potential. If I could change the quality and amount of oat milk that is used in this drink, I think it could naturally bump up my rating way higher, otherwise in it's current state, I'm dissapointed because it doesn't meet it's potential.

• The little bit of foam is a good touch, ensures that it's not gritty at all when drinking.

• I asked for half-sweet, which was honestly not that sweet at all, and doesn't blend well with the drink overall.

• Matcha is there, but it's pretty weak, but I can tell that they used good quality matcha.

• The oat milk is so light that it has the consistency of whole milk, but I know it's still oat milk (makes the drink consistency quite watery).

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• I remember their matcha latte used to taste better when I had it years ago (along with their matcha affogato). It's not great value in my opinion, and wouldn't go for it as a regular option.

• Foam content looks good, but it more-so affected the mouthfeel of the first few sips and didn't really affect the rest of the drink.

• The sweetness level was okay, but it definitely comes from the oat milk, and is very different from how it tastes in other lattes.

• I am genuinely confused about their matcha, because I see the green, but I don't taste it at all. I can only describe the taste to be similar to a sweet potato latte, and the oat milk and sweetness hits all the notes that are similar to a sweet potato latte.

• I'm convinced that this sweet potato flavor I'm tasting is because of their choice of oat milk, and it is affecting the matcha aspect of the beverage. It's a good temperature and all, but it confuses the taste of what I'm expecting versus what I'm getting.

• It was too frothy to have good latte art, but they can do it a lot better for their coffee drinks.

• It feels weird to judge this drink, but I have to judge it in the context of a matcha latte. If you told me it was a sweet potato latte, I'd give it a modest rating, but as a matcha latte, it didn't really fit the mandate for what I was looking for. Their vegan sandwiches though are really good!

Old Rating - 3.5★ (n/a)

• There's quite a bit of foam that didn't really contribute much to the drink. At least it's not gritty.

• I got half-sweet, but it doesn't taste like there was any added sweetness, other than what I taste directly from the milk.

• I barely taste the matcha, but I can taste that it's there. Surprisingly, the milk doesn't overpower the matcha either, but I wouldn't say that the drink tastes watery. Matcha is there, but it's pretty weak, but I can tell that they used good quality matcha.

• The oat milk is light like while milk, but I can taste that it isn't dairy milk. The milk is also scalding hot, which I don't think helped the drink.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• Overall the drink is balanced, but it's weak in all areas. Definitely not the same quality of matcha that I used to have in the past. They used to be a contender for a matcha latte I would buy from the commercial coffee shops, but I wouldn't get it here anymore.

• Got it without any sweetness, but they were about to offer me Splenda packets anyways, so I would of said no otherwise; I wasn't sure if the matcha was bad quality (old and oxidized) or if the water was too hot, because it had a smoky aroma and taste that was not pleasant - they didn't skimp out on the matcha, but it didn't taste good.

• The oat milk was also quite light, but also had a weird taste that made me think it was contaminated with soy milk previously.

• Generous amount of foam on top, but it was really gritty throughout the whole foam and left an unpleasant texture for the first few sips. The drink also didn't mix well, since there were clumps of matcha.  It looked like they attempted a swan latte art, but it was in a to-go cup anyways, so didn't matter at that point.

• I'm dissapointed since I really liked their matcha soft serve. I wouldn't go back for this drink, but I'm hoping that the quality of their soft serve hasn't changed as well.

• They did the microfoam really well, as it made the milk nice and airy.

• I asked for half-sweet, but it could of used some additional sweetness to be honest. I couldn't really taste any natural sweetness either coming from their matcha or oat milk.

• I can barely taste the matcha. It's a light green color, and I think they may have used some sort of instant matcha, but they also didn't use enough of it for me to taste it.

• The oat milk was unsweetened, but that's primarily what I taste. It's basically a good steamed milk with no sweetness, which I find a bit odd without the matcha flavour coming through more.

• I see a tiny leaf, but it doesn't really stick out at all since the color is very light.

• It's an okay steamed milk. Probably some of the best pricing for matcha lattes I've seen. It's in a cute neighborhood spot that I see a bunch of locals hanging out here for their morning coffee and little treat, but unfortunately it's not a matcha latte in my eyes.

Broye - Baker and Table (4.5★)

 January 2021 - Vancouver - Average Price: n/a

• Probably the closest thing to Coffee Monster – good matcha taste, and the sweetness is a good touch once you go past the first foamy few sips.

• The white chocolate version tastes better in my opinion; the regular one is pretty good, the initial foam layer tasted weird, but then once you hit the drink, it is very well blended and smooth and has good sweetness and matcha taste.

The Gray Olive (4.5★)

 December 2018 - Burnaby - Average Price: n/a

• The matcha is good here! They serve it unsweetened, but you can tune it to the perfect amount of sweetness with their liquid syrup. Only reason why it’s not a 5 is because I would say that it doesn’t have that matcha punch or wow factor that pushes it over the top, but overall good.

• Wow this was a new experience! This isn’t latte’s, but pure matcha tea tastings. You can really tell the difference between the different powders, and the quality of the matcha really comes through. I don’t have a preference for matcha if it’s not a latte, but I really liked the pricier matcha tea’s that I tried, and I really enjoyed the experience!

Java Express (4.5★)

 October 2018 - White Rock - Average Price: n/a

• It only costed $3.55 for their small size, and you can adjust the sweetness the way that you like – the flavour was perfect, and you can tell because the owner was using real powder and you can see it over the counter.

The Boulevard Coffee Roasting (4★)

 Vancouver - Average Price: n/a

• Not bad, I wish it was sweeter, but it was a good amount of matcha taste, a light and refreshing drink.

Off the Grid Waffles (4★)

 September 2019 - Vancouver - Average Price: n/a

• Matcha sweetened nice with extra toppings, matcha flavor is there.

• I went back in May 2018, and I still really liked the sweetness, and the waffle is an excellent touch. Thinking back to the matcha flavour though, I will like it was weaker than what I remembered. Either that, or my palate for matcha has changed a lot over time ($7 shake).

• Refreshing taste, rich in matcha flavour – intrigued to try their take on a hot version if that had one, a tad pricey since the cup only looks large because it is tall and skinny, quite sweet, but tolerable for me.

Twins Coffee (4★)

 June 2018 - Langley - Average Price: n/a

• I’m impressed! This reminds me of what the old Veroni used to be like. Perhaps a touch sweeter than I was expecting when most places ask if you want it sweetened or not. Has a hint of “western” matcha latte taste, but I give this one a 4 because of the fact that I would totally come back and drink it again. Also, their food is the bomb.

Origo Club (4★)

 October 2018 - Richmond - Average Price: n/a

• Disjointed sweetness but initial bold matcha flavor that eventually mellows and balances out the more that you drink it.

The Coffee Bun (3.5★)

 July 2022 - Coquitlam - Average Price: n/a

• It feels like they are making a western type of latte. The reason for the bump up is because I like the subtle sweetness of it, and I think they did a decent job with the milk frothiness. 

• Yea, it’s okay. I’m neutral about it. It’s not sweetened which is fine, since they have honey and sugar at the counter. Matcha flavour is there, so minor points for that.

• Nice light matcha drink with a unique vanilla flavor component, a bit pricey for the one and only small size, but it’s a small office business.

• A more recent visit in November 2017 had me liking it less than before. Although the store looked way nicer and they have a seating lounge area now, that distinctive vanilla flavour was lost – perhaps new owners?

• Points for uniqueness and uniqueness of a home owned business and small shop, and I liked the concept of matcha chai tea latte. Was a bit too spicy for my liking. The first sip hit me right in the throat, and the matcha taste wasn’t strong enough for me, but I really liked the idea of it though.

Republica Coffee Roasters (3★)

 Cloverdale - Average Price: n/a

• My typical 3. Good milk, but everything else is just bad. I kinda expected more from the coffee place that Coffee Monster uses for their coffee. I guess I should really be trying the coffee here and not the matcha, lol.

• Has a decent matcha powder taste to it (4). I would say their definition of ‘sweet’ is a bit lacking for my taste (3). About $5 for the large, which I find to be quite small for a large (3). Overall not bad. Would probably try other options. 

• Tiramisu was good. Cake a bit on the dry side, and coffee taste is a tad bitter, but adds for an interesting taste (4).

• This is my definition of a “western” matcha latte – it tastes like milk with matcha powder, not sweet enough, but it is a tad sweet and has an okay matcha taste.

Connected Minds Cafe & Roastery (3★)

 October 2017 - Surrey - Average Price: n/a

• It’s not “western” tasting, but it has that weird soy/black bean milk taste to it, which I somewhat enjoy when it’s cold, but not the matcha taste I was thinking of – it is also a tad grainy, overall decent drink, but confused in terms of matcha.

Creekside Coffee Factory (3★)

 December 2017 - Coquitlam - Average Price: n/a

• The first things I noticed when I took my first sip: wow it’s much richer in matcha taste than I anticipated, and there’s a mouthful of matcha foam on top which is unpleasant. Might be slightly better than my impression of a ‘western’ tasting green tea latte, but because the blend of sweetness and matcha isn’t quite there and the matcha taste gets weaker as you drink it, I had to give it a 3.

Beans Around The World (3★)

 Vancouver - Average Price: n/a

• Yeah, this is the epidemy of western style matcha latte. It’s funny though because it is an Asian couple who oversee this place. I had the iced latte, and it was not flavourful enough in matcha, and you have this fake honey taste that they used for the sweetness. Not impressed. Their cookies are dry too. ($4.95 for a medium).

• There was some foam when I opened the lid of the take-out cup to check. It has an unpleasant gritty texture.

• Not overly sweet, I only asked for slightly sweet.

• The matcha color isn't that dark, indicating to me that it isn't premium quality, nor did the flavour really shine through for this drink.

• The oat milk was also just okay, it didn't contribute to the overall mix of the drink.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• Can pair nicely with their pastries, but wouldn't recommend simply buying it on it's own.

Continental Coffee House (1★)

 June 2018 - Vancouver - Average Price: n/a

• Sorry, but it sucked. They normally don’t served an iced version, but they kindly made one for me at my request. They requested if I wanted to add sweetness, and I chose honey to sweeten it. When I got it, you could barely taste the honey, and the matcha was very chalky and flavourless. Definitely would not recommend the matcha here.

• It didn't look like there was much foam, it had a very instant-drink feel since they prepared my drink fairly quickly.

• It was naturally sweet (I think because of the milk), otherwise I don't think the drink could have benefited from other types of sweetness due to the quality of tea and milk they used.

• I only tasted a hint of matcha, despite the color being green - I could barely taste the matcha, and as I got about a third of the way into the drink, I could barely taste matcha anymore.

• I'm sure this latte had regular dairy milk, even though I asked for oat milk - it's very milk-forward. The more I drink it, the more it just tastes like milk.

• No latte art in a to-go cup.

• Very disappointed in this drink, I didn't really want to drink it anymore after the first couple sips, but I also didn't want to waste my money by throwing away an expensive drink.

La Forêt (1★)

 October 2019 - Burnaby - Average Price: n/a

• Super lack of matcha taste, pretty much drinking milk with green powder in it, sorry yellow powder… ($4.99 large).