Mad About Matcha: Matchall Opens at Pacific Century Place With Matcha Desserts and Drinks
We've spent the summer scouring the city in search of desserts that can be eaten even in the most uncomfortable of summer temperatures. Sometimes, even ice cream – heavy, rich and sticky-sweet – can feel more like a task than an indulgence, as you race to finish it before it melts. As in most cases when seeking a lighter, healthier and fresher alternative to anything edible, today's answer comes in the color green.
If you have an obsession with Japanese food and drinks (as we do), you must have developed an addiction to matcha, the Japanese-style ground powder of green tea leaves. Matcha is supposed to tout many health benefits – packed with antioxidants, boosting metabolism, burning calories, and detoxifying the body.
Tucked away in the basement of Pacific Century Place – which is gathering heat with additions like Dubujib, Wolfgang Steak, and Dunkin’ Donuts – Matchall was born for Instagram. The decoration is minimalist with white walls, tables and floors, and five lively pops of color with grass-green tables and sofas. A display case shows available items in the front of the store, where customers can simply point to order whatever appeals most.
The menu is simple, composed of matcha-related drinks, ice creams and desserts: the matcha latte (RMB 24-26), matcha latte with cheese (RMB 20-26), a hot matcha drink (RMB 18-24), ice cream (RMB 15-24), matcha float (RMB 26-32), nougat (RMB 39), cakes (RMB 9-32) and chocolate (RMB 149), as well as a jar of fresh matcha cream that must be consumed within three days (RMB 79).
During our visit, only the matcha mochi (a Japanese cake made of glutinous rice, RMB 9) and mille crepe cake (RMB 32, main image) were available. Matcha powder was mixed with glutinous rice powder to make the soft surface of the mochi, then filled with matcha-flavored cream (not too sweet but a bit bitter) and a jelly-like core of sweet red beans. We liked the toasty and roasted flavors of the mochi. The mille crepe matcha cake tasted similar to the mochi, but was topped with sweet cereal flakes. It was also not too sweet and gave the sense of a light, healthy dessert. With our bellies getting full, we saved the ice cream for next time.
To wash things down, we had the matcha latte (RMB 24), with a pleasing green hue and a strong, bitter kick. Along the wall were bags of nougat and chocolate, the chocolates filled with dried strawberries, almonds, coffee beans, and durian. We tried them all, (yes, it’s a tough job) and found the coffee beans to be especially delicious – crispy and bitter with a strong coffee flavor fusing with the bitter and sweet matcha-flavored chocolate exterior. They also sell tea whisks made of bamboo (RMB 35) to be used with the store's matcha powder (RMB 79-89), for those of us who want to practice mixing the tea with hot water at home.
We were surprised that on a workday afternoon, 90 percent of the place was occupied, and 90 percent of the customers were female. I guess girls just wanna have fun (and green teeth) with a healthy sweet treat shared among friends.
Matchall
Daily 10am-9pm. B1-135, Pacific Century Place, A2 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (6500 2681)
关茶：朝阳区工人体育场北路甲2号盈科中心地下一层B135
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photo: Tracy Wang, Dianping
