Matcha is more than just a vibrant green drink. It’s a centuries-old tradition that’s found new life in today’s cafés and kitchens. With its rich jade color and earthy, slightly sweet but nutty flavor, matcha has roots in Japanese tea ceremonies dating back to the 12th century. Originally prized for its calming meditative properties, it has since become a staple in modern wellness culture, making its way into lattes, smoothies, and even desserts. As matcha’s popularity has skyrocketed, so has the number of places offering their take on it.
Recently, I tasted matcha from Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Ground Central, Blank Street, and a homemade version using Yamamasa Koyamaen Ogurayama matcha powder. For each one, I rated it out of five points based on flavor, texture, color, portions, price, and overall experience. So, which matcha will live up to the popularity?
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Starbucks
Honestly, this one surprised me. I ordered a vent, which is around large in regular terms, so the portion is pretty big, iced matcha latte with oat milk, and I added cherry cold foam for a little bit of sweetness. I did not wait too long for the drink, which was great. When the drink came out, I obviously noticed the vibrant green color, which surprised me for a Starbucks beverage because it looks like they use powder matcha and not a premix, which I prefer. Apparently, Starbucks did upgrade their matcha so patrons can also pick a sweetness level of their own preference. The color was a satisfying green, and the matcha itself had a small amount of chunks at the bottom, which I guess is typical for matcha when blended or whisked. The matcha taste is definitely there, but it is a little one dimensional and lacks much taste besides the grassiness. Thankfully, the cold foam did not overpower the matcha as I could taste more matcha than cold foam, and along with the already foam-like texture of the matcha, it gave it more of a soft texture, which I honestly enjoyed. But, after a while I had a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Overall, the matcha was decent and satisfactory, but I have definitely tasted better. I would say this matcha is best for when you are in a rush or do not want to pay $12 for a matcha latte, Overall I would say this is not terrible.
- Portion: 5/5
- Price: 5/5
- Color: 4.5/5
- Texture: 5/5
- Experience: 3/5
- Flavor: 3.5/5
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Dunkin’ Donuts
Everyone’s favorite, Dunkin. The proximity of this establishment to LHS l makes it easily accessible for people to go and get coffee for lunch. In this case, I got, of course, matcha. I ordered a large iced matcha latte with oat milk with a bit of sweetener. The large was honestly too big for me, so my friend had to finish the rest. I would recommend a large if you are famished. I went tenth period, so thankfully, Dunkin’ was not as crowded as it is during the early periods of the day. I honestly went in with low expectations, but I came out neither disappointed nor surprised. Starting off with the color, it was very light, like a pastel green, which usually is a sign for lower-grade matcha powder. The powder itself was sweet, so when combined with sweetener, it felt like I was going to get a sugar rush. There were matcha chunks at the bottom, but as I said, this is usually a common occurrence for matcha. The sweetness overpowered the matcha by a lot which is not my cup of tea when it comes to the drink. The texture was very soft and light and felt like milk in my opinion. Overall, this matcha was not bad at all but just too sugary to finish it all. This matcha is best for when you’re in a rush or want something sweet. I would prefer making my own matcha rather than buying this one.
- Portion: 5/5
- Price: 5/5
- Color: 2/5
- Texture: 3.5/5
- Experience: 4/5
- Flavor: 2.5/5
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Ground Central
Ground Central is just about a seven-minute walk from LHS, which makes it a considerable spot for lunch. The atmosphere is cozy with good music and amiable baristas. I ordered a large—which at Ground Central is slightly bigger than a small—iced matcha latte with oat milk and vanilla syrup. For a pretty small matcha, I paid $8, which usually always disappoints me, but I do go there from time to time, so this price is not that surprising anymore. The color was very light and had a grey tint to it. I am not quite sure if the powder was ceremonial grade (which means it is the highest quality matcha powder), or not. And, yes, there were chunks of matcha at the bottom, so I got a piece in my mouth and was honestly scared for a second because I thought it was food or something else but then I remembered that it was matcha that was not mixed. They do whisk the matcha, which I like, and you can see them do it behind the counter. The matcha itself was almost watery; I am not sure if this was the abundance of ice in the drink or the oat milk. There was a sweetness to it, which I liked, and due to the texture was similar to that of the Dunkin’ matcha, soft. Overall, the matcha was sweet, and I did not taste enough of it in the drink I wish it had more of that grassy flavor, but apart from the size and price, I would say it is a satisfactory matcha for a cafe in Lynbrook. Also, if getting matcha from here, I would recommend getting it hot instead because, you are paying for the drink and not just ice.
- Portion: 1/5
- Price: 2/5
- Color: 2.5/5
- Texture: 3.5/5
- Experience: 5/5
- Flavor: 3.5/5
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Blank Street Coffee
Blank Street is the least accessible matcha on the list since the closest locations are in the city, but they do have my favorite matcha, the iced blueberry matcha, so I really could not leave them out. Usually when I do go into the city, I like to go to Blank Street and treat myself to a matcha. Sometimes the store can be a bit crowded, but it is definitely worth the wait. I just adore being in the city, so it really is not a big deal to me. I decided to order the new, iced strawberry shortcake matcha in a small with oatmilk. It cost around $7.75. This matcha was delicious to say the least; the strawberry taste was not overpowering at all, and it actually tasted like good matcha. I am not sure if Blank Street uses its own matcha powder, but if they do, I would 100% buy it. There was red syrup, which was the strawberry, and when mixed in, it combined greatly. The green color was a perfect dark shade, which I appreciate after getting all these pastel green matchas. And, guess what, there were no chunks! I could taste the grassiness of the matcha. Overall, Blank Street won me over with this one. I wish that they had closer locations; the closest one is in Brooklyn however, if you are in the area, I definitely recommend going to Blank Street for a quick detour!
- Portion: 4/5
- Price: 4.5/5
- Color: 4.5/5
- Texture: 4/5
- Experience: 5/5
- Flavor: 5/5
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Yamamasa Koyamaen Ogurayama Matcha Powder
This matcha is a little bit difficult to acquire since you have to order it, and it might be sold out because of its popularity and also the fact that shipping takes time, which is a bit irritating. Ogurayama matcha—for short—is real ceremonial-grade matcha, the real fancy stuff. On the website it is described as “dreamy, mild in character, with sweet creamily full-bodied, delicate flavors.” On the site it says that “it offers a rather pleasant, joyful experience for those seeking a more engaging flavor as well as for those just getting to know matcha tea.” Clearly, I went in with high expectations. When I first made it, I was really intrigued by the dark green color and the forthiness of it as well. It was fluffy and looked incredible just when whisking it. Thirty grams of the product is about $22, which is a bit expensive, but you are getting your own make-it-at-home powder. The description did live up to the matcha. I added a bit of oatmilk and honey to it for sweetness, and the flavor really was dreamy. It had a real nutty and grassy, flavor, which is what I look for in my matchas. I made it at home, so I had my breakfast on the side, and I was satisfied. Overall, if you were to buy your own powder, get Ogurayama matcha. If you like the bitterness of matcha, get this one! I would try pairing it up with a DIY strawberry syrup, and I am sure that would be delicious.
- Portion: 5/5
- Price: 4.5/5
- Color: 5/5
- Texture: 5/5
- Experience: 5/5
- Flavor: 5/5
Out of all the matchas tasted for this review, Ogurayama matcha takes the cake. It is definitely worth the money, especially for me since I drink a lot of matcha. I do not have to spend money going outside and getting one, and can I use my own powder in the comfort of my own home. Apart from being at home, it just tastes the best. Usually in matcha, I look for a dark green color and fluffiness, and Ogurayama brings it on.
In last place is Ground Central. No hate to them; I love it there, and it is one of the only cool looking spots in Lynbrook, but the matcha is just not my cup of tea. Paying $8 for a large that is basically the size of a small is not worth it; it is honestly just disappointing. The color also just was not dark enough, and it was a little too sweet.
