Sana may tap into trends, but the team are still in awe of customers who travel across the city to experience the bayside cafe.
Is too much matcha ever enough? Not at Sana, where matcha outsells coffee. Open since February, Sana is drawing customers from an hour away for social-media-famous matcha drinks and Asian-inspired brunches. But you don’t need to trawl TikTok: I’ve got the lowdown.
Sana is a destination cafe, at least in the sense that you would never stumble upon it, here on the light-industrial fringe of a low-rise housing estate with kid-friendly cul-de-sacs. Even though we’re in Cheltenham, 20 kilometres south of the city, parking is tricky. During the week you’ll be more likely to find a spot for the car and a seat in the cafe, either in the sheltered front porch or inside, where tables are arranged around a central drinks station as busy with matcha-whisking as milk-steaming.
Everything is light, bright and fresh, chic rather than cosy, with whitewashed bricks, concrete flooring and tiles in shades of pink. (I visited with a friend who uses a wheelchair. The toilets in the cafe aren’t accessible, but there are disabled facilities in the adjoining foyer.)
Matcha is a finely ground powder made from shade-grown green tea leaves, hand-picked only in spring, then steamed and slowly ground to an iridescent sprinkle. Whisked, poured and served according to protocols with roots in Zen Buddhism, matcha is the traditional beverage in Japanese tea ceremonies. In a Kyoto temple, matcha is usually sipped in its simplest form, combined with hot water using a bamboo whisk. In fashionable cafes in Melbourne, it’s served hot, cold, layered, foamed and baked into desserts. The best matcha tastes grassy, rounded and deep, astringent but not too bitter.
At Sana, the matcha latte is a good example of the genre. Some cafes use pre-batched matcha cordial, but they hand-whisk to order here. Matcha is also mixed with “banana milk”, an on-trend Korean beverage that sits as a pleasant, mild backdrop for the tea. Need more? Whisper to the waiter that you want the secret menu, and you’ll have nine more matcha drinks to choose from: iced matcha with Earl Grey is a good place to start.
Sana’s owner Steve Chrun moved from Sydney to Melbourne so his wife could be closer to her family. Up north, the former finance guy launched popular cafes Celsius in Kirribilli (now sold) and Cafe Monstera in Mosman Bay (still in the stable). They’re both waterfront cafes with contemporary eggs ‘n’ extras menus. Sana is different, with views of townhouses rather than bobbing yachts and more of a Japanese culinary angle.
Udon carbonara is an Asian fusion staple; this is a smart rendition, the chewy, cheese-scattered noodles served alongside soy-glazed thick-cut bacon, oozy egg yolk and a little dashi broth, which helps smooth the flavours and lighten the dish. Avocado toast is a cheery pile of lightly charred avo (smoky, but not warm or gross), spicy hummus and wasabi “granola” (grains stirred with blitzed wasabi peas, which is a clever touch).
The same granola base, this time mixed with cocoa rather than peas, is scattered over an acai bowl which amps up the colour and flavours with tropical fruit and a fudgy square of brownie. As winter hits, look for hot waffles instead of chilly acai. Wagyu mince is turned into a spiced pattie, crumbed, fried and splodged with curry pickle mayo for the milk-loaf sandwich.
Tapping into trends and hype can feel cynical, but Sana is more about joy, fun and a sincere welcome. Yes, there’s a not-so-secret menu, but the real secret to Sana’s success is that Chrun and his team are still surprised and grateful that people are seeking out the place: if you whisk it, they will come.
Three more matcha specialists to try
Matcha Kobo
This new city spot stone-mills matcha then whisks it to order for specialty hot and cold drinks. There’s table seating, but you can really channel Kyoto by sitting cross-legged on cushions in the faux temple area. Kobo is above DIY Japanese burger grill Nikuland, also worth a visit.
2/258 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/matchakobo
Meet Forest
Too much cute is never enough at tiny Meet Forest. Desserts include multi-layered matcha crepe cakes, matcha mochi and matcha Basque cheesecakes. There’s a miniature dressed-up dog called Sesame, and coffee is taken seriously too.
1A/7 Yarra Street, South Yarra, instagram.com/meetforest_mel
Naau
They’re both green, earthy and nutty, so why wouldn’t pistachio go with matcha? One-year-old Naau is a small city cafe that does matcha every which way, including a hot, frothy pistachio version, which could be my winter winner.
276 Russell Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/naau.coffee
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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