Strawberry matcha lattes are all well and good, but how about a mango matcha smoothie?
If there’s a matcha shortage, it’s skipped Enmore’s Mamuki. Green tea powder vividly colour-boosts everything here, from the pastry cabinet’s ace banana bread to the many pixel-perfect, Instagram-optimised drinks whisked to order. This cafe’s robust stocks of the stuff are drawn from three suppliers and working directly with Japanese farmers. Mamuki even plans to launch its own matcha brand soon.
Its signature drink is the Matcha Cloud, a dairy-free alternative to creamy lattes, buzzing with green tea. Layered with coconut water and velvety foam, it has a clarifying and serene effect – like standing near a Kyoto moss garden. Meanwhile, the matcha mango smoothie epitomises social-media thirst. Scored mango is placed atop the glass to highly sculptural effect, and the sunny fruit next to deeply green tea resembles the contrasting tones of a Rothko painting.
Attractive drinks worthy of their own cover shoots have been supercharged by Instagram and TikTok. Engineered for mass likes on social media, the over-stylised beverages can also be terrible to sip. But Mamuki’s pours are genuinely delicious, and aren’t matcha-only showcases either. The Heaven On Earth is fuelled by a double shot of Ona’s Raspberry Candy, with a frozen berry garnish to match the coffee’s fruity-sweet name. (Sure, calling something “Heaven On Earth” oversells the experience, but the jackpot of chai jam in the glass is a joy to savour.)
Mamuki’s foam-topped Magic Brew is garnished with orange zest, nicely matching the citrus notes of Ona Coffee’s Kenyan Kachnyu beans. And while the cafe pushes Japanese influences heavily (from the paper lamps to rock-garden-style seating area), it’s not so obvious in this drink – until I remember that cold brew was invented in Kyoto (a fact learnt from photographer Alana Dimou’s 400-page Notes from a Holiday in Japan.
Panidtha Saard (who also operated Bondi’s Bondie Corner cafe) opened Mamuki in November and aside from a couple of tweaks (such as the addition of a joyfully messy prawn tempura sandwich), the menu’s main attractions have essentially remained the same since launch.
The tamago sando is unlike any Japanese egg sandwich I’ve seen. Traditionally made with mashed hard-boiled eggs on crust-less white bread, Mamuki offers a double-protein remix: scrambled egg as well as a jammy, soy-marinated version (the kind that flavours ramen bowls), served in a mayo-scrawled bun. There’s a lo-fi ochazuke (rice revived with broth), plus an elaborate Zen-inspired “Godai” breakfast plate. Available with grilled fish or tofu, it’s an inviting platter of rice with pickles, miso soup, mushroom salad and nimono (simmered vegetables that remind me of temple food).
I should also mention that the vegetarian options for both the breakfast plate and the ochazuke occasionally come garnished with bonito flakes and other fish elements. If you’re dodging seafood, take note, and Mamuki – please keep your plant-based dishes entirely meat-free! Especially as the menu’s many creamy, foamy drinks are so vegan-friendly – and happily loaded with a good dose of matcha.
Three more Japanese cafes to try
This cafe also takes Japanese green tea seriously, whether you’re after a cup of sencha or gyokuro. Brews are offered at precise temperatures and refreshed with roasted brown rice for a bonus flavour hit. Owner Fuminori Bun Fukuda is from one of Japan’s most well-known regions for tea and even sells some leaves under Monaka’s brand. You can also buy enticing home-brewing items here, from hand-crafted cups to the iPhone of teapots.
2/24 Waratah Street, Mona Vale, cafemonaka.com.au
This charming cafe feels like a hidden gem you’d find in a quiet Tokyo neighbourhood. Owner Yu Ozone has ensured everything on the menu is vegan and gluten-free, right down to the tempura batter that took her six years to perfect. The sweet-potato doughnuts are excellent (grab the yuzu flavour!) and the strawberry-matcha latte isn’t one chasing a viral social media trend: it’s sweetened with organic fruit jam and genuinely great.
524A King Street, Newtown, comecofoods.com.au
After Mika Kazato (bills, Aria) opened this inner-city laneway eatery, Parami quickly gained a following for its cutely packaged selection of grab-and-go onigiri, inspired by rice balls her mother pressed for lunch when Kazato was a schoolkid in Japan. At Parami, they’re stuffed with fillings such as mustard greens, seaweed and ume (pickled plum), and they’re a good match for the cafe’s selection of green tea.
Shop 101/21 Alberta Street, Sydney, instagram.com/parami_alberta
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