5 Treats That Are a Matcha Made in Heaven
For our annual Best of Honolulu feature, we sought out the best matcha dessert in the city. Here are five contenders.
What’s the best matcha dessert in Honolulu? We did the research for you.
Photos: Stephanie Kim
Matcha is good for you—not only for its health benefits, but also because it is oh, so delicious, especially in the form of a sweet treat.
For our annual Best of Honolulu issue in July, we searched for the best matcha dessert. Here are some of our favorite green tea sweets. If you want to know who won, subscribe to our digital edition here or grab a copy when the magazine hits newsstands next month.
1. Matcha Maiko Special
Opened last summer, Matcha Café Maiko in Waikīkī delivers authentic green tea items, such as matcha soft serve and matcha drinks.
SEE ALSO: Matcha Lovers Rejoice! This Delicious Soft Serve Stand is a First-Class Trip to Kyoto
The most popular item is the Matcha Maiko Special, a delightful parfait that features the café’s signature matcha soft serve and pieces of matcha chiffon cake, azuki beans, cornflakes, shiratama and chestnuts.
$7.80, Matcha Café Maiko, 2310 Kūhiō Ave., #143, (808) 369-8031, matchacafe-maiko.com.
2. Green Tea Tiramisu
The green tea tiramisu at Kulu Kulu Bakery in Shirokiya Japan Village Walk is perfect if you’re looking for that light matcha flavor. There are layers of cake and cream and a dust of matcha powder to finish it off.
$4.50, Kulu Kulu Bakery, Ala Moana Center, (808) 931-0503, kulukulucake.com.
3. Chocolate Chip Matcha Scone
Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe serves up a variety of fresh scones, but we have our eyes set on its chocolate chip matcha scone. Matcha folded into the batter gives the scone a light green tea flavor, while chunks of chocolate chips and sugar crystals sprinkled on top do well to complement the subtle matcha taste.
$3, Aloha Bakehouse & Café, 1001 Waimanu St., (808) 600-7907.
SEE ALSO: 6 Green-Tea-Flavored Sweets to Help You Meet Your Matcha
4. Matcha Torte
If you find yourself in downtown Honolulu and craving some matcha, stop by Downtown Coffee for its house-special matcha torte. It has a strong matcha taste with a bamboo-charcoal crust—great for detoxing.
$3.95, Downtown Coffee, 900 Fort St. Mall, Suite 100, (808) 599-5353, dtcoffee.com.
5. Green Tea Puff
We all know the famous Liliha Coco Puff, but the green tea version deserves recognition, too. It’s filled with a delicate matcha cream and topped with the bakery’s insanely delicious Chantilly frosting (that’s green, too!).
$1.39, Liliha Bakery, 580 N. Nimitz Highway, (808) 537-2488, lilihabakeryhawaii.com.
The 2018 Hale ‘Aina Awards ballot is now online! Vote for your favorite restaurants now through June 30 for a chance to win dining certificates from our Hale ‘Aina winners. Click here to vote now. Winners will be announced at the Hale ‘Aina Awards Ceremony on Sept. 17. Stay tuned to this page for updates.
