Photo illustration for homemade matcha ingredients. (Gabbie Munoz ) Matcha has become very popular on the internet in recent years, making it easy to find it in stores and coffee shops. Matcha is a green powder made from the Camellia sinensis plant, commonly referred to as the tea plant.
The plant’s leaves are then ground up into a fine powder that is both naturally sweetened and bitter. Matcha can offer health benefits like lower risks of high blood pressure, decreasing stress and anxiety, help with weight management and even help support a stronger immune system.
Overall, there are many factors as to why people would want to drink matcha. We will be going over both ways to make matcha at home and if not wanting to “DIY” your own drink then you can find matcha lattes in the East Bay.
Local matcha spots
Chill Tea & Coffee | 2545 Sand Creek Road #100, Brentwood
By Sarah Capperauld Social Media Editor
While Brentwood’s Chill Tea and Coffee in the Streets of Brentwood is known for their coffee, is their Matcha sincerely good?
First, there’s the price aspect. It’s $7.25 for their small size which is 16 oz. The service was fast and they were friendly and welcoming. The aesthetic minty color demonstrates the slight hint of Matcha in the drink and the pure mass amount of milk.
It was way too sweet and I just wish that there was a little bit more matcha rather than the sugar since most lattes are known to be less sugary and more of a cut of sweetness.
I also wish that there was less sugar in the actual drink since all it tasted like was pure sweetness.
If you like something that is sickeningly sweet then, Chill’s matcha latte is definitely perfect for you if you want the satisfaction of boba but don’t like the actual tapioca balls.
Steeltown Coffee | 685 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg
Danny Amerson Staff Writer
Steeltown Coffee is a shop where you go to take in the vibes, study, and smell the wafting scents of coffee throughout the entire place. With comfortable couches to sit on, aesthetic interior design, and great service, this is somwehere you will go back to again.
The shop was filled with people and the line was decently long but it moved quickly.
Once you take in the awing atmosphere you can begin to order your iced matcha latte.
Steeltown’s medium matcha latte will cost you $6.25. You get everything you ask for with this order.
This latte is your average matcha that tastes like matcha and nothing else. You get a not too sweet, not too bland, perfect middle-ground drink and a great experience. And, if you love your aesthetics and like an extra green matcha latte, this one’s for you.
Truly Tea | 102 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg
By Danny Amerson Staff Writer
Truly tea offers you drinks and a colorful experience. When you walk into the store, you can’t help but notice the abundance of pink and white flowers on the wall, the gold and pink furniture, and a beautiful floral mural covering almost an entire wall.
Their iced matcha latte will run you $7.25 for a medium, which might seem pricey, but comes in a larger-than-medium cup. The service was okay. There was only one person working both the cash register and making the drinks.
The drinks took a few minutes to come out but not too many to be so dissatisfied. Once I got my drink, I was pleased with both the taste of the latte and the aesthetics of the pleasant looking cup with a geometrical shaped lid.
The drink is served normally with 100% sweetness and while that is what I got, it was not overbearing. If you enjoy a sweet drink or find yourself adding extra sweetener to your matcha latte, you will enjoy this one. It satisfies your sweet tooth and feeds your regular flavored matcha craving at the same time.
T Time | 2121A Loveridge Rd., Pittsburg
By Danny Amerson Staff Writer
T Time is a small tea/boba store about five-minute drive from Los Medanos College. It is a tiny shop with only 2 tables and a very dedicated worker.
Even though the line wasn’t long, I was impressed by the speed of the order. My drink was made rather quickly, which I was incredibly pleased with and it was only $5.65 for a small. While they don’t offer a medium size, the small passes for a small/medium and you can order a large for $6.40.
The latte started off well with a savory matcha taste with a little bit of sweetness but the taste watered down quickly and began to taste bitter.
Without being able to finish the drink halfway, the ice dramatically watered it down. I can’t say I was completely displeased, but it was the slightest bit disappointing after the strong start the drink had.
Sip & Scoop | 234 Oak Street B, Brentwood
By Mylia Brooks Staff Writer
Sip & Scoop is the place to be if you want comfort and great service. the nice spacious layout makes it where the customer doesn’t feel overwhelmed but feels welcome and comfortable.
It’s a long drive from Pittsburg with the drive totaling 25 minutes but it’s for sure worth the gas. When walking in you are immediately greeted by staff and they take your order very quickly, the wait time is nice and the price is reasonable at around $7 for a regular cup, including the oat milk alternative. Seating is provided for your wait but also to stay and enjoy.
The staff were extremely kind and you can catch the family feel when watching them work. Customization for the latte was great as they have nondairy options as well as flavors like vanilla and if you’d like you can add some extra sweetness to your flavor palette.
If you want a nice matcha with great service then Sip & Scoop is the place to go.
Big House Beans Cafe | 1155 Second Street A, Brentwood
By Sarah Capperauld Social Media Editor
Brentwood’s Big House Beans is known to be a comfy style. With it being $5.85 for a small and only 12 oz, the Matcha latte barely had matcha.
The service was a little slower than Chill but the people were very friendly and willing to tell all the options for milk and substitutions. There was barely any sweetness and more of a bitter flavor.
It tasted so much like a minty milk that had been sitting out with a scoop of ice in it. There was a somewhat minty color similar to the Chill’s but barely any matcha taste.
Last I checked matcha shouldn’t taste like mint. Overall, if you like a drink that’s minty and tastes barely like Matcha I would recommend their Iced Matcha Latte.
