Port City Matcha: The Winter Review
Written by Camryn Carmichael. Graphic by Camryn Carmichael.
Despite dating back to the age of the Samurai, matcha’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent months. While there are over a dozen cafes, coffee trucks and restaurants here in Savannah that have kept up with the rise in demand, only a few kept me coming back.
My order was simple: a small, hot, matcha latte with oat milk, sweetened with cane sugar.
Though my scoring system went more in-depth. Upon narrowing down the most important elements of the drinking experience, I established the four I would look for: color, flavor, staying power and quality overall.
For color, I looked for a warm, rich green that wasn’t too yellow or too dark. For flavor, I looked for freshness and fullness. For staying power, I observed how long the flavor of the matcha remained after taking a sip–the longer the better. As for quality* I assessed the entire experience of drinking the matcha where details like temperature was right, the amount of foam was balanced and whether or not the matcha was well blended (without chunks) played a role.
Every cup that scored less than a five I placed in the “For Newbies” category. I wouldn’t go as far as to call the beverages I received at these places bad so much as I would generally find them disappointing. More often than not, the color was poor, the quality was low and the matcha flavor was almost non-existent. Casual drinkers, however, may not mind or pick up on any of these things at all.
Drinks that scored more than a five, but less than an eight, fell into the “For Regulars” category. Those at this level may not have a preferred time of harvest or prefecture of origin. Though it’s highly likely they can appreciate the flavor difference between a hot or iced matcha latte, have a brand preference on milk and may make matcha at home.
Every matcha in this category earned its place in the “For Pros” by scoring an eight or higher.
Pros can tell when a cafe’s matcha has started to oxidize, or lose the fullness of flavor and freshness. They also have consumed enough matcha to detect and differentiate the different flavor notes of the powder, such as nutty, floral and umami. Matcha drinkers at this level can even tell which barista made their order. The small dings in this category were often as minuscule as temperature, or the exceptionally rare ratio of too much matcha for the amount of milk.
*The Western binaries of “Ceremonial” vs “Culinary” grade are not used in Japan as they reduce the many nuances of drinking matcha and accessing its quality to false prestige used to justify higher prices and perpetuate an unproductive sense of superiority among matchas. Thus, I chose not to use those terms to assess quality.
For Newbies
Java Burrito Company: 3.75/10
Color: 2/10 Flavor: 3/10 Staying Power: 4/10 Quality: 4/10
Located a few blocks down from Jen Library and Trustees Theater, Java Burrito Company is a bustling restaurant/cafe where enthusiasts of specialty coffee and Mexican-inspired cuisine dine and relax.
When I first added this place to my “Matcha Tour” collection on maps, I was fully prepared to fight tooth and nail to remain objective. Java Burrito is by far my favorite place to eat in Savannah. I’d gone there to celebrate everything from my birthday to finishing finals. I was there so often that I often joked I should be made a shareholder.
Which is why the matcha I received felt like the ultimate betrayal. Melodramatic as it sounds, it was by far the worst I’d ever bought–and it wasn’t even close. The beverage coming out, appearing almost white under a weak microfoam were pretty glaring red flag. But the mouthful of what was essentially just green oatmilk sealed the deal. I almost wish I could say it tasted bad because that would mean there was no flavor at all. Perhaps they should’ve stuck to coffee and burrito bowls.
Perc Coffee: 4/10
Color: 6/10 Flavor: 2/10 Staying Power: 2/10 Quality: 4/10
Off the beaten path, Perc Coffee offers drinks, pastries, and their own variety of coffee beans–the perfect place for day-to-day customers to take meetings and study, while seasoned coffee drinkers can hone their palette.
My commute to Perc Coffee was the most exciting part of the experience. Hopping the train tracks to the right Wallin Hall in the nick of time made me feel like a cutting-edge journalist. Little did I know I’d be retelling my experience of a matcha that, by all accounts, was rather dull.
At first glance, I noticed two things. First, the cup was barely warm. Second, the beverage inside–alledgely my matcha late, was of an alarming, near yellow hue. I also took note of the extremely brief amount of time that passed between my ordering and its arrival. Though I tried to remain optimistic, the taste, which was practically non-existent, proved my faith to be of no avail. The moral of the story here: slow and steady wins the race.
For Regulars
Superbloom: 5.25/10
Color: 4/10 Flavor: 4/10 Staying Power: 6/10 Quality: 7/10
Coffee, crafts, and collaboration are the essence of Superbloom Cafe. Located on the corner of DeSoto Avenue, customers can enjoy drinks, community craft nights, and supporting local artists.
During a last-minute cram session with friends one evening, I decided to give their matcha a try. Immediately, I noticed how green the drink looked on the counter. Wary, I gave it a try, and, amusingly, it seemed the majority of the matcha made its way into what I found to be an almost precariously tall foam. As a spoonful revealed a much paler hue below the frothy surface. That notwithstanding, there wasn’t even a hint of yellow in the color, which was promising.
As far as the actual taste of the drink was concerned, it was by no means bad, though I was left wanting a little more. Pre-sweetened with cane sugar, it tasted a little more like matcha-flavored oat milk than a proper latte. Though the matcha taste that did come through lingered and was rather pleasant.
Franklin’s: 7.25
Color: 7/10 Flavor: 7/10 Staying Power: 8/10 Quality: 7/10
Situated on the corner of Liberty and Bull St sits Franklin’s cafe, its maximalist decor tells customers not to be fooled by its slight interior. From melts and mochas to candles and craft vinegars, Franklin’s makes every effort to uphold their motto, “Bold & Delicious.”
Efforts, I can confirm, weren’t entirely in vain. At first glance, I was suspicious of the color as it appeared far paler than I prefer. At the first sip, however, I was impressed. Hidden under a smooth layer of microfoam was a depth of flavor difficult to achieve with such a high oatmilk ratio.
While I’d have appreciated a better color and bolder umami or savory flavor–the first to go when matcha is pre-made, as theirs was–I’d hardly call it a bad matcha.
Foxtail Coffee Company: 7.5/10
Color: 7/10 Flavor: 8/10 Staying Power: 8/10 Quality: 7/10
At the end of the Road Alexander Hall tucked under the Olmstead apartments, sits Foxtail Coffee Co. On top of their myriad pastry and drink selections, the cafe also offers several flavors of handcrafted ice cream.
The cozy, welcoming atmosphere didn’t end with their rustic wood interior and cozy seating. The matcha I received felt like an invitation to stick around and relax. The temperature was perfect, the microfoam fine and even, and the taste overall was pleasant and relatively full. Though ultimately I found myself looking for a little more character and depth.
The only thing I felt like I was missing was that extra, savory kick of umami as the flavor subsided between sips.
For Pros
The Turbine Market & Cafe: 8.25/10
Color: 8/10 Flavor: 9/10 Staying Power: 9/10 Quality: 8/10
One of the first stops at Savannah’s Plant Riverside, the Turbine Market & Cafe also merges casual, sit-down dining with its cafe that provides select coffees and hot beverages, food items from burgers to omelets, and elaborate pastries.
At first sip, the matcha I received was way, way, WAY too hot (almost burned my tongue), but otherwise bold and floral in flavor. I added white cane sugar after initially being confused by the flavor that the high temperature distracted from. Despite doing so, the staying power still remained intact. I found myself waiting several minutes in between each sip, on the chance it was too good to be true.
Though I had to attribute some of the flavor’s verboness to the extreme matcha to milk ratio. Beneath the foam, I found a matcha of impressive hue, but the saturation was a little intense for the average serving. As much as I enjoyed it when it finally cooled off, it was clear there can be too much of a good thing.
Henny Penny Art Space & Cafe: 9.75/10
Color: 9/10 Flavor: 10/10 Staying Power: 9/10 Quality: 9/10
Located just blocks from Arnold Hall, Henny Penny Art Space & Cafe is where coffee dates and kid-friendly art spaces meet. Their mission to support local families is fulfilled by the many drinks, pastries and crafts tables to choose from.
Being fully transparent, I almost let all the crayons and coloring pages fool me. The first sip, however, taught me to never doubt a barista in a fedora. Up to that point, I had never tasted a matcha matcha that had achieved a near flawless balance of matcha to milk.
This place was clearly the closest I’d ever get to experiencing a near-perfect true harmony between the nuttiness of the matcha and the milk’s oat flavor. I was especially impressed considering it’s known among regular matcha drinkers that adding sugar can detract from the depth of the powder’s profile. I found, in this exceptional case, I still got to experience the boldness of the drink’s original umami–entirely undeterred by the added sweetness.
Until I tried the matcha at Henny Penny, I preferred making my own from home. So much so, I’d all but forgotten why I ever enjoyed having it made by someone else in the first place. Needless to say, this little cafe proved a good reminder and earned itself a loyal regular.
