Matcha lattes in Malaysia
The matcha latte trend in Malaysia came…and never really left. In fact, new matcha concoctions have been released by go-to drink chains, giving us more options – and more decision fatigue.
We took it upon ourselves to try matcha lattes from 8 popular beverage chains in Malaysia to see which one delivers. You might just find your matcha match from this list, too.
What’s the ranking criteria?
We rated the matcha lattes based on their price and taste. While a book shouldn’t be judged by its cover, most would tell you that the colour of matcha can be a quick indicator of its quality: vibrant green generally means top-tier grade, and anything dull in colour typically signals flavour issues. Hence, we took into account the colour of the drinks we tried.
A good matcha latte should be balanced in sweetness, milkiness, and the grassy matcha taste, and these were the profiles we also looked for during our taste test.
8. San Francisco Coffee
We didn’t set up a high bar for coffee chains dabbling in matcha lattes, given that their speciality is beans over leaves. So it didn’t really surprise us that San Francisco Coffee’s Matcha Latte (RM15.50) had a weaker matcha taste. It felt more like sipping on a diluted milk drink. It was also a tad too sweet for our taste.
Price: 4/10
Taste: 3/10
Colour: 2/10
Overall rating: 2.5/10
Sarah, matcha maniac: “Is the matcha in the room with us?”
Leann, coffee lover: “It tastes like water with grassiness.”
7. Gong Cha
Despite specialising in tea-based drinks, Gong Cha’s Matcha Milk with Red Adzuki Beans (RM12.50) was quite matcha-less and very sweet. Judging from the slight grey tint of the drink’s colour, the matcha powder used might be where the issues start. The matcha tastes somewhat dull – more like diluted milk and sugar.
Price: 6/10
Taste: 2/10
Colour: 3/10
Overall rating: 3/10
Sarah: “Sweet with five E’s.”
Leann: “Felt like I was gonna get diabetes.”
6. Tealive
Tealive’s Matcha Mousse Latte (RM11.32) had a nice light colour that stood strong against the swirls of milk in the cup. It hinted at what it would taste like. As expected, the drink was very milky, but with a slight matcha taste to it. We think that the matcha mousse is the MVP of this drink because it brought the matcha flavour out the most.
Price: 7/10
Taste: 4/10
Colour: 5/10
Overall rating: 5/10
Sarah: “Very milky, as expected from the colour.”
Leann: “If you like milkier matcha, this is for you.”
5. Luckin Coffee
Luckin Coffee’s Matcha Latte (RM14) was on the sweeter side. The grassy matcha taste is barely there, almost like it’s too shy to appear. There were high expectations for this drink as we’re quite fond of Luckin Coffee. But maybe we’ll stick to coffee orders rather than tea drinks from this chain.
Price: 4/10
Taste: 6/10
Colour: 7/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Sarah: “Unfortunately, I don’t feel lucky with this Luckin drink.”
Leann: “I love Luckin Coffee. But two words, cause too much disappointment: sugar water.”
4. FamilyMart
FamilyMart’s Nokou Matcha Latte (RM9.20) doesn’t stand out as much as we’d expect it to, as their Nokou matcha soft serve had a really strong matcha taste. Perhaps the milk diluted a lot of the matcha taste, and it being a specific kind of matcha might be a big factor here. Nonetheless, it was an average matcha latte to us. It’s something you’d get if you’re on a budget to briefly satisfy a craving.
Price: 9/10
Taste: 5/10
Colour: 5/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Sarah: “I still can’t differentiate Nokou matcha and regular matcha.”
Leann: “Pretty ordinary, but the price is good.”
3. ZUS Coffee
ZUS Coffee’s Matcha Latte (RM9.90) was affordable and perfectly balanced with its flavours. The drink had a nice milky green colour, and there was just a smidge of sweetness – not too much to overpower the pure matcha flavour we are looking for. It seems to us that Malaysians can always rely on ZUS Coffee for tasty drinks at an affordable price.
Price: 9/10
Taste: 7/10
Colour: 8/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Sarah: “Local brand flawlessly hitting the local tastebuds.”
Leann: “The matcha could go a little stronger.”
2. Gigi Coffee
Gigi Coffee is another local brand that we have high hopes for. Fortunately, this coffee chain brand delivered a balanced Matcha Latte (RM11). The grassiness of matcha stood out. And while it was slightly on the sweeter side, the drink hit the spot for us matcha lovers.
Bonus points for a cute sticker set that comes with their Matcha Series.
Price: 9/10
Taste: 8/10
Colour: 9/10
Overall rating: 8.5/10
Sarah: “As a Gigi Glazer, I’m obviously calling this a perfection, as expected.”
Leann: “Slightly sweet for me.”
1. Kenangan Coffee
Kenangan Coffee surprised us with their recently launched Matcha Series that comes along with an adorable character: Moncha. Their Matcha Latte (RM12.90) was a winner for us despite its slightly higher price. But it’s worth the money. It had strong, grassy notes, and it wasn’t as sweet in comparison to Gigi Coffee’s matcha latte. Since we prefer less sweet options, we have our winner.
Price: 8/10
Taste: 9.5/10
Colour: 9/10
Overall rating: 9.5/10
Sarah: “I’m sorry, Gigi. Hello, Kenangan. *bites lip*.”
Leann: “Worth your money.”
Find your matcha match in Malaysia
We’re not sweet tooths, so feel free to try these matcha lattes for yourselves and rank them on your own terms. If you like your matcha latte with a strong grassy taste and not too sweet, Kenangan Coffee’s Matcha Latte is your best pick.
Also read our rankings for:
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Brooklyn Ong.