The saying goes, that pink and green should never be seen, but at Holy Matcha, San Diego’s first matcha café, all caution has been thrown to the wind, pairing bubblegum pink walls, tiles, floors and velvet banquettes with tropical wallpaper and plenty of potted plant life that echo the colour of the healthful Japanese green tea powder that the café’s drinks are laced with.
After travelling to Japan in 2014, owner and founder Geraldine Ridaura, found the powder a great replacement for coffee, and returned to San Diego energised to bring it to the masses. Working with San Francisco-based design firm Homework, on the petite space’s design, Ridaura paired playful colourways with brass fixtures and quartz countertops.
In addition to a menu featuring matcha lattes, lemonade and horchata – a creamy and nutty Mexican drink served with ice – there are matcha-infused pastries and snacks, and a curated retail section offering health-focused items from Moon Juice, leather goods and custom made ceramic matcha bowls by Tsuchikara Pottery.
‘I’ve become a passionate advocate of matcha,’ says Ridaura. ‘I’ve received so much feedback already from the community looking for a delicious coffee alternative — of which there are many — but matcha is absolutely one of the most health positive of them all.’
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
3118 University Avenue
-
Five of the finest compact cameras available todayPocketable cameras are having a moment. We’ve assembled a set of cutting-edge compacts that’ll free you from the ubiquity of smartphone photography and help focus your image making
-
London label Wed Studio is embracing ‘oddness’ when it comes to bridal dressingThe in-the-know choice for fashion-discerning brides, Wed Studio’s latest collection explores the idea that garments can hold emotions – a reflection of designers Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips’ increasingly experimental approach
-
Arts institution Pivô breathes new life into neglected Lina Bo Bardi building in BahiaNon-profit cultural institution Pivô is reactivating a Lina Bo Bardi landmark in Salvador da Bahia in a bid to foster artistic dialogue and community engagement
-
Welcome to Polymath Park, where you can spend the night in a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieceA pair of determined Wright devotees have turned four endangered modernist houses into an overnight design retreat
-
Faena New York just landed in the Big Apple – and it's an excuse for a good timeArgentine hotelier Alan Faena’s first New York address serves up high-octane hospitality with a dash of leopard print
-
These vintage American motels will have you longing for the open road‘Vintage Motels’ documents how the humble roadside stopover has evolved into a design-led destination for a new generation of travellers
-
At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages in The Hamptons, it’s all about stillness and open horizonsA beloved Hampton restaurant becomes a tucked-away retreat set on a windswept bluff above Fort Pond Bay in Montauk
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
-
A24 just opened a restaurant in New York, and it’s as cinematic as you’d expectHidden in the West Village, Wild Cherry pairs a moody, arthouse sensibility with a supper-style menu devised by the team behind Frenchette
-
Seven kitchens, one fire: inside LA’s hottest new food marketAt Maydan Market, chef Rose Previte turns global street food and layered design into a vibrant, fire-lit experience
-
The Viceroy Hotel Group wants you to get on your bikeAcross properties in Santa Monica, Chicago, Washington DC and the Algarve, Viceroy guests can experience curated cycling routes and community events
