4 minute read
L.A. Tea Shop Offers Healthy Caffeine
Written by Eunice Hahn Photos by Luc Stringer and Camille Grochowski
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The life of a coffee addict hinges on a 9 a.m. fix. Driven by the high that hits 30 minutes later, coffee drinkers accept the 3 p.m. jittery crash as a bitter part of life. But what if there was an easier way to wake up in the mornings? In West Hollywood, a tea shop offers an ancient Eastern alternative: matcha.
Take a walk down North Robertson Boulevard, just off Melrose Avenue, and you’ll hear it before you see it: cheery music weaving through gray studios leading you to an out-of-place palm tree paradise. Welcome to the oasis of Cha Cha Matcha, a tea bar dedicated to its titular star ingredient. Originating in New York, the tea bar occupies a niche space in the tea world as a photo-friendly atmosphere operating as a serious caffeinating buzz.
Left: Cha Cha Matcha’s Pink Drink is a seasonal hibiscus tea with bee pollen and other additives that give the tea multiple health benefits.
John Houx, a Cha Cha Matcha barista, carefully swirls Cha Cha Matcha’s signature matcha soft-serve ice cream.
Pink lemonade matcha softserve ice cream.
John Houx, a barista at Cha Cha Matcha, greets customers while placing toppings onto the signature softserve.
Like many great 21st century innovations, Cha Cha Matcha first started as the brainchild of two sleep-deprived college friends, Matthew Morton and Conrad Sandelman. After many Red Bull-fueled all-nighters, the two came across matcha and fell in love with it as a healthier alternative to mainstream energy sources. However, when searching for a go-to tea house, they found themselves disappointed with the options.
“What we found was that all of these places were super bland,” Morton said in an interview with Tory Daily. “They had ambient spa music or were super traditional, with tea ceremonies. We were like, ‘Why can’t we get this somewhere quick, some place cool … let’s combine the quality of Japanese matcha with a place our friends and we would want to hang out in.’”
Once the idea settled in place, the fields were all but ripe for reaping. All that was left for them was to spread their approachable version of the green tea gospel to the masses.
See, unlike coffee and energy drinks, what makes the boost of matcha different lies in a caffeine-regulating compound — L-theanine — naturally found in green tea leaves. Unlike coffee, where the alertness comes and goes in spikes, matcha delivers a sustained release of relaxed focus that does not cause shivering withdrawals.
Cha Cha Matcha does not just use any green tea either. According to their website, they source their stone-ground ceremonial blend directly from the grower where the Japanese emperor gets his stash, resulting in a smooth, potent signature blend with enough caffeine and antioxidants to compete with the strongest of espressos. This is not a regular grocery store bag of tea.
This magical green powder makes an appearance in every aspect of the Cha Cha Matcha experience. From the retro pink and green interior to the vibrant rainbow of drinks, the tea house exists as the antithesis of the busy modern coffee shop: tropically relaxed, simple in menu and perpetually uncrowded despite the constant flow of customers. For people like Los Angeles resident Zoe Josephson, the combination is pure paradise.
Cha Cha Matcha serves traditional matcha that is whisked as a part of the tea production process.
— John Houx, Cha Cha Matcha barista
“I genuinely like coming here,” Josephson says. “I get the same thing every time I come, so I guess it was like a one-hit-wonder kind of thing, but I like that it’s always chill when I come. Whenever I go to a coffee shop and it’s too crowded, I end up not coming back for a couple weeks, but honestly the vibe is great and their matcha is so addictive. If I ever need caffeine I come here.”
Regulars know that the Instagrammable aesthetic is a large part of the Cha Cha Matcha experience. Everything from their couches to their drinks. Picture-perfect blue algae collagen lattes exist in photo-ready form. Having collaborated with designers and brands like Versace, Virgil Abloh and Nike, the tea bar uses its creative art direction to stay on top of trends while providing the ideal atmosphere for curious Californians. Barista John Houx, who has worked at the West Hollywood location since its opening, says he believes that while customers come for a quick photo, they return for the matcha.
“Our aesthetic is a driving factor that sets our shop apart,” Houx says. “But nowadays people also (seem to be) more curious about making some better and healthier eating choices. Our specific location offers an accessible, fun way to step into that lifestyle.”
Upon its first entrance onto the LA scene, Cha Cha Matcha made a name for itself by straddling the line between health and effortless cool. Their smooth tea and peaceful ambience is perfect for anyone looking for a getaway space to sit and have a genuine conversation over lattes.
Cha Cha Matcha is located at 510 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, Calif. 90048. They are open Monday–Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends.
Cha Cha Matcha’s West Hollywood location is one of the many colorful and pinkthemed stores throughout the United States.
