Raku Matcha – New Ocean World PJ — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

If you’re into authentic Japanese desserts, you’re in for a treat. Remember this name – Raku Matcha. It’s newly opened, situated along Section 19 PJ, in the New Ocean World Fine Food City. Opening hours are daily, 11am – 10pm. Now let’s dig into the finer details.

Overall ambient just oozes matcha. True to its name, the décor is mostly green and off white. The menu offers limited yet exotic desserts, especially for you matcha lovers. We ordered Genmaicha Tofu Cheesecake and Matcha Waffle. Drinks were Hot Matcha Latte and Hot Hojicha Latte.

Firstly, the Genmaicha Tofu Cheesecake was wonderful for my palette. What I absolutely loved about it was the level of sweetness. I’ve always had this thing where I order desserts only to have it taste too sweet. And the sweetness just lingers. With the Tofu Cheesecake, it was nothing like that. I could actually taste the pure matcha flavour with its delightful cheesy end notes. And to top it off, the biscuit crumbs at the bottom was to die for. The portion looked small, but it is filling. A must try for you newbies.

As for the Matcha Waffle, it had a dollop of matcha ice-cream as well as red beans. Don’t get me wrong, I love matcha ice-cream but the red beans, not so much. So for you waffle lovers, I would say share this with a mate who’s into red beans. Else it would be a waste. Also the waffles are not your regular waffles, so do note. It has matcha filling but tastes pretty bland if you ask me. Not something I would re-order.

As for the lattes, my biggest gripe was that it came lukewarm. Trust me, I’m all for trying new stuff but food temperature is critical for me. So this one was a big no no and no, I’m not reordering the lattes anytime soon. I’ve not been to Japan myself, so I’m unsure if the lattes are meant to be lukewarm. And if it is, my bad. Don’t judge me, I just love my lattes hot.

My verdict – I probably will not be coming here again anytime soon. I guess I’m not exactly the biggest fan of Japanese desserts and most certainly not the biggest fan of matcha. However I have to give it to the owners that they stuck to their guns and kept the concept of Japanese desserts real. And what I truly appreciated is that they kept their desserts simple and very manageable in terms of sweetness level. I liked that my palette did not have the lingering sweet taste which I usually have post desserts. Kudos to Raku...

Recently, my family and I visited Raku Matcha, a charming new cafe situated within the bustling New Ocean World Fine Food City in Section 19. Trying out new cafes is a common tradition for us, so naturally, this was on our to-do list. Opening its doors at 11 am and closing at 10 pm, it seemed like the perfect spot for a leisurely afternoon tea. The staff were friendly; however, the prices can be considered "pricey" as a small cup of Hojicha Latte (Brown Tea Flavor) cost RM 18. In today’s review, I will cover both the pros and cons of this new and amusing little cafe.

On one hand, the location is undeniably convenient with ample parking spots available and completely free parking. As for the cafe itself, upon entering, we were immediately greeted by an aromatic yet crisp fragrance. The cafe had a modern look to it, infused with Japanese-inspired interior design; really, it was nothing less than immaculate. The food was delightful, and what stood out the most to me, especially the desserts, is that they weren’t overly sweet; they were just right. I believe this cafe offers great options for those who don’t like their desserts so sweet. However, there were some flaws that stood out to my family and me.

Firstly, the portions of both food and drinks. While this was intended to be an afternoon tea for us, I expected larger portions, especially for the price. The Tofu Cheesecake was priced at over RM 20, but yet it was incredibly small. Additionally, while I believe the staff were friendly and doing their best to attend to our needs, I found it quite difficult to communicate with them as they didn’t speak great English, which was a bit of a struggle. Lastly, regarding the prices again, while the food was good, it wasn’t anything astounding, so some may argue it isn’t a good value for money. Plus, I wish they had more options for drinks without matcha, such as regular hot lattes.

In conclusion, my family and I truly enjoyed our time at this cafe. No cafe is perfect, and these "gripes" we had were just some things we felt needed improvement. However, that did not take away from the visually stunning interior design, rich cultural setting, and most importantly, the perfectly brewed matcha they delivered. So, personally, if you’re a matcha enthusiast, this place should be your next stop for a perfect...

Pros: atmosphere pretty nice, service is decent they would refill your water glass constantly. Free parking for now but.... Read below.

Cons: Automatic parking garage is uncomfortable and takes way too long to park. I think this may be the downfall of the entire building as nervous drivers and/or those with bigger cars may avoid this after the anxiety of trying to park here for the first time. that "famous" Mont blanc dessert is rm48 before tax/service charge. So prices are steep. The marketing touts that the tea they use is some famous one from Japan but I've tried tea from all over and I can say I didn't taste anything special in the hojicha we ordered... In fact I think it tastes just as good as the basic hojicha I got from a Japanese supermarket. the tea set that costs rm35 - 40+ serves two but it's just an illusion as its not refillable and the cups are tiny so after one sip you have to keep refilling it with the small tea jug which I think can't be more than 300ml? The two cream puffs that come with it are tiny, not well made with barely any cream inside. Probably one of the worst cream puffs I've tried. To justify the price and help you to value the quality of their tea, there's a little description that is served alongside but it's printed in a font size no larger than 4/5 that can be pretty hard to read.

Don't see myself coming back.. for these prices and the anxiety of the parking... It's just...