Kyo Matcha — Restaurant in Brookline

I had heard stories of the neverending lines for Kyo Matcha, and hoped that the hype had died down by this weekend. We arrived around 3pm on a Sunday and the line was around 25 people long. We ended up spending around 40 minutes in line, and passed the time by visiting other neighboring businesses (Japonaise and H Mart) and debating on what to order. Ordering is done through a single kiosk, or with an employee (when they're not busy with all the orders!). I originally really wanted to try a milk cap cake, but my stomach just wasn't in the mood for it, so we decided to go for two drinks.

We got the matcha latte float with matcha and milk swirl ice cream. I was pretty disappointed by the amount of ice cream in the float -- it was quite a sad, small swirl. Also, as others have pointed out, the drink is at least half ice -- we ended up trying to salvage the drink/ice cream that was stuck on the ice cubes, then collecting the ice on the side so we could actually drink the drink. The ice cream ends up becoming quite icy due to the ice, but from what I've tried, the ice cream was pretty tasty. The matcha latte doesn't seem to be sweetened at all, which I wasn't expecting, so you have to eat the ice cream in order to balance it out. Overall I would much prefer to get this item from Matcha Cafe Maiko -- much more ice cream, tastier/less grainy matcha latte.

We also got the grapefruit guava green tea, mostly because I was wary of getting overwhelmed by creamy items. I thought this was quite a nice drink -- refreshing and good flavor. Nothing to complain about here, though I would like to pair it with some lychee jelly.

I realized while I was eating that I've actually been to a Kyo Matcha location before -- Kyoto Matcha in Ellicott City, Maryland. I really enjoyed my experiences there -- the matcha crepe cake was excellent, and I enjoyed the ice cream and drinks as well. Based on those experiences, I'm assuming that where Kyo Matcha really shines is in the cake department. I didn't get to sample that this time, but I definitely will next time!

Overall, if you're looking for matcha ice cream/drinks, Matcha Cafe Maiko will definitely fit the bill -- you can skip the wait and get a much better matcha latte float. If you're looking for matcha cakes, though, Kyo Matcha may be the place to go (will...

I ordered a drink and waited ~20 minutes for it. This was after waiting in a 20-30 minute line.

This restaurant is very small (which is fine), but is not equipped to handle normal operations. On a Tuesday in the middle of the day, a line had formed not due to high volume of guests, but because of poor management of flow. Any other tea/dessert shop would've moved their guests quickly. My friend ordered a cake (already prepared, just needed to be boxed) and waited even longer than I did.

I feel bad for the people who work at this shop, as it seems endlessly stressful. My recommendation would be that they place more tables outside, hand people number placards after they order, and bus the orders to patrons. I witnessed many drinks and desserts collecting on a very small surface, waiting to be picked up from people who probably had given up and left or just simply could not push themselves through the crowd to hear their number being called. Again, it was a Tuesday in the middle of the day in Brookline--not exactly rush hour. The desserts (many with milk) were sitting out for a long time.

There was also only one ordering kiosk, which was much less efficient than a person taking orders would be. My friend tried ordering three different desserts and as she tried to pay, would be denied because the item was suddenly "sold out." It seemed like an error with the system to us, which also further added to the long wait behind us.

I wanted to like this place, but truth be told, we already have many just like it in the area (on the same street, even), and I would rather give the other seasoned shop owners my business. Kyo Matcha, please take this review as helpful criticism and consider making some quick improvements to your operations so you are able to last in the area. Otherwise, the price and quality of the desserts are not able to overcome...

Hands down a big fan of this place! I've been here at least 6-7 times so far. The line was extremely long near the beginning of their opening where it went around the block, but has since died down to just a line inside.

LOVE: I've ordered the Matcha, Hojicha,Black Sesame (flavor of the summer months), and Mango (flavor of October) soft serves, and I would get them again! They all had a very strong flavor, so be aware of the caffeine for those who get the tea flavors in the evening! The Matcha Crepe Cake had evenly layered cream and crepe. Would order again. The Passionfruit Crepe Cake had a really good proportion of tart layer at the top to bring out a natural passionfruit taste. I found out recently you can order a WHOLE crepe cake here! The smallest one I've had can definitely feed around 12 people.

OKAY: I've also gotten the Ube (flavor of the May month) soft serve and thought it tasted more like the base/milk flavor with a slight hint of ube. I've had ones with more ube taste, so I wouldn't get it again here. I've also had the long-awaited Matcha Towel Cake, which I waited a few visits to finally order when it was not out of stock! The cake is definitely very beautiful..and I definitely felt bad that I had to rip this towel apart. While the taste was strong in matcha, it was hard to cut the cake up with a fork, so I would prefer the crepe cake over the towel cake.

There's seating inside and outside the place. During times when all the tables were taken, I've found seating on benches along the street. I'm excited to try the other desserts and drinks...