Maiko Matcha Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Maiko Matcha Café is one of my favorite go-to spots for matcha desserts and drinks, so I was thrilled to hear they were opening their third New York City location—this one at Rockefeller Center. Naturally, I had to check it out. This new outpost is a bit hidden, tucked away on the rink level in the passage that connects Rockefeller Center to the subway system. The easiest way to find it is by entering near the rink level and taking the passageway on the left—you’ll spot them near Starbucks. Though small, the space is lovely and welcoming.

There are a couple of self-service kiosks to the right of the entrance, or you can place your order directly at the counter. I personally preferred the kiosks—it’s nice to see pictures of the menu items and take your time customizing each drink.

I tried 3 items that I’ve never had before at their other locations:

Lavender Latte with Matha Crème ($7.50): available hot or cold and I got mine cold with 50% sweetness and 50% ice. This was so refreshing and gorgeous to look at. It’s always nice when something tastes as good as it looks. The drink had a slight floral taste and the matcha crème added a soft velvety texture with every slurp. Would definitely get this again.

Sukiyaki Beef Onigiri ($7): I believe this is made to order as it took a bit of time for them to deliver this item. The rice was nice a soft and the wagyu beef filling was delicious. I just wished it had more filling. My first few bites were mostly rice and seaweed but the bites with the beef was great.

Hojicha Milk Chocolate Cookie ($3.50): the cookie was soft and chewy with a hint of sweetness both from the cookie and the pieces of milk chocolate. It also had a slight nutty flavor. I really enjoyed this and scarfed it down pretty quickly.

This visit only deepened my love for Maiko Matcha. Whether you're in the mood for a quick snack, treat, dessert, or drink near Rockefeller Center or the F/M/B/D subways, this café is a...

I’m a big fan of their matcha soft serve—I’ve even waited an hour in the cold once just for their matcha parfait when they opened their first location in NYC. Located at the rink level of Rockefeller Center, this new location is more spacious than the ones in Chinatown and Tangram.

＊Lavendar Matcha Soft Serve $9 The marcha flavor is richer than most store-bought matcha ice creams, with a bittersweet finish that real matcha lovers will appreciate.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the seasonal lavender soft serve. It had lovely floral notes and wasn’t too sweet.

＊Banana Pudding Matcha Latte $9.25 NYC might be late to Asian dessert trends… but the wait was finally over. The banana pudding adds a creamy sweetness that somehow offsets the matcha’s bitterness. Sugar level is adjustable too, so you can customize it to your liking—a major plus if you prefer your drink less sweet!

＊Matcha Jasmine Latte $7 If you prefer a strong tea flavor, don’t skip this seasonal special. It may look like a regular matcha latte, but it shines with fragrant jasmine tea notes. I went with 25% sugar, and the sweetness level was just right.

＊Onigiri $7 for one, $12 for two Exclusively sold at this new location. They have onigiri like mentaiko mayo, sukiyaki...

Beware! Have been regular customer for Maiko Matcha for a few years and have ordered from a few different locations. This is the first time I experienced a really bad service and likely will not visit this Rockefeller location any more. They gave tiny bit of ice-cream on top of the matcha float. After I gently reminded the staff of the small amount of ice-cream, they didn’t acknowledge it. When I showed them the picture of my previous orders, they reluctantly offered to redo the order. Instead of making everything from scratch, another staff removed the top of the ice-cream and poured away some matcha before just redoing the ice-cream. It turns out it’s still tiny bit of ice-cream :( I just took it knowing that I’m not gonna order here. The staffs were not friendly and didn’t make it right even the...