Ryokucha Cafe — Restaurant in Palo Alto

All of the non-dairy milk options cost $1 extra. Disappointing given that even large chains like Starbucks have gotten the message and quite a few smaller shops have figured out how to eliminate the upcharge. If it really affects the bottom line that much, just bump up prices for things with all types of milk by like 50 cents and stop having these extra costs that are unfair for people who can’t do dairy for whatever reason — it is the 2nd most common food allergy after all. Bonus points in that you can claim you are giving more sustainable choices since dairy also has a far larger environmental impact than alternatives.

Review will be revised to reflect the beverage quality once the extra fee is gone, the added fee is a non-starter for me — this place looked pretty interesting and I was hopeful it would be better than the previous boba places that occupied the same spot, but unfortunately they’ve all done this same thing (and then been replaced by a new boba shop that does essentially the same thing after what seems like a short time span). As an additional case study, a place just down the street switched to using oat milk as the only choice for their specialty beverages, with no backlash from their customers. Another boba place down the street in the other direction has very similar prices as here, with no additional charge for choosing oat milk (pretty neutral flavor and the least likely for people to have an allergy to).

7/13 update - because the owner is open to listening, I’ll see about stopping by later this week, likely ordering a beverage for their time, and giving feedback. I’d love to have a place this close to visit regularly, though the above is an issue I’m passionate about and keeps me from going to places that have them more...

A new matcha shop is in it's soft opening in the area! And speaking of soft... The matcha soft serve was perfect here! No complaints: creamy, smooth, and sweet, with a clear matcha flavor.

The Hojicha was my favorite! Smoky and perfect amount of milk to highlight the roasted tea flavors. I tried the hojicha lattes with the banana cream and creme brulee. Both options are so yummy.

The Yuzu tea was very refreshing! A citrus contrast to other menu items. I loved it. However, the more I drank this, the more it became SWEET. You might want to ask for less sweetness if you order this!

High quality ingredients! All of their matcha and hojicha is sourced directly from Japan. They also STRICTLY use Strauss Milk in all of their menu items! Though they are still is soft opening, the menu is simple. Expect a majority of the menu to be matcha and hojicha!

I am excited to see how this little matcha cafe develops! A great addition to...

I’m happy that this cafe opened up! I’ve been wanting more tea forward places to visit and like that they offer whisked and brewed teas.

I got the matcha tea (hot, no sugar) and my friend got the honey hojicha latte. Reasonably priced considering the cups are 16 oz? (guessing)

The matcha tea was nice. Like with other places that serve matcha it wasn’t very strong to me, but it wasn’t bitter or astringent either, so it was pleasant to drink. Not sure if you would be able to taste the matcha in a latte. The hojicha however was very yummy! The milk flavor is pretty strong, but I can still taste the nuttiness of the hojicha. I couldn’t taste any honey flavor though, perhaps due to getting half sweet on that one.

My one very minor complaint is that the text on the menu (e.g., the prices) are pretty small. I think it’s because they have a large offering though.

I’ll come back and try other menu items when I’m...