Matcha Panda Cafe — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I ordered the matcha bomb latte iced and I threw it away.

I was told it was just like a regular matcha latte, despite the "bomb" in the name. When it came to the table, it was a cup of milk with a slight layer of over-frothed matcha (that turned into a light, tasteless foam) on top. I asked for a straw to mix it and the worker who handed me my drink said, "its best to drink it as it is." Since I tried it that way and only tasted foam, I asked again for a straw because I wanted to mix the matcha into the milk. The worker brought me a straw, I mixed my drink, took a sip, and it fluctuated from only tasting like milk to tasting like a familiar low-grade, cheap, sweet-tasting matcha powder that I tried before. (Whether it is "naturally" sweet-tasting or if there is sugar added does not matter to me. Only low-grade matcha has this distinct taste.)

On the Matcha Panda website, it states that the owner "discovered how matcha in the U.S. isn't quite the same as where he grew up in Uji, Japan." It goes on to say how the matcha in the U.S. is "a dull green color with mediocre filtration, and unpleasant sharpness." I found nothing different in the matcha latte I tried at Matcha Panda. I can't speak on the other items on the menu.

For reference, I've tasted several different grades of matcha during my time in Japan. I even import my own matcha from Japan because I love the rich flavor it provides - something Matcha Panda does not.

I do not, by any means, blame the workers for making the drink this way or suggesting how to drink it, that is just their job.

Overall, I would only recommend this place if you like matcha on the sweeter side without a...

I decided to visit Matcha Panda to switch it up from my usual stop a couple blocks away. It was very busy when I went, and only two young women working. They were very nice and seemed to be working hard to take orders and get orders out. I think this place would benefit in having one more employee available since they struggled to juggle taking and preparing orders. I ordered a mango with coconut matcha and stood off to the side. I wanted to try a taro cream puff but they were out, which was no big deal.

The ambiance was good and I liked how the seating was set up. It was a little confusing to find a menu while in line but there was one on a stand just to the left of the counter. You seem to have to order at the counter then sit down, at least that was the case when I visited.

Unfortunately, they did end up losing my order somewhere (or maybe texting the receipt was my fatal error), and I ended up having to catch one of them to ask about my order 25 mins in when I realized customers after me were getting their orders. She offered to refund me for the trouble but I didnt take her up on it since it wasn't worth it the trouble especially since she handed me the drink quickly once I asked about it and that's why I'll leave this review as a 4 star rather than a 3 star since they did offer to make it up. I did enjoy my drink once I got it, but will probably stick with my usual place a few blocks away rather...

Love the overall atmosphere, was a super cute cafe with intimate seating. Having a big stuffed animal in each booth was a fun touch too! The menu was nice and more extensive than the usual matcha spots I'm used to. I like that they had photos and descriptions for everything and the staff at the time was very helpful. They didn't have all the items I originally wanted, but it might have been because I went as soon as they opened? I got two items. One was a peach tea slush that had strawberry puree at the base and a matcha cloud foam at the top. Presentation and layers were beautiful and the bear stenciled in matcha powder was a cute touch. The flavor combination was very unique, I enjoyed how refreshing it was and how you can still taste the tea amongst all the fruit flavors. Another was some sort of snack parfait? Wasn't sure how it was listed on the menu, but essentially it had a red bean spread on the base, a jasmine tea pudding/jelly which was delightful!, layered with dehydrated strawberries and corn flake cereal, and topped with a perfectly balanced matcha soft serve! It was supposed to have tapioca pearls as well, but unfortunately they didn't have any at the time. I'm curious as to how it would taste with it since it was already good without it. Was a good balance of flavors! Overall, enjoyed the flavor combinations and atmosphere of the place. Would come back again to try the...