New York | DAY 3: (Pt. 2) Cha Cha Matcha, Koreatown + Ippodo Tea

Read Part 1 HERE !

​Trekking to New York's uber-compact Koreatown was next up on the itinerary.

The route appeared a tad intimidating at first glance, primarily since we would be walking from 17th Street to 27th Street. Unlike the widely dispersed avenues of Los Angeles, these streets were nestled fairly closely together. Consequently, the walk was breezy and pretty enjoyable when in the shade.

​Broadway began to curve and intersect the adjacent 5th Ave as we inched towards Madison Square Park. Frankly speaking, the allure of positioning a large slab of greenery in the middle of a densely-populated, congested urban area is peculiar decision to me. The same goes for Central Park. In retrospect, suppose it isn't all too different from Trinity Bellwoods or Christie Pits, besides that downtown Manhattan was several notches busier than downtown Toronto on a weekday afternoon.

​Within fifteen minutes, I spotted the corner spot that was Cha Cha Matcha - the very street angle that I had seen countless times online prior to visiting.
Although pleased to successfully locate the pink and green, I was less enthusiastic about joining the winding lineup directly positioned under mid-day UV rays.

​Our stay was short, and for a good reason. The average wait time was 7-10 minutes, while placing an order required an additional five due to their cashless payment system. Had this been back home, I wouldn't have minded in the slightest, but I wasn't about to succumb to whopping fees on my statement.

​The fixed menu comprised of a decent selection. Economic, though, it was not. Far pricier than any other establishment I've stepped foot in, it truly made question whether their nowhere worth their value. Their most popular rainbow-toned Divine Drink was a ridiculous eight dollars (USD!) due to "algae-derived benefits, but even their standard offerings were up of four dollars. Vegan "energy bites" were positioned near the cashier, further confirming its overpriced, neighbourhood hipster status.

​More than that, the establishment lacked the poise of authentic Japanese tea rooms.

Cha Cha Matcha's decor was outwardly gaudy to an excessive degree. Sure, the bubble-gum pink and luscious green was a fun, electrifying combination, but the tones grew overwhelming when used in abundance. In general, the interior seemed too over-the-top; there were far too many elements interfering with each other's impact of aesthetic radius, and the hot pink equipment was constantly observed in a dirty, half-cleaned-up state. This led the experience to be less tranquil than it could have been. 

I couldn't bring myself to purchase a drink off the menu. Instead, I proposed sharing a Matcha soft serve.
The green hue was lovely and the matcha flavour was nicely incorporated into the $5.44 specimen. Its unform flavour and smooth profile was well received, while the matcha retained appropriate depth. Sweetness levels were also acceptable.
Other options for soft serve included Vanilla and Matcha/Vanilla swirl.

The creation melted rather quickly once we were outside and no long circumscribed within the ring of effect for A/C. Overall, the soft serve hadn't been a bad choice for $5.44 after tax. Seeing as I found most aspects of the cafe to be subject to heavy exaggeration, it's highly unlikely I'll be returning.
Also worth a remark: despite the countless cups of powdered Japanese green tea in constant production during our stay, the shop does not make loose bags of matcha powder available for sale.

It didn't take long to consume the remainder of our partially-dissolved pool of matcha and continue the journey.

Along the way was Lady M, a bakery once heavily celebrated during the mille crepe craze, and a funny-looking inflatable salesman.

I missed the Koreatown sign on the way up, and actually needed to retrace my path after confirming the coordinates of a certain potato I was meeting.  ​Eventually, I managed to find the small strip of shops.

The Koreatown of NYC did not come close to the breadth and glamour of LA. It was a mere fraction of its West Coast counterpart, yet somehow managed to attract the largest crowd of Asian visitors I had seen since landing in the city.

K-Beauty brands lined the north side of 32nd St: The Face Shop, Nature Republic, and a hybrid bookstore/gift shop/beauty retailer named Koryo Books were our shops of focus.

​Unlike the evidently unofficial retailer in Chinatown, this Nature Republic was the real deal. The product range and store interior aligned with other Nature Republic locations across North America. EXO standees were also not to be missed.
The Face Shop, on the other hand, adopted a less-than-standard presentation with extremely high prices.

​"Where are the GOT7 standees?!" I exclaimed to my ahgase-in-crime, "The ones featured on TV!"
"That's the other store." she reassured me.

And she was right. Regrettably, they did not have all seven members installed.

​Sashaying through the aisles, our eager fingers glided over countless beauty items - sometimes in awe, and other times out of pure curiosity. The selection was, by no means, vast; it placed emphasis on a shelf of sheet masks instead.

​Half of the ground floor had been allocated to beauty products, while the other was an amalgamation of K-Pop albums, unofficial merchandise, Korean books and magazines, and potentially genuine BT21 items.
There was also a narrow, P.A.T.-esque staircase that led up to a floor of pastel-hued clothing items. Two shop attendants greeted us as we weaved through the displays, underneath the crouched ceiling, and onto the other side of the "indoor balcony".

​Neither of us succumbed to a purchase. Photos with the loves of our lives were captured in the most pretentious ways possible before moving on.

​Caffe Bene, Tous Les Jours, and Paris Baguette were names that I had become acquainted with at Madang Plaza last summer. I suggested touring them briefly. It was at this point to steer clear of Caffe Bene's supposedly revolting beverages.

​One of my missions - possibly the sole mission of utmost importance - was to obtain matcha powder before heading back. Having exhausted majority of my local sources, there was not a single reason not to test the market immediately south of the border.

​A bit of research directed me to Ippodo Tea Co., which was approximately thirteen minutes northeast of 34th Street and 6th Avenue.

As opposed of the standalone tea room I had expected, we were met with a basement-level, grab-and-go counter. Ippodo shared a space with two other Japanese eateries; the business operated exclusively as "Matcha To Go".
​
Seating and a resting area were essentially non-existent (besides two chairs intended for Kajitsu's patrons in wait). This meant apologetically taking over their side table to relieve my shoulder and upper limbs of muscle ache.

​Lighting was minimal and furnishings were sleek and woody. The atmosphere was far more serene and sophisticated than that of Cha Cha Matcha.
An incredible assortment of loose leaf teas (Genmaicha, Sencha, Houjicha, and more) and varying grades of ceremonial matcha were arranged about the counter. Near the cashier was a menu that was as minimal as it was diverse: Sencha and Matcha Lattes are common in many establishments, but including the options of Koicha (thick matcha) and Usucha (thin matcha) was profound. Gyokuro, Iribancha, and Mugicha were atypical items, as was the Matcha Slushy.

​Staff members were friendly and even provided additional details on whatever we inquired about.
​Samples of the slushy were also provided to satisfy our curiosities. It was interesting and tasty, with faint chunks of ice floating about. The grassy depth was present, however the consensus was that the drink was sweeter than preferred. A part of me wonders whether this was due to the usage of granulated sugar (versus a liquid sweetener such as flavourless rice syrup or a low-density honey).

​Ultimately requested were the Iribancha, noted a smoky tea from Kyoto, and a Matcha Soy Latte crafted from the Chidori-no-shiro matcha.

View the full album HERE !

The Iribancha was extremely unique and far bolder than any other blend of straight tea. "Smoky" was an accurate depiction of its profile, but be warned that this exact quality is an acquired taste for some. Dissimilar to the smoky effects of charcoal torching, where the result is heavy flavour paired with mild bitterness, the notes of Iribancha are airy with a deep bitterness reminiscent of cigarettes. The small-sized cup was sufficient for my thirst-quenching needs; had I been given more, I may have gradually built a opinion of confused enjoyment. Iribancha is not the most refreshing style of tea, though its unprecedented properties are undeniably worth a try. It is best served iced and devoid of any artificial additives, as they will act to mask the aforementioned one-of-a-kind features.

​I opted to purchase the most economic varities available: Hatsu-mukashi (40 g for $10) and Fuku-mukashi (40 g for $19).
It had been difficult to arrive at a decision with the numerous choices before me; I picked prudently for optimal matcha latte-crafting.

Read Part 3 HERE !

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