A Matcha Dessert Cafe Is Coming to the East Bay

Hordes of bright green desserts laced with matcha tea are heading to downtown Berkeley. International chain Amausaan Uji Matcha is opening its first location in the United States at 1950 Shattuck Avenue, formerly a beauty shop called Body Time.

Despite its Japanese flavors, Amausaan Uji Matcha was actually born in China. The founder had studied in Japan and loved matcha, and according to its website, opened dessert cafes in Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong, and more. The first overseas location opened in Indonesia in 2017, followed by a post in Toronto in September.

While details around Amausaan Uji Matcha’s menu are unclear, it’ll likely be similar to the Canadian outfit. That Toronto location serves roughly 20 Japanese treats, divided into keki (cakes), (inyro) drinks, and ice cream sections. There’s a glorious-looking fading matcha cheesecake, with four layers of matcha cake of varying levels of intensity on top of an Oreo cookie crust. There’s matcha soft serve and sundaes, loaded up with glutinous rice balls, red beans, and pudding. And, of course, there is a matcha mille crepe.

The Bay Area’s obsession with matcha doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon, with lines a consistent sight at Stonemill Matcha in the Mission and matcha lattes gracing most hip cafe menus. While you can find quality matcha at Asha Tea House and matcha soft serve at Uji Time Dessert in Berkeley, Amausaan Uji Matcha will likely offer an unparalleled selection of matcha-infused goodness in the East Bay.

According to Berkeleyside, Amausaan Uji Matcha should open in February. Stay tuned for more as the opening nears.

• Amausaan Uji Matcha USA [official]
• Amausaan Uji Matcha USA [Facebook]
• Amausaan Uji Matcha promises decadent authentic dessert options [Toronto.com]
• Bites [Berkeleyside]

This post was updated to include new information from Berkeleyside.