108 Matcha Saro, the brand from Asahikawa, Hokkaido in Japan, is making its Southeast Asian debut in Singapore. Opening on July 26 with a simple takeaway stall in the basement of Suntec City, the brand already boasts four stores in its native country and another four in Taiwan.
And it’s clearly serious about its matcha goods. Uji Matcha from Kyoto is used in its food and drinks, and the powder is made with quality tea leaves that are steamed, dried, and then stone-grounded to a fine consistency.
The store also gets its red bean from Wandan township in Pingtung, which is responsible for more than three-quarters of the supply produced in Taiwan. With the beans, 108 Matcha Saro customizes its paste to come up with the ideal texture and sugar level for its products.
Focusing on freshness, the store makes its obanyaki and warabi mochi from scratch daily, allowing passersby to watch the behind-the-scenes action.
A signature treat, the obanyaki (from $2.90) comes in five flavors with a base of original or matcha dough. Stuffings include red bean paste with warabi mochi, custard, and matcha custard. Oh, and it’s offering a limited edition creation for the Singapore outpost: double chocolate in matcha dough ($3.50), with the filling made of chocolate-flavored custard and Valrhona dark choc.
As for the warabi mochi, the chewy, jelly-like treats ($4.90/eight pieces) come caked in bittersweet matcha or nutty soybean powder. It’s easy to pop these little pillows of deliciousness into your mouth without realizing how quick you’re inhaling them, so you may or may not want to share the cup. Just sayin’.
Besides nibbles, the kiosk churns out Hokkaido soft serve in matcha and hojicha versions ($4.90/cone) as well, in cups full of toppings like brown sugar jelly, white mochi, red bean, and matcha jelly. On the drinks end, you’ve got options like matcha and hojicha lattes ($4.90), matcha almond milk tofu ($5.90), and matcha smoothies ($5.90) to choose from.
Even after you’ve happily overdosed on matcha, the snacking doesn’t have to end, as you can grab a couple boxes of warabi mochi or obanyaki to bring home with you.
FIND IT:
108 Matcha Saro officially opens on July 26 at #B1-K05, Suntec City, 3 Temasek Blvd.
Daily 10am-10pm.
MRT: Promenade/Esplanade/City Hall
Other recent openings:
Wanderlost Lounge: Halal rooftop bar in the CBD with mocktails inspired by classic storybooks
Threeppy: This fancy new concept store by Daiso is full of affordable buys from $5.80
Noka: Modern Japanese joint with a sustainable focus on greens from its rooftop urban farm in Funan
