A new Asian-themed café in Bandra packs a lot of flavour in its tiny space but might not tempt the VFM-seeking patron
Matcha tres leches
The flavours of matcha often divide Indian foodies. Some love its grassy taste and colour, while others just can’t get on board. So, when we decide to review Tokyo Matcha Bar and Café, a cutesy new Asian café on Chapel Road in Bandra, we invite a non-matcha enthusiast to tag along. We visit them on the second day after their opening and are happy to see how far they have come from when we reviewed them during their cloud kitchen days, when their menu only had matcha drinks and desserts.
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Grandma’s wonton noodle soup and Chicken curry glaze wontons. PICS COURTESY/DHARA VORA SABHNANI
The eatery is packed at 6.30 pm. We order a white chocolate matcha with cold foam (Rs 399, all prices exclusive of taxes) while we wait for a table to empty. For its small space, the menu is extensive; it’s no longer just restricted to matcha offerings. There’s a long beverage menu with milk alternatives, desserts, appetisers, sides, sandwiches and mains. Our latte is ready before our table is, and the chilled drink offers respite on a humid evening.
A delightful pairing of matcha and white chocolate, the cold foam adds another texture to the thick latte. Our fellow reviewer has not yet warmed up to matcha; we offer a subtle mode to convert them, with the matcha tres leches (Rs 310). It turns out to be a success. The milk-doused cake is light; the matcha levels are just perfect — there’s umami minus the bitterness — and the cream is airy too, tres tasty! Like a cat, we slurp every last drop of the matcha milk, straight from the bowl! We feel guilty about starting our meal with the dessert first and move our attention to their food.
Our server recommends karaage Japanese fried chicken (Rs 385), grandma’s wonton noodle soup (Rs 399), samurai tofu (Rs 389) and chicken curry glaze wontons (Rs 410). The fried chicken is insanely crisp on the outside, you will hear a snap every time you bite. A dip will help elevate the simple yet technical dish. As for the other dishes, smooth is the ideal word to describe them all. Be it the tofu, the ramen broth or the curry glazed wontons, every morsel slides on our palate with complex flavours of multiple Asian ingredients balanced with a winning mouth feel.
Samurai tofu is made with the silken variety, and has the right hint of chilli. The wontons in both the dishes are luscious, we slurp it down at Naruto speed. The chicken curry glaze has a delicate balance of creamy coconut base, red chilli and lemongrass and will also pair well with a bit of rice. The ramen noodles are slippery-good and the veg broth makes for elevated comfort food. We are tempted to try their matcha soft serve but have no room left. We’ve heard of cafés in the quaint lanes across Bandra that open and shut every month. We hope that this newest entrant stays put and becomes the spot for memorable matcha dates.
Tokyo Matcha Bar and Café
At Silvilla House, Chapel Road, St Sebastian Colony, Ranwar, Bandra West. time 12 noon to 10 pm (Tuesdays closed)
Call 8657801026
**** Exceptional, *** Excellent, ** very Good, * Good, Average. Tokyo Matcha Bar and Café didn’t know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals
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