ORII MATCHA in Taipei: strawberry, horchata and coconut cream bring new references to matcha

The newly opened ORII MATCHA in Taipei East District combines Japanese matcha with American food and spatial memory. The tea selection in the first season covers Uji, Yame and Kagoshima. In addition to hot pure drinks, combinations such as strawberry milk, cinnamon rice milk and coconut cream also extend matcha from the familiar latte to different materials and drinking situations.

Cover image: ORII MATCHA

Pure drink or special blend, first decide what you want to compare

If you want to understand the tea itself, you can start with pure drinking and the differences in its origin; if you want to see how matcha is combined with other flavors, special blends provide another entrance. The two ways of drinking answer different questions. There is no need to regard adding milk or adding fruit flavor as a direct demerit to the tea.

When ordering a drink, you can first confirm the sweetness, milk type and seasonal tea, and then decide whether to pair it with a meal. The bitterness, flavor and other ingredients of matcha will affect each other. Public descriptions provide direction, but actual preferences still need to be established through your own cup.

Strawberry, cinnamon rice milk and coconut cream, each with different reference

The strawberry milk matcha uses handmade strawberry jam and almond milk, allowing the fruity, nutty aroma and tea to meet; the cinnamon rice milk matcha is inspired by the Horchata drink, bringing rice milk and spices into the combination. The rice milk here should not just be imagined as a common breakfast drink in Taiwan.

Vienna Coconut Cream Matcha is based on Einspänner, changing the original position of coffee to matcha, and adding coconut cream. What the three cups have in common is not just the color, but the rearrangement of tea, milk and aroma based on drink structures from different cultures.

Dark wood and an open bar make tea drinking a part of the space

The store was designed by Guoshi Design Agency and developed from founder Tiffany’s memories of life in New York. It uses dark wood, floor-to-ceiling windows and light green and white embellishments. The bar is like an open stage, allowing the actions of adding powder, water and whisking tea into the eyes of the guests.

In the photo, you can first look at how the street, window and bar are connected, and then pay attention to the seat size. The appeal of this smaller space lies not only in a certain photo corner, but also in how the work flow and guest stops are placed together, so that drink making and dining can be seen at the same time.

Light snacks and desserts, continuing the cross-cultural material combination

The menu covers avocado crab rolls, miso maple bacon sandwiches, cold buckwheat noodles with fried shrimp and hot spring eggs, and carrot cakes. They make Matcha House more than just a drink and provide a reason to stop in during brunch time.

If you have milk, eggs, seafood or other dietary requirements, you can confirm the actual recipe before ordering. The public dish names only show a part of the ingredients. Just because almond milk is used in a certain cup, it does not mean that the entire menu or all special dishes are dairy-free.

Address, current hours and future evening plans

ORII MATCHA is at No. 58, Lane 233, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei. Published hours are 09:00–15:30. The evening OSSU concept, hand rolls and sake, and mezzanine workshops are future plans, rather than confirmed daily services.

The observational value of this store lies in transforming matcha, materials and space into combinations that can be chosen daily. Decide first whether you want to drink pure tea, special blends or with meals, and then confirm the availability on the day, and then you can find a more suitable entrance for you than simply chasing green drinks.