Lunch at Matchaya Tiong Bahru : New Progressive Tea Bar

Matchaya Tiong Bahru is a new cafe by Matchaya – the folks who run cafes specialising in matcha green tea in Singapore and elsewhere. Currently there are two outlets in Singapore – Tiong Bahru and Suntec City, and a few in Indonesia.

Matchaya 3.0 at Tiong Bahru

According to the Matchaya website, the opening of the new outlet Matchaya Tiong Bahru signals a new chapter, Matchaya 3.0 which is “Sharper. Bolder. More intentional.” Apparently, they have gone back to the drawing board to reimagine what the modern tea experience could feel like. The result is said to be flavours that are refreshing, layered textures and drinks that feel exciting again.

In addition, the food experience also evolved alongside the evolution of drinks, A new food direction focuses on comforting Japanese-inspired flavours that complements Matchaya’s tea program e.g. rice burgers that bring together flavour, convenience and the Matchaya experience in one bite.

This new Matchaya outlet in Tiong Bahru has a pleasant and calm decor. Some might even say there is a zen feeling, which is very appropriate for a matchaya themed cafe. We were also glad to see that the seating areas are quite comfortable. Just like the Elijah Pies new outlet in Joo Chiat, tables are sufficiently far apart and there are real chairs, some even with cushions. A big improvement over squeezey cafes with tiny stools that feel so unwelcoming.

Matchaya Tiong Bahru - pleasant and calm decor.

Matchaya Tiong Bahru Menu

Here are pictures of some pages from the Matchaya Tiong Bahru menu.

The attention grabber was the Lunch Set $9.90 headline. But do note the fine print.

Our Japanese Inspired Lunch at Tiong Bahru

On this visit to the new Matchaya outlet we tried two types of rice dishes Chicken Katsu Curry and Dashi Chicken ($10.90 each), a side of fried chicken gyoza, a dessert and coffee.

Both the rice dishes were attractively plated with a Japanese touch. The dashi chicken rice (picture above) had rice served with chicken cooked with a light broth. This was a pleasant dish suitable for those seeking lunch with light flavours. Like typical Japanese curries the chicken katsu curry (picture below) was not spicy. The curry was lightly flavoured. Portion size of both dishes were decent but those with a big appetite might want to supplement their main course with other things.

We had a side dish of chicken gyoza ($8) which added variety to the meal that day.

side dish of chicken gyoza with Dashi Chicken & Chicken Katsu Curry

Dessert and Coffee

Even though we were in a matcha cafe, we did not have any green tea that day. Instead, we had Signature Matcha Azuki roll cake ($8) for dessert and cappuccino ($5.50). Both the cake and coffee were good but not exceptional.