Touching heaven isn’t so uncommon but what about drinking it? While exploring San Diego, I came across a matcha cafe where pink and green aren’t short on hand. For those that haven’t tried matcha before and want an explanation of what it is, visit Holy Matcha’s site. Their website provides an amazing overview for inexperienced customers. Matcha has been all the rave for years but I haven’t dined at a place quite like Holy Matcha. As far as the establishment goes, it’s my future dream open-concept kitchen and living room in real life. Walking up to the cafe transports each person to a tropical haven for goddesses (and gods). Greenery accents every nook and cranny separating tables for a more private experience. Leaf wallpaper complements the pink suede booth running the length of the shop. Tees and sweatshirts are placed with finesse around the shop making every customer want to become their new fan. A cute neon sign sits in the back lighting up the beautiful marble counter and smiling staff.

Speaking of the staff! I can’t believe I forgot the girls names already but the two gals working were smiling and helpful to my friend, Creek, and I from the moment we opened the door to the point we left. The ladies were so kind in answering our questions, giving us recommendations, and even allowing me to take videos and pictures for Live Wandering. Their generosity was prominent and spread to all customers that came in the door which is quite the anomaly to San Diego customer service. Most places I’ve entered in San Diego emit an unfriendly vibe that feels like being a customer is a nuisance. My degree in hospitality management might make me a little more critical than others but I will say most of San Diego’s customer service has set a pretty low bar for customer service standards. That being said, it felt refreshing to walk into a shop greeted cheerfully rather than scorned.

The last thing I’d like to note is the actual taste of the matcha. The origin and quality of the matcha will greatly affect the outcome of the taste. I discovered that they source their matcha from Kyoto, Japan. Needless to say, their captions on Instagram weren’t lying when they read “bomb matcha.” Creek and I ordered different matcha lattes. As drawn as I was to Matcha Horchata–a fan favorite–I decided to get the Strawberry Matcha; made from scratch, the organic strawberry puree was shaken with my choice of milk (oat milk) and topped with matcha over ice. Creek ordered Give Me Life which is matcha, cacao, maca, and milk of her choice over ice. Both were adorably decorated with an orchid blossom. Pricing is a little more than a Starbucks coffee but you’re getting better quality in my opinion. My drink was over $6 USD while Creek’s was $9 USD. You can see the menu here.

At first sip, my body felt the soul-soothing green liquid work its way into my body. Yes, it’s soul-soothing. Sweetened to perfection, the smooth strawberry tea was an inescapable experience. I felt like a goddess on her pink throne surrounded by her plant subjects drinking the sweet milk of the tea leaves grown in my kingdom. It honestly made me feel unstoppable. It was incredibly hard to take my time drinking the nectar of the staff’s hard work. While I was on my sweet throne, Creek enjoyed her more “earthy” and traditional matcha drink. Allowed a sip, I took in the differences between our two iced beverages. The strawberry matcha had a floral essence where as the cacao and maca matcha latte was exceptionally grounding. Creek’s drink had more of a balance to it and for me, it would be my drink of choice when reflecting on all the things I’m grateful for in my life. It was a drink that you sipped and enjoyed rather than gobble down like a dessert, such as my fruit beverage.

A note to the owner:

I’ll definitely be going back whenever I am in San Diego. Geraldine Ridaura, if you’re reading this, please open up a location in Minneapolis so I can make Holy Matcha my daily ritual. The matcha you serve is too much of a blessing to not share with the rest of the world.

A suggestion for creatives:

When in San Diego, get yourself into the Holy Matcha Matcha Club. Not only are the drinks heavenly but the picture opportunities are a way to level up your Instagram profile. The photos I provided in this post aren’t edited yet and to be honest, they don’t really need to be edited. The lighting, cafe, and drinks are all from the photoshoot. It’s a great place to take your friends, go on a date, or just chill and study. In any case, your followers will appreciate seeing the pink jungle paradise on their feed.

Join the club:

If you still aren’t convinced to jump on this delicious ship then you can read more about it in San Diego Magazine, Marie Claire, Popsugar, and Modern Luxury. Meanwhile, I’m gonna go drive and get myself a couple of shirts because my ship has already sailed. I’m officially Holy Matcha’s newest fan.

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A post shared by HOLY MATCHA (@holymatchaa)