Cha Cha Matcha

I was also thrilled to find Cha Cha Matcha on Lafeyette, a coffee and tea bar that has nothing to do with the Latin American cha cha. Instead, “cha” is derived from the Japanese word for tea, “ocha.”

Co-founders Matthew Morton and Conrad Sandelman spent time in Uji, Japan, where they were captivated by Japanese tea ceremonies utilizing matcha, finely milled Japanese green tea leaves.

The tea happens to have 100 times the antioxidants of regular brewed tea and given the interest in improving one’s health, they were drawn to matcha’s ability to help fight inflammation, tissue damage, and more.

Here, the matcha is served straight up or in bites such as a matcha cream-filled croissant, vegan banana bread and soft-serve ice cream.

It’s known as the place where figure-conscious models like Gigi Hadid, Jasmine Tookes, and Taylor Hill stop by for their tea fixes .

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There are three locations in Nolita (373 Broome), NoHo (327 Lafayette) and Nomad (1158 Broadway). Their first L.A. location is slated to open next month.