When translated from Japanese, the brand name Cha-no-wa means “the circle of tea”. Its name is a nod to the interconnectedness of nature, culture and community. The matcha brand is well-known in Japan, and in December opened its first Australian outpost on King William Street. Bringing Cha-no-wa to Australia is former Muni and Hardy’s Verandah chef Charlie Lu.
“Before I studied to be a chef, I was very interested in patisserie and dessert, especially from Japan,” Lu tells Broadsheet. “Being from Taiwan, I would go to Japan a couple of times a year because it was so close. Having the opportunity to bring Cha-no-wa to Australia was something I couldn’t pass up.”
Renowned for its use of premium matcha sourced from Uji, Kyoto – a region synonymous with the highest quality green tea – Cha-no-wa was established in Hiroshima over 70 years ago. It has since become famous across Japan.
“Cha-no-wa uses really high-quality, luxury matcha and hojicha, hand-picked by the matcha master, Haruhide Morita, who blends different types together to create our unique umami flavour,” says Lu. “It’s very similar to a chef selecting the best ingredients and using techniques to create a dish of such high quality – it’s like a masterpiece.”
As with the tea, all the cakes, cookies, and snacks available are imported from Japan. There are plans to open outposts in Sydney later this year but, for now, Adelaide is the only place to taste Cha-no-wa.
The crowd favourite since opening has been the smooth matcha sundae, made with matcha jelly and soft serve, mochi, red bean paste, and a drizzle of matcha syrup and the matcha float topped with matcha gelato and mochi balls.
“Being a chef, I’m planning to introduce some new specials at Cha-no-wa, like a yuzu sundae or sparkling drink and a coconut matcha,” Lu shares. “It’s matcha with coconut water, and surprisingly, the nuttiness of the water pairs nicely with the matcha to create a beautiful flavour.”
The intimate spot has a takeaway window and a minimalist Japanese-inspired fit-out with timber floors, stone countertop, and pops of “matcha green” throughout.
In addition to frappes and milk drinks and desserts on the menu, there’s take-home tea and sweet offerings, including boxes of crispy rolled matcha cookies, matcha milk manju, and the decadent matcha gateau chocolate cake.
“I want to encourage people to try this product and be open to something new – there’s not much opportunity to have this quality of matcha or hojicha in Adelaide or even Australia,” says Lu. “It’s very healthy, natural and delicate – you can taste and smell the seaweed flavour – and we use local dairy from Fleurieu Milk Company, so it’s combining the best matcha with the best dairy in SA.”
Matcha can be quite polarising; you either love it or you don’t. If you’ve never had matcha or hōjicha before, the team welcome you to taste before committing to a whole beverage.
“Our drinks and lattes are sugar-free, so you can taste the original tea flavour and how they drink it in Japan. In Adelaide, people tend to like sweeter, so we’re happy to add a shot of sugar syrup to ensure customers enjoy the taste.”
Cha-no-wa
Shop G6 33 King William Street, Adelaide
No phone
Hours:
Mon to Sun midday–9:30pm