First Look: Find Your Perfect Green Match at Matcha Mate’s New Collingwood Cafe

Matcha is everywhere in Melbourne right now. Belle Vy and Chian Ting were at the forefront of the current craze, opening Matcha Mate as a pop-up running out of their CBD dessert shop Nimbo in 2023, just before the new obsession with the green powder really took off. They ran pop-ups until 2024, when they shifted focus to Matcha Mate’s retail line. And at the very end of 2025, the couple finally opened a stand-alone shop, dubbed Matcha Mate 100.

The new Collingwood cafe was originally intended to be a showroom for Matcha Mate’s products, but there was no stopping hordes of people from showing up for hand-whisked drinks. Now Vy and her team are constantly whisking away, swirling mounds of matcha cream on top of iced drinks. 

Much like going to a specialty coffee shop and choosing your beans, here you can pick from seven different matcha blends. Each, alongside two varieties of hojicha, is available for purchase from the retail section at the front of the store. Gone are the days of blind-buying Matcha Mate products – now you can sample each one in an expertly prepared drink. “We want people to try different matchas without having to commit to the tin, because it can be quite overwhelming and daunting,” says Vy. 

The Hikari house blend features creamy, malty and umami notes. Vy’s personal favourite is Osu, which she describes as bright and floral with a medium umami flavour.  Drink options are a classic tea, usucha (thin tea), hot latte or iced latte, with optional toppings.

“It always starts with matcha as your base drink, and if you’re feeling extra that day, you can add matcha ice-cream or whatever you want”, says Vy. Other toppings include matcha cream, matcha pudding and house-made dango, a sweet, chewy Japanese dessert made from glutinous rice flour, that the pair recently showcased through a Nimbo pop-up at Made In Japan.

There are also two specialty drinks: strawberry matcha and an apple crumble matcha summer special. Cool down with a glass of sparkling soda and Fuji apple puree mixed with matcha cold brew and topped with oat cream.

Ting and Vy hope people will feel comfortable to wind down and take their time with a drink and dessert. Try the matcha parfait, featuring layers of house-made matcha pudding, red bean, dango, yuzu jelly, rice puffs and matcha ice-cream made with the brand’s Maru blend. Then there’s the hana konyaku – soft, jiggly warabi mochi (a chewy dessert made from konjac flour) topped with edible flowers, kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) and kinako (roasted soybean powder). Plus, you’ll find baked goods from Nimbo, including matcha Basque cheesecake and matcha and white chocolate cookies.

Matcha Mate 100 
100 Langridge Street, Collingwood

Hours:
Mon to Sat 9.30am–4pm

matchamate.com.au 
@atmatchamate