Izumi Matcha
Tucked away in a corner in downtown San Mateo, Izumi Matcha has quickly become a quiet favorite for students looking for something more focused than the typical boba shop. This shop centers their identity on one thing: matcha.
Izumi Matcha offers drinks that highlight the earthiness and depth of the tea. I ordered the strawberry matcha latte and the crème brûlée matcha, both of which were layered in flavor and leaned on the sweeter side, so that each sip contained a subtle contrast between sweetness and matcha.
The Strawberry Matcha Latte looked great, with a deep red at the bottom that made it seem like there would be real fruit in every sip. I could taste a hint of fruitiness with the strawberry flavor. The overall impression I got was that the strawberry was there more for color and sweetness.
The crème brûlée matcha felt completely different, and was much heavier and richer. Visually, the contrasting dark green and light brown layers looked distinct, making the drink feel intentional and carefully put together. The top layer of the drink tasted thick and creamy, and when mixed with the matcha below, the drink became a blend of sweetness and a tiny bit of bitterness. Out of the two, the crème brûlée matcha felt more cohesive and intentional, whereas the strawberry matcha latte’s flavor leaned a bit more on sugariness without additional flavor.
“I really like the crème brûlée one,” said sophomore Daphne Ying. “Because it was very sweet and [had] some foam in it … it gives the matcha more creamy flavor.”
Since Izumi Matcha focuses solely on its namesake, they are able to perfect their recipes and serve drinks that taste more authentic and high-quality than the matcha offered at typical boba shops.
“In downtown San Mateo, we don’t have a lot of only matcha places,” Ying said. “[Izumi is] able to perfect its recipe and make it authentic and really, really good.”
Prices fall around seven dollars, which feels slightly expensive but still reasonable, as it’s similar to many other stores around and reflects the higher cost of using high quality matcha.
“The price is kind of overinflated,” Lee said. “[But] it’s reasonable for matcha inflation prices.”
The atmosphere of the shop matched its simple menu, with decor that gives it a calm, minimalistic feel. There was a display case of neatly arranged matcha paraphernalia near the entrance. Everything in the display looked clean, and well-organized, with each item positioned almost like in an exhibit.
I liked the ability to see the workers make the orders in real time, just across the counter. I had a clear view of everything that was going on, and even though the shop was slightly crowded, it still felt spacious. The simplicity of the shop makes it feel quiet and focused, almost like a studio rather than a typical boba shop.
“It’s a really cute shop … [that] has a very modern vibe to it,” Ying said. “It’s very neutral-[toned] … It’s a nice little space.”
In the end, Izumi Matcha may be small, but its focus on matcha, its clean aesthetic and its thoughtfully balanced drinks make it stand out, proving that a shop doesn’t need a long menu to leave a lasting impression. For its intentionality, flavor and atmosphere, Izumi Matcha earns a five out of five stars.
Molly Tea
When Molly Tea opened in downtown San Mateo, the line wrapped so far down the street that it became part of the shop’s identity. The hype was immediate, and for many people, irresistible. However, after visiting the shop myself, the experience made me realize that the shop didn’t fully live up to the hype.
Molly Tea immediately stands out because it doesn’t serve boba. Instead, it focuses on more fragrant, tea-based drinks and has three main categories: floral fresh milk tea, floral snowy whipped and fresh oat milk tea. I ordered the Peach Oolong, a light drink with a subtle peach flavor.
I went in expecting something big after the long line, and the drinks did end up surprising me. They tasted different from the typical boba shops downtown, and the tea really stood out to me. It felt like the shop was trying to highlight the tea rather than hiding it using sweetness, making the drinks feel intentional.
“It’s more tea-based, and it’s more fragrant teas,” said sophomore Daphne Ying. “My favorite was the pistachio one, because I felt like the pistachio flavor really hit through.”
However good the drinks may be, the shop has massive drawbacks, which include its long line and varying prices, ranging from the premium osmanthus milk tea’s price of $7.99 to the more expensive snowy jasmine’s price of $8.99.
“[Molly Tea is] the most overhyped thing ever,” said sophomore Maximillian Lee. “It was not worth the line. I had to wait very long to get the drink.”
When I finally got the Peach Oolong, I was disappointed by both the taste and the presentation because it felt rushed, with the drink that attempted to look clean and put-together but failed. Instead of a bold flavor, the tea landed in an awkward place where neither the peach nor the oolong really stood out. The flavor felt dull, and the tea didn’t have much depth, making it taste slightly watered down.
Overall, Molly Tea is a shop with a unique menu and flavors that I felt were underwhelming. For those who enjoy subtle, fragrant teas, Molly Tea offers something different from the usual boba-heavy options. But for other students expecting bolder flavors or quick service, the long wait and subdued taste may fall short, making Molly Tea worthy of two out of five stars.
