Matcha, the finely ground powder of specially grown, uniquely flavored green tea leaves that are at the heart of “chanoyu” — the traditional Japanese tea ceremony — is now available at Ooika, a cozy tea house on Lawrenceville’s Main Street dedicated to offering high-quality matcha in its many forms. Ooika opened its doors on February 27.
“Ooika” is a Japanese word that represents the aroma from the high-quality, shaded matcha offered at owner Joann Lui’s establishment. Joann grew up in a family of tea enthusiasts. She states that her father hails from Chaozhou, China, a city renowned for Gongfu cha, the skillful art of tea brewing. She then crossed paths with Marc Alexandre, Ooika’s miller, who apprenticed under tea expert Shunan Teng before his journey led him to Japan, where he discovered heritage Matcha.
As stated on its website, Ooika invites its customers to savor “…the unique experience of single-origin heritage matcha from the most celebrated multi-generational family farms across Japan in Uji, Yame, Hoshinomura, Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and more, freshly ground in-house with traditional Japanese Ishi-Usu stone mills.”
And as Joann states on her Facebook page, “Ooika’s commitment to traditional Matcha cultivation and production techniques helps to preserve this ancient art form for future generations to enjoy, while also making Matcha more accessible to a Western audience. If you’ve ever had bitter, yellow Matcha here in the U.S., that’s because most Matcha sold here are months if not years old.
“But Matcha is meant to be consumed fresh, just like coffee, with a vibrantly green color,” she continues. “That’s why we’re obsessed with stone-milled single-cultivar Matcha to bring you the unparalleled freshness that we can’t find here in the U.S.”
A rotating selection of hot and cold matcha-based beverages are available, ranging in price from $3.45 for Hot Binchotan Hojicha — a charcoal roasted green tea that is absent matcha’s vegetal green flavor and is caffeine free — to $9.95 for a Strawberry Matcha Parfait. Patrons are invited to specify the desired level of sweetness; this reporter enjoyed a sugar-free Hot Matcha Latte ($6.85) made with freshly ground matcha and steamed Oatley oat milk.
Ooika also offers a selection of matcha and teaware available for purchase from its website. Membership in their Matcha Mill Club is also available, giving subscribers the opportunity to “explore Japan’s rare, single-origin Matcha shipped to you within 24 hours of stone-milling every month.”
In one of the bolder mission statements put out by any establishment, Ooika promises “To preserve heritage Matcha across the historic terroirs of Japan by making uncompromised matcha accessible to the U.S.” Why not drop by and decide for yourself?
Ooika, 2661 Main Street, Lawrenceville. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours are subject to change during the soft opening period, with a formal opening planned in early June. www.ooika.co.
,
