Matcha

Chanoma Cafe

Matcha Float

(iced matcha latte with matcha ice cream)

★★★☆☆

Matcha Fruit Parfait

(matcha ice cream, rice cake, pocky, cornflakes, cone, brown sugar syrup, fruit cocktail)

★★☆☆☆

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Black Sesame Soft Serve

★★★☆☆

Chanoma Cheese Dog

(kransky sausage, chopped cabbage, salsa sauce, mozzarella cheese)

★★☆☆☆

Creamy Shrimp Dog

(deep fried shrimp croquette, chopped cabbage, paprika, tartar sauce)

★★★★☆

Overall:

Known for their matcha creations, this busy Japanese-style cafe offers a wide range of hot and cold drinks, desserts as well as savoury snacks. Worth visiting if you are a matcha fan. Note that this place is cash only.

Chanoma Cafe

Shop 11, 501 George St, Sydney, NSW

(02) 9266 0667

http://www.chanoma.com.au/

Cafe Lafayette

Matcha Hot Cakes with Berry Compote, Honeycomb, Vanilla Mascarpone, Red Bean Crème, Crushed Pistachio

These hot cakes were a bit on the soggy side however they had a lovely mild matcha flavour, and tasted terrific with the slightly tart berry compote and the sweet honeycomb, mascarpone and red bean crème.

★★★☆☆

Prawn Croquettes with Scallops, Crackers, Avo Puree, Tartar Dressing, Poached Eggs, Hollandaise and Black Sesame Seeds

These croquettes were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside but they lacked flavour and had to be eaten with the sauces. The crackers were a bit stale, the eggs were nicely poached, and the scallops were fantastic.

★★★☆☆

Tokyo Express Raindrop Cake (classic brown sugar with stone grounded soy bean)

★★★★☆

Match Lover Raindrop Cake (Japanese green tea with roasted pistachio)

★★★☆☆

These curious looking blobs are in fact water and agar, and when eaten on its own didn’t really taste like anything. But when it was eaten together with a sweet syrup and a nutty powder, it became a light and refreshing dessert.

Overall:

Tasty food, friendly service, laid back ambience with an awesome view of the beach. The raindrop cakes are on their specials menu at the moment, so try them soon before they disappear.

Cafe Lafayette

55 Beach St, Port Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9078 9808

http://cafelafayette.com.au/

Tina’s Noodle Kitchen

Rice Noodles with Chicken Stock Soup

(rice noodles, tomato, spam, quail egg, bean curd skin, bok choy, spring onion, tofu, mushrooms, bean sprouts, fungus, deep fried pork)

★★★★☆

Rice Noodles with Pork Liver and Pickles

(rice noodles, black fungus, bean curd skin, bok choy, mushroom, spring onion, bean sprouts)

★★★★☆

Japanese Matcha Frappe

★★★☆☆

Overall:

When Tina’s Noodle Kitchen first opened, what caught my attention was the retractable belt barrier positioned in front of the place to control the crowds. I’ve eaten here a few times since then and this is what I know:

This place only serves noodles but the noodles are consistently good and very filling.
The 150°C bowls mean that the noodles arrive burning hot and remain that way for a quite while, so take your time eating otherwise you will leave with a burnt tongue.
Orders need to be made at the counter before you sit down.
Service is variable.
If you look Asian or anything slightly Asian, expect to be spoken to in mandarin.

In any case, Tina’s Noodle Kitchen is a good place to head to the next time you are in the mood for a satisfying bowl of noodles.

Tina’s Noodle Kitchen

231 Swanston St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9041 6382