Singapore’s love for matcha and Japanese cafes is still going on strong.
The opening of 108 Matcha Saro would likely attract some attention.
This is its first outlet in South-East Asia, located at the revamped basement level of Suntec City (the escalator leading to the money changer).
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108 Matcha Saro first started in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan in 2014.
Today, they have 4 outlets dispersed across Japan, namely in Hokkaido, Tokyo and Yokohama and another 4 outlets in Taipei, Taiwan.
Even though the Singapore outlet is mainly a takeaway store, it is still designed like a traditional ancient Japanese teahouse concept.
The local 108 Matcha Saro consists of 4 different live stations whereby passer-by can witness the live making of Warabi-mochi, Obanyaki, whisking of Matcha and assembling of Parfaits and Soft Serves.
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My first experience with 108 Matcha Saro was in Taipei, where the staff was preparing their best-seller obanyaki on the spot similar to the outlet in Singapore.
Obanyaki is a Japanese snack traditionally filled with Azuki bean paste and made using a special pan.
This may remind you of our local pancakes (like those you find at Mr Bean’s) – much different pricing of course. Local = cheaper; Japanese = expensive.
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Available in 6 different flavours at the Singapore’s outlet, my favourites are the Matcha Custard with Original Dough ($2.90) and Red Bean Paste with Warabi Mochi & Matcha Dough ($3.50).
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The matcha from Uji, Kyoto is most distinctive in the Matcha Custard with Original Dough ($2.90) with oozing matcha in the centre and a distinctive slight bitterness aftertaste.
The Red Bean Paste which is sourced from Taiwan’s Pingtung, includes Warabi Mochi & Matcha Dough ($3.50).
It came as a surprise with a layer of soft, sticky and gooey warabi mochi that added chewiness to the combination.
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Other flavours include Red Bean Paste with Matcha/ Original Dough ($2.90), custard with Original Dough ($2.90) and a limited edition Singapore-exclusive Double-Choc with Matcha dough Obanyaki ($3.50) made with 66% Valrhona chocolate and chocolate custard.
Personally, I felt that the matcha dough in the Obanyaki tends to be denser and drier when left to cool down after a while, so it is best to eat them when they are freshly out.
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Another bestseller is their Warabi Mochi freshly handmade daily and are available in 3 different combination: Matcha, Soybean and mix of matcha and soybean and 2 different sizes: Box (24 pieces for $12.90) and Cup (8 pieces for $4.90).
Probably one of the best warabi mochi available in Singapore, with a light, soft and slightly chewy texture, lightly flavoured with generous amount of matcha or soybean powder.
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Instead of glutinous rice used in mochi, warabi starch is used in warabi mochi to yield a jelly-like and melt-in-the-mouth sensation.
(Note: The Warabi Mochi on display are not for sampling as I saw a passer-by reaching out using bare hands for a piece of Warabi Mochi in the cup and simply walked off after ‘sampling’.)
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The majority of their menu (24 items to be exact) consisted of Soft Serve (Cone $4.90), Parfait ($6.90 – $8.50) and Drinks ($6.90).
The Parfait Deluxe ($8.50) comes in either Matcha or Hojicha Soft Serve and 5 different toppings: white mochi, red beans, matcha jelly, brown sugar jelly and soybean warabi mochi.
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My favourite items in the parfait are the toppings, freshly made with a soft and chewiness texture.
As for the soft serve in the parfait, even though the texture is smooth, the sweetness can be a little overwhelming.
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Other parfaits include the Matcha/ Hojicha Mini Parfait ($6.90), Matcha Jelly Parfait ($7.90) and Matcha/ Soybean Warabi Mochi Parfait (7.90)
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The Iced Matcha Green Tea ($4.90) suffered from the same fate with sweetness, and sadly, there are no options to reduce the sugar level.
The matcha is hand-whisked using a bamboo whisk upon order for Iced and Hot Matcha Latte ($4.90) with an option of either milk or soy milk for the lactose-intolerant.
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Other options include Jelly Matcha/ Hojicha Latte ($5.90), Matcha Almond Milk Tofu ($5.90/ Float $6.90) and Matcha Smoothie ($5.90/ Float $6.90).
The Warabi mochi and Obanyaki are definitely the highlights at 108 Matcha Saro which differentiate themselves from other matcha places in Singapore.
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108 Matcha Saro
Suntec City Mall #B1-K5, 3 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038983
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
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Emma (Plaza Singapura)
* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. This is based on a media tasting, DFD will return to try after the shop opens to public.