Kiss Of Matcha

Uji and Kagoshima at the centre of the bar

The matcha bar in San Francisco works from 100% ceremonial-grade matcha from Uji and Kagoshima, which is the reason to walk in rather than treat it as another coffee stop. Kiss Of Matcha is drink-led, and the programme reads that way: matcha first, hojicha in its orbit, and sweet treats beside the cups. Uji brings the older association with shade-grown Japanese tea; Kagoshima adds a second southern origin with a large modern growing base. The café does not turn the tea into a lecture at the counter. It keeps the proposition plain: matcha drinks, hojicha, and a sweet case to match. There is no espresso programme doing equal work here, so the decision is simple. Come for the green tea, not for a coffee menu trying to cover every base.

A counter built for a matcha order

The room works as a casual counter-service café, the kind of place where the order is the point and the line moves around cold cups, milk choices and tea powder. This is one of a small San Francisco group rather than a one-off shop, with the other branches carrying the same matcha identity across the city. That matters because the menu has a clear house language: matcha, hojicha and sweet treats, not a long bakery board or a full lunch routine. The useful time to come is when a cold matcha sounds better than another espresso, especially if the walk has already put the city's west side in your legs. Do not expect a slow tea ceremony. Expect a contemporary matcha counter, quick enough for takeaway, specific enough to be worth choosing on purpose. The Infatuation included it in its 2026 matcha guide.

Start with the iced matcha latte with oat milk

Order the iced matcha latte with oat milk first. It is the drink that explains the place, because it puts the ceremonial-grade matcha in a format that is easy to read: cold, milky, vivid and smooth enough that the tea is not buried. Oat milk is a good first pairing here because it softens the edge without making the cup taste like dessert before the matcha has had its say. If the day calls for something warmer or roastier, move toward the hojicha side of the menu, where the tea profile shifts darker. The sweet treats are there as the natural second move, but the drink should lead. Kiss Of Matcha is at its clearest when the order stays close to the tea programme: matcha first, milk if wanted, sugar and extras kept in the background.