Story of Ono

Two counters, two worlds

The island bar is split down the middle: one counter in rich brown marble for coffee, the other in forest green for matcha, so the idea behind Story of Ono is visible before a drink is poured. The café, also styled ONO Specialty Coffee & Matcha, opened in SS2, Petaling Jaya in late 2021 on the premise that the two programs carry equal weight, with Niko Neko matcha and Curate Coffee Roasters behind the drinks from the start. When Two Worlds Collide is both the design concept and the drink that states it. The room around the bars is oak furniture, stucco-textured off-white walls, rusted signs and fine brass, all of it arranged to keep the two counters in the eye.

A destination stop in SS2

Bright, minimalist and clean-lined, the café is entered through a revolving glass door into an all-white room, and at weekends the queue makes clear that it works as a destination rather than a neighborhood coffee bar. It suits a table and a catch-up, or a detour made specifically for the coffee and matcha, more than a long laptop session. Ranked number 8 on The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops in 2026 and described there as the world's first specialty coffee and matcha café, it pulls people out to the suburb on that reputation. Rotating single-origin coffees, ceremonial matcha and hojicha-style drinks are the standing framework.

Order the collision, then a sando

Start with When Two Worlds Collide, the drink that puts the whole concept in one glass. From there the menu splits along the same lines: more coffee-and-matcha combinations, various Niko Neko matcha drinks, rotating single-origin coffees, ceremonial matcha, and tea-forward orders such as the Tsubaki Hojicha Latte and the Japanese Matcha Tea - Ren. Food is not an afterthought. The Smoked Salmon Mascarpone Sando comes with Japanese mayo and vegetables. The Crispy Ebi Katsu Taru Taru Sando is built on Japanese shokupan with shrimp katsu, handmade taru taru sauce and a slice of lemon. The Tangy Buffalo Chicken Katsu Sando puts deep-fried chicken, a tangy and spicy sauce, cream cheese sauce and crunchy cabbage between the same shokupan. Order one alongside the drinks rather than instead of them.