Japanese Matcha Tea – 7 Leaves Cafe

Alright, no special occasion today other than another hot, summer day. Which is always a great occasion for boba.

Seriously though, we’ve been ordering so much 7 Leaves that I’m pretty sure I’m going to run out of things to try on the menu (that I’m interested in trying) or that I haven’t written about yet. I guess it’s simultaneously a bad thing and good thing. On one hand, I’ll have experienced all the drinks that I’ve been curious about. On the other…the posts may not be as long? Unless something super emotional happens on that day I suppose. Let the countdown begin!

I could have gone for a milk tea, but I do think 7 Leaves’s milk teas are a little on the heavier side. I mention this a lot, but it just means that they’re very creamy (obviously, but more so than other milk teas) and I feel very full afterwards. They’re really good, but I guess whatever milk they’re using is just very good quality? (Dare I say too good ha!) Since it was a little later in the afternoon, or closer to when my family would eat dinner, I felt like getting a non-milk drink today.

After the “Matcha” Soy drink (the quotes are there because I barely tasted any matcha the one I time I had it…was it a fluke?), I figured it was about time to get the just matcha drink. See, 7 Leaves’s descriptions sound so enticing, and then I got no matcha in that drink! I like matcha in most forms, but I’ll usually order a milk tea, or smoothie, or something other than just matcha. The thought process is that I could theoretically buy matcha powder myself and mix it with water, and boom, matcha tea. (Yes, I understand that I could also just mix it with milk, or make myself a smoothie, but that sounds just a smidge more complicated). Don’t get me wrong, I like a good plain matcha tea too, but I figure if I’m going to get a specialty drink, I may as well get something more…complicated? I guess this perspective is super flawed anyway.

Anyway, 7 Leaves’s Matcha Tea is pretty good! The matcha flavor is not that heavy or overbearing, and it overall is a nice and refreshing light drink. Though, from this drink, I can tell why there’s not as much matcha flavor in the soy milk drink. The matcha is good, but because it’s not as strong as matcha from other places, the flavor of the soy milk overpowered the matcha. (I’m still confused as to why they don’t offer a regular milk alternative, but some day maybe I’ll talk to the 7 Leaves’s drink team).

This drink is supported by the sugar though, and even though I got “Easy Sweet”, the drink is still pretty sweet, but it balances the slight bitterness of the matcha nicely. Weirdly enough, you can’t select no sugar on the app, which may be a problem to some people who cut out the sugar.

I will say, even though I did swish the cup a bit just in case, my first sip contained a bunch of granules, along with a few other sips into the drink. I’m not sure if it was matcha, or sugar, or if I should have shaken it more, but it definitely was a little weird. The boba today is better than the last time though, chewier and a little sweeter, but I feel like it could be better.

Is it just my app or is the Irvine location out of Assam lately? Though, I did get my mom to like their Jasmine Milk Tea! See Mom, trying different drinks has its benefits. I got you to try the Assam after you only had their Thai, and now their Jasmine!

Details: Japanese Matcha Tea; Upsize; Honey boba; No ice; Easy Sweet; from 7 Leaves Cafe (Irvine)