🍵Matcha Reviews: HIKARI
HIKARI is a Japanese-style cafe located on Swanston St opposite to the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne city. HIKARI is bright and furnished in a very modern and minimalist style, however I was slightly disappointed at the limited seating as I was hoping for a more comfortable dine-in experience. HIKARI has a very nice atmosphere for a short stay or quick takeaway, but doesn't seem as suitable for meeting/catching up with friends. The staff were very friendly and we received our drinks shortly after ordering.
The hojicha latte was a generous size but the iced matcha latte was smaller than expected (I paid $12.50 in total for both drinks and can't remember the individual prices...). The hojicha latte had a very strong roasted tea leaf flavour that was a little overpowering for me as there wasn't enough of a milky or sweet flavour to balance it, however the hojicha did taste very premium as I didn't get any hint of syrup-yness in the drink (which was a big plus).
The matcha latte was slightly grainy and not as well-combined as I would've like and could've also been balanced with a little more sweetness in my opinion. Out of the two drinks we ordered, I preferred the iced matcha latte.
Overall I got the feeling that HIKARI specialises more in their coffee beverages rather than their matcha/hojicha counterparts, so unfortunately both these drinks fell flat for us, but definitely check this cafe out if you are a coffee lover.
Final verdict: MAYBE TRY THE COFFEES INSTEAD ☕️
Atmosphere and venue: ⭐️⭐️
Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Taste: ⭐️⭐️
Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#matchainmelbourne #matchalattes #hojichalattes #lillyreviewsmatcha