Taking a trip around Asia
Miami is a melting pot of cultures, Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine have become popular in the city BY MARCELA RONDON, STAFF WRITER
M
IAMI HAS BEEN A stronghold for Latin cuisine for years, reflecting the city’s largely Hispanic population. However, as Miami’s food scene begins to diversify, Asian food has been on the rise. Ingredients such as
matcha are increasing in popularity in foodie culture, with its many health-benefits and natural taste. Other restaurants that have contributed to this surge in recognition aim to deliver delicious and traditional home-like dishes with an artisanal spin.
Restaurants such as Yoko Matcha, Miami’s first specialty matcha shop, Atchana’s Homegrown Thai, a welcoming bistro, and Bombay Darbar, a bursting Indian restaurant all offer Miami citizens a delicious meal they do not have to travel far for.
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Yoko Matcha Originally a Chinese tea, matcha was introduced to Japan in 1911. High in antioxidants, the drink helps promote health in the liver and heart and assists in weight loss. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Yoko Matcha, a small but bursting cafe in Wynwood at 2211 NW 2nd Ave., has perfected the art of matcha as Miami’s first specialty matcha shop. Yoko Matcha owner Chie Dambara grew up splitting time between Japan and Madrid, exposing herself to both very different cultures. Dambara first learned about the health benefits of matcha during her battle with breast cancer; matcha helped improve her immune health and fight away the cancer. This blend of cultures inspired the creation of Yoko Matcha, with which she hopes to educate Miami food patrons of the many health benefits of matcha. Another cause for the creation of Yoko Matcha was Dambara’s grandmother.
26 the scene
“My grandmother Yoko [was my inspiration]! She was a tea ceremony teacher in Japan,” said Dambara. Yoko Matcha was a pop-up cafe around Wynwood before finding a more established location at Dasher & Crank ice cream shop, Upon walking in, customers are immediately drawn to the whimsical rose wall with the words “Loca for matcha.” The cafe bar, Yoko Matcha’s focus center in the store, is decorated with a beautiful blush pink tile and cake stands containing Yoko Matcha’s dessert items. With a unique menu ranging from matcha specialty drinks to matcha infused desserts, Yoko Matcha caters to everyone’s tastes. Dambara makes sure to use authentic matcha, imported from Shizuoka, Japan, to guarantee her customers are receiving the best quality of matcha money could buy. Specialty drinks such as the Matcha Rosa,
a traditional matcha tea sweetened with rose syrup and garnished with dried rose petals are available for $6.00. Their menu also has a coffee section with standard, non-matcha infused items, such as their latte and cold brew, both $4.00. Yoko Matcha also features a matcha infused dessert menu combining Japanese and Spanish cuisine, such as a matcha brigadeiro, a Brazilian chocolate truffle cooked with matcha, sold for $2.00. Another popular dessert is the matcha vegan cookie, sold for $4.00 and baked with matcha powder. “My personal favorite item on the menus is definitely the classic matcha con leche with oat milk and the matcha pastelito,” Dambara said. With matcha being an unfamiliar ingredient for many Miami natives, Yoko Matcha has a distinctive menu for all to enjoy.
