The hype: These aren’t your typical weakly-flavoured green tea delights; 108 Matcha Saro prides itself in its authenticity—and has the tastes and crowds to show for it. Originating from northern Hokkaido’s Asahikawa, the dessert shop utilises nothing less than the highest grade of quality Uji Matcha tea leaves and Taiwanese Pingtung Wandan red beans.
The vibe: Basement food kiosks are a dime a dozen these days. But the inaugural 108 Matcha Saro outlet at Suntec City stands out by being reminiscent of a food stall found in the basements of Japanese departmental stores, complete with drool-worthy artificial replicas of the menu items behind a glass panel. All items are prepared on the spot by deft-handed chefs behind the counter, so you can watch (and smell) in anticipation as your order takes form.
The food: Oozing with copious amounts of filling, the Obanyaki is the store’s bestseller and comes in five different flavours—Red Bean Paste & Matcha Dough ($2.90), Red Bean Paste & Original Dough ($2.90), Matcha Custard & Original Dough ($2.90), Custard & Original Dough ($2.90) and the most premium of all: Red Bean Paste with Warabi Mochi & Matcha Dough ($3.50). Each round, fluffy pastry bursts with flavour as you sink your teeth into its centre.
As a standalone snack, the melt-in-your-mouth Warabi Mochi ($4.90 for a box of eight pieces) make for lovely treats that are unbelievably soft, yet delivers in terms of being flavoursome, whether it may be dusted with matcha or soybean powder.
One of the most locally popular matcha desserts are the soft serves, and at 108 Matcha Saro, they take their soft serves seriously. 10 different frosty treats are available for order, coming in the form of regular Hokkaido Soft Serve cones ($4.90) and parfaits of varying degrees and flavour combos. The Matcha Warabi Mochi Parfait ($7.90) is a good middle-ground for someone seeking a lighter, post-meal dessert. But if you’re looking to go in for the kill, try the Matcha Soft Serve Parfait Deluxe ($8.50) that has chewy white mochi and matcha jelly added on top of the regular parfait.
The drinks: No points for guessing what 108 Matcha Saro’s signature drinks are. To start with the basics, the Classic Hot Matcha ($4.90) is beautifully rich and aromatic, as one would expect of genuine Uji matcha leaves. Hand-whisked and crafted on the spot, the store gets its fundamentals right with minimal to no powder residue. The menu also incorporates more modernised drinks, such as the creamy Matcha Lattes ($4.90), Matcha Smoothie ($5.90), as well as non-matcha-based beverages like the Hojicha Latte ($4.90) and the Jelly Hojicha Latte ($5.90) that has more of a chew to it.
Why you’ll be back: If you’re appeased by anything matcha-flavoured, here’s one store you cannot skip. 108 Matcha Saro takes the seemingly ceaseless trend of matcha to a whole new level by infusing genuine Kyoto Uji matcha powder into their desserts, ensuring quality and potency over extreme saccharine that most local matcha dishes in Singapore offer. One taste and you might not be able to have anything lesser, so consider yourselves warned.
