Essential
60 minutes · in English- Five ceremonial matcha cultivars
- Guided sensory journey with Shane Kim
- Chasen whisking technique
- Wagashi pairing
- Ritual guide by email
CHF 70Book a date
Matcha in Zürich – 5 Senses of Matcha
5 Senses of Matcha · Zürich Altstetten · in English
Matcha in Zürich.
Matcha in Zürich.
Taste five. Find yours.
Most matcha in this city comes with milk. At our tea table in Altstetten you taste five ceremonial matchas side by side with a certified tea sommelier, and leave knowing which one is yours.
★★★★★ 5.0 from 16 reviews60 or 75 minwith tea sommelier Shane Kim
The problem
Why the matcha you buy rarely tastes like the one you loved
It was made for milk.
Most café matcha is a latte grade, bold enough to survive milk and sugar. On its own it tastes flat or harsh.
Every tin looks the same.
Green powder, a nice label, a price. Without having tasted the difference, you guess — and usually guess again next month.
At home it turns bitter.
Boiling water, no sieve, circles instead of a quick whisk. The powder is rarely the problem.
It isn’t that you’re not a matcha person. You’ve just never tasted five side by side.
Not a café
We’re a tea table, not a café.
You won’t find a menu or a queue. You book a seat, sit down with a certified tea sommelier, and taste ceremonial matcha the way it is meant to be drunk — whisked with water, one bowl at a time.
5ceremonial cultivars — Yabukita, Okumidori, Samidori and more
5senses — sight, smell, sound, touch and taste
1certified tea sommelier at your table
Shane Kim, certified tea sommelier. He has sourced tea from farms in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China, and hosts every session himself.
How it unfolds
One sense at a time
Five matchas, side by side. By the last bowl you can name what you like — and why.
01SightCompare the greens side by side. Colour tells you more than the label.
02SmellFind the aroma before the first sip — sweet, grassy or marine.
03Sound and touchHear the whisk and feel the foam turn fine under your bamboo chasen.
04TasteSip each matcha in turn, with a wagashi pairing.
05YoursLeave knowing which matcha is yours. On the Cultural Journey, 10 g of it goes home with you.
Choose your session
Two ways to sit down with us
Cultural Journey
75 minutes · in English- Everything in Essential
- Zen and Wabi-Sabi deep dive
- 10 g take-home matcha of the cultivar you loved most
CHF 85Book a date
From our guests
★★★★★
5.0 from 16 reviews
“We definitely learned more and no more confused now in how to buy a good matcha and to enjoy a great matcha at home.”
“Shane … didn’t make me feel bad for saying I wasn’t a ‘matcha person’ in the beginning, and even managed to turn me into one by the end.”
“I especially loved discovering the different kinds of matcha and exploring my own preferences in terms of flavor, texture, and taste.”
“We had a lovely time, learned a lot and enjoyed a quiet moment while tasting different Matcha.”
Before you buy another tin
One afternoon ends the guessing.
Without something to compare, every tin is a gamble. After five bowls side by side, you know what to look for — in a café, in a shop, and in your own kitchen.
Questions
Before you come
I’m not sure I even like matcha.
That’s who most guests are when they arrive. You taste five very different matchas, so the question becomes which one you like, not whether.
Is this a café? Can I just drop in?
No. Every session is booked in advance, so the table is set for you and Shane is there for your group.
Which language is it in?
English.
Where is it?
At our tea table, Vulkanstrasse 110C, 8048 Zürich (Altstetten).
Essential or Cultural Journey?
Essential is the full tasting in 60 minutes. Cultural Journey adds 15 minutes on Zen and Wabi-Sabi, and you take home 10 g of the matcha you liked most.
Can I buy the matcha afterwards?
Yes. The matcha we pour at the table, Yame Okumidori, is from CHF 35 in our shop.
Can I change my date?
Yes — free cancellation up to 48 hours before your session.
5 Senses of Matcha · Zürich
Taste five. Find yours.
60 or 75 minutes · in English · from CHF 70 · Vulkanstrasse 110C, Altstetten
Book a date