Nana's Green Tea Cafe at The Gardens, Mid Valley

A Taste of Japan

A matcha match made in Mid Valley: The first Malaysian branch of Japanese chain Nana’s Green Tea Cafe has finally launched in Kuala Lumpur’s Gardens Mall, more than a year after Singapore welcomed the inaugural Nana’s outpost for Southeast Asia.

Comfort Food Highlights

Nana’s can get packed during peak hours, but it’s probably worth waiting awhile for a table; the food is reasonably priced and relatively interesting. Comfort-food highlights include hot, soupy bowls of udon blanketed in fresh-tasting seaweed, spring onions & a poached egg (RM15.80 before taxes).

Salmon sashimi (top-notch, exceeding expecations) served over cereal-mixed ‘millet rice’ with sesame, nori, pickled ginger and pea sprouts (RM18.80). Other items on the menu include chicken karaage salads and beef hamburg in tomato loco moco sauce.

Tea-based Temptations

Ultimately though, it’s the tea-based temptations that’s supposed to lure customers. Choose from the simplicity of the Uji-Cha, the wild fragrance of the Karigane-Cha, the toasty-nutty flavour of the Hoji-Cha or the roasty brown-rice aroma of Gemmai-Cha.

The selection of tea drinks and desserts is sweeping: We like the the matcha slushie, cold and creamy, topped with soft-serve vanilla ice cream (RM12.80).

Parfait-lovers should like this complex combo: First, green tea kanten jelly is scooped into the base with with matcha syrup, then piled on with layers of ice cream, corn flakes, red bean paste, whipped cream and warabi-moshi (bracken starch dumplings) dipped in kinako roasted soybean flour (whew!). RM19.80.