Honest Bao

The Matcha Misadventure: Caffè Nero's Pistachio Plunge As you might recall from my previous chain cafe matcha reviews (a truly harrowing journey), the track record of British high-street chains handling the delicate green powder is... unimpressive. Like, spectacularly bad. I did left a few gaps, either because the chains hadn't caught the matcha bug yet or the chain is not common enough.  Looks good on the advert Caffè Nero. I was strolling by and saw the sign of their new Pistachio Matcha drink. Pistachio and matcha! Two of the most ridiculously hyped-up ingredients of 2025, fused into one potentially glorious beverage. It sounded like a wellness guru's dream. My impulsive side (the one that pays for my blogging habit) screamed: "Records are meant to be broken! Maybe, just maybe, they got it right!" So, I paid £4.80 to get it. A small price for journalism, a huge price for a bad drink. The Taste Test: The Betrayal Disgusting green drink (I can't say it is mat...

A tale of two cities, two matcha missions. Forget your flat whites or pour-over coffee, we're talking about the good stuff. The earthy, slightly bitter, and oh-so-soothing nectar of the gods, also known as matcha. Wa Cafe, Marylebone: The OG London Spot Great Match and Hojicha latte First up, London. When it comes to Japanese cafes, I've been eyeing up Wa Cafe for ages, and it did not disappoint. The Marylebone branch is a little shoebox, so good luck getting a table on a Saturday without a death stare from a few other hopeful patrons. It's a proper little slice of Japan, a world away from the busy London streets outside. Fluffy strawberry spongecake Great flavour but texture is a let down The matcha latte was a dream. Not too sweet, not too grassy - just a perfect, creamy balance that makes you feel like you've got your life together. And the cake! That strawberry sponge cake was a revelation. It was so light and fluffy it practically floated off the plate. What I real...

Matcha, that vibrant Japanese powder, is everywhere. But is the UK chain cafe hype real? I ventured out to find out. Prepare yourselves, it wasn't pretty. The Matcha Mission: Who's In, Who's Out? Here are the most common coffe chain you can find in the UK 1. Blank Street Coffee 2. Caffee Nero 3. Costa  4. Gregg (not sure its right to classify it as cafe) 5. Pret-a-manger  6. Starbucks Not everyone's jumped on the matcha bandwagon. Costa and Greggs? Zero matcha. Sticking to their usual, and honestly, probably for the best. Cafe Nero: The Strawberry & Vanilla Sweet Bomb Strawberry & Vanilla Iced Matcha Latte, Image from Caffee Nero Caffee Nero went bold with "Strawberry &/or Vanilla Iced Matcha Latte." My philosophy: less is more with matcha. Theirs? More is a lot. It was overwhelmingly sweet, even after asking for less syrup. Strawberry and vanilla just clashed with the delicate matcha. Confused taste buds, not zen at all. Rating: 2.5/5. Too sweet, ...