Best matcha in Ho Chi Minh City
Plenty of cafés in Ho Chi Minh City now sell matcha, but only some treat it with the same care as their coffee. This guide covers the grades, the preparation and the menu cues that separate ceremonial-grade matcha from a sweetened powder. Roasters currently counts 48 cafés in Ho Chi Minh City, #1 in Vietnam.
The matcha grade tells you everything. Ceremonial-grade is the bright, vivid green powder you'll see in the best specialty cafés — first-harvest leaves, stone-ground, vegetal and sweet. Culinary-grade is duller, bitter, and meant for cooking. The cafés the Roasters community ranks highest in Ho Chi Minh City only use ceremonial.
Matcha guides: where Ho Chi Minh City ranks
Among the 144 “Matcha” guides, Ho Chi Minh City ranks #85, so expect a tighter, easier-to-cover selection.
Zooming out, 48 cafés put Ho Chi Minh City at #14 in Asia and #85 worldwide on Roasters.
With 48 cafés, Ho Chi Minh City is 18 above the 30-café line that unlocks themed guides on Roasters.
The same guide exists for Hanoi in Vietnam.
Beyond this one, Ho Chi Minh City has 7 more themed guides: WiFi & laptops, Brunch, Open late, Quiet cafés, Espresso, Filter coffee and Cold brew.
Find matcha cafés
in Ho Chi Minh City.
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About matcha in Ho Chi Minh City
Why does matcha quality matter so much?
The flavour gap between a poorly made matcha and a properly prepared ceremonial-grade one is enormous. Good matcha is sweet, grassy, and umami; bad matcha is bitter, chalky, and dull. The cafés in Ho Chi Minh City the Roasters community trusts source carefully and prepare it correctly.
How much specialty coffee is there in Ho Chi Minh City?
The community has mapped 48 cafés and roasters there, 36% of all listings in Vietnam.
What is ceremonial-grade matcha?
Ceremonial-grade matcha is the highest quality of matcha — made from first-harvest tea leaves, stone-ground into a vivid green powder, intended for traditional tea preparation. It's smoother, sweeter, and brighter than culinary-grade matcha, which is duller and meant for cooking and blending.
Which cities rank next to Ho Chi Minh City for matcha?
Out of 144 cities with this guide, Wroclaw (49 cafés) ranks just above and Vilnius (48) just below.
Where else in Vietnam can I use this guide?
In Hanoi.
