Matcha-Ya is showcase for all things Matcha. It’s Japanese tradition and attention to detail with a Sydney twist and some Instagram moments. Matcha-Ya serves matcha in every format from their signature matcha soft serve and lattes to matcha noodles and curries. Like many Japanese cafés, the site is small and narrow- only 4.5m wide. Inside, there is a balanced atmosphere – serene but friendly and welcoming. The space is split down the middle, with a bright, white preparation and service area on one side and a cosy, timber clad seating area on the other.

It’s a fun environment: customers and staff share the enjoyment of the preparation and serving. The Japanese soft serve machines and streamlined milk steamers are all part of the theatre. The zigzag patterns on the wall and ceiling refer to Japanese mountain landscapes and are inspired by the Shizuoka region where the matcha for the café is sourced. The floor pattern of different shades of green hexagonal tiles is inspired by green matcha dissolving into milk.

What the Matcha-Ya team has done is to absorb traditional Japanese culture and present it to customers in a contemporary way, tailored to a young Australian and International audience. There is the scale, intimacy and warmth of Japanese cafes and teahouses but it’s expressed using modern functional elements and contemporary materials and detailing. Added to that is the visual iconography required to attract attention in a competitive commercial environment. Above all we recognise the social need for sharing. Matcha-Ya is unashamedly designed to be photogenic, and to inspire its customers to share the Matcha experience with friends all over the world.

Designed by McCartney Design
Photography by Tom Ferguson