The content in this blog post is based on authentic and genuine personal experience and it is written with full honesty. The items mentioned in this blog post are sponsored and this review is not monetarily compensated. As usual, all of my reviews, verdicts and opinions are truthful and will not be influenced by the sponsors/collaborators.
This blog post will start with a product and brand introduction with a first-look review, then it will end with the final verdict.
Matcha Eight
Matcha Eight serves artisanal, premium, and 100% natural Japanese tea ice cream made with the finest single-origin tea powder imported from Wazuka town, Kyoto Prefecture. They are the first premium Japanese tea ice cream artisan in Malaysia offering a sencha, matcha, and hojicha series of varying tea richness to suit everyone’s palate. Matcha Eight is a creation of culinary art and passion with an exclusive partnership with Michelin-starred Master Chef Takuji Takahashi from Kyoto. He masterfully devised each recipe for Matcha Eight ice cream without additives and preservatives, so what you get is natural, authentic, and premium Japanese tea ice cream.
During our visit, the store was not completely ready but they were excited to show us how yummy their ice creams are. So, they got their interior designs up before any decorations and powered up the freezer to serve us all of their ice cream flavours. The concept of their store is to sell Matcha and Hojicha ice cream based on the level of richness in each flavor. For Matcha, there are 6 levels in total.
- Lovesick Girl
- Soulmate
- Maybe It’s Love
- Matcha Me Tonight
- Hocus Matcha-cus
- Melodrama Queen
Hojicha only has 2 levels of richness.
- Hojilicious
- Ho Ho Hoji
Launch Event (20th Jan 2022)
I got their full menu included below. For their launch event, they had given out free ice cream vouchers for the first 50 redeemers but I didn’t get to redeem it hahahha
Matcha
A scoop costs between RM13 to RM 16
A pint (400gm; 13.5 oz) costs between RM38 to RM47
While eating straight from the pint is convenient and highly satisfying (we love it too), we may not do the ice cream justice because ice crystals tend to form on its surface after being exposed to different temperatures over time. A better practice: eat it from a bowl. As soon as you scoop up your desired portion of ice cream from the container, make sure you close the lid properly and store it back in the freezer.
At this moment, there are 3 flavors available online.
1. Lovesick Girl
The sencha has a pleasant aftertaste that disappears quickly and smoothly. The taste is light, with a fine minty coolness.
2. Soulmate
The moderate sweetness and gentle bitterness of matcha lingers, followed by the rich, deep flavour of sencha and a clean, crisp aftertaste.
3. Maybe It’s Love
The mild and creamy taste of matcha is similar to that of a cup of frothy green tea. Light and easy, it is your everyday indulgence.
4. Matcha Me Tonight
This is a classic blend of Matcha Eight. This flavour balances creaminess with the moderate bitter-sweetness of matcha, appealing to everyone who loves the rich taste of matcha yet not overly intense.
5. Hocus Matcha-cus
The sensation of biting into a tea leaf. It contains twice the amount of matcha in Matcha Me Tonight. An ice cream with a fine texture, made possible by the quality of the matcha used. This flavour is highly sought after by hardcore matcha lovers. An experience not to be missed.
6. Melodrama Queen
The richest flavour of all, Melodrama Queen is dark in colour and relatively bitter, with a robust matcha aroma and taste. A perfect blend of matcha and sencha, its bitterness with the mild sweetness that follows is very pleasant and addictive.
Matcha Me Tonight
(Medium Matcha)
Will you Matcha Me Tonight?
Specially curated for those of you who seek authentic matcha without the bitterness to the palate. It is medium sweet with a fine creamy texture. Matcha Me Tonight is made with a moderate amount of single-origin matcha powder from Kamazuka, Kyoto. This gives a medium level of matcha-ness as you savour each spoonful of ice cream. Matcha Eight premium ice cream is made fresh with 100% natural ingredients. It is, therefore, best to consume within a week after opening. Matcha is highly sensitive to light. As we don’t use artificial colouring in our ice cream, you might notice a slight change of matcha colour after some time. It is perfectly normal and edible. It does not affect the taste and quality of the ice cream at all.
Full Ingredients
Matcha powder, fresh cream, milk, sugar and egg yolk (yeap, that’s it!)
Tea Origin
Kamazuka, Wazuka town, Kyoto Prefecture. The farmer’s plantation in Kamazuka has a history of seven generations. The plantation produces a variety of premium tea leaves such as Kabuse Sencha, Gyokuro and matcha. Matcha leaves are pulverized into a fine powder using Usu, a traditional stone mill.
Richness
⬤⬤⬤⬤〇〇
Nutrition Components per 100g
Energy 237kcal
Protein 5.3g
Total fat 17.8g
Carbohydrate 17.9g
Serving Ideas
Crispy Belgian waffle
Crush almonds topping
Strawberries topping
Hocus Matcha-cus
(Strong Matcha, Bitter Aftertaste)
Full Ingredients
Matcha powder, fresh cream, sugar, milk, and egg yolk (yeap, that’s it!)
Tea Origin
Naka, Wazuka town, Kyoto Prefecture
Originating from a small area called Nagao in Naka, matcha leaves from this farm grow on a mountain that is blessed with excellent soil conditions and sunny weather. For frost protection, our farmers cover matcha leaves a little earlier than usual. This step also helps to produce tea leaves of richer aroma and brighter color. The plantation was established circa 1920.
Richness
⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤〇
Nutrition Components per 100g
Energy 243kcal
Protein 5.9g
Total fat 17.7g
Carbohydrate 18.7g
Serving Ideas
Matcha float
Adzuki beans topping
Plain mochi topping
Melodrama Queen
(Strong Matcha, Tea Aftertaste)
I bring joy, I bring laughter, I bring bitterness, I bring nostalgia. I bring all the emotions the world has ever seen. Indeed, I am a tea-rific Melodrama Queen. Dubbed the strongest flavour in our matcha ice cream collection (and possibly in Malaysia), Melodrama Queen is bound to impress and steal the hearts of discerning connoisseurs. The superior quality of matcha and sencha blend gives this flavour a natural dark emerald green feature. We use more tea powder for this flavour, hence its slightly thicker-than-average texture yet adequately creamy with a tinge of sweetness and bitterness. Each dollop of ice cream will leave you some tea aftertaste that lingers. Indeed, this is a satisfying moment for many, truly irresistible to the palates of Japanese tea ice cream lovers!
Full Ingredients
Matcha powder, sencha powder, milk, sugar, fresh cream and egg yolk (yeap, that’s it!)
Tea Origin
Shirasu and Naka, Wazuka town, Kyoto Prefecture. Our matcha producer in Shirasu inherited the tea-growing business that was established during the Edo period known as the final period of traditional Japan (between the 17th – 19th centuries). Meanwhile, in Naka, our sencha producer is continuing his family business for the fifth generation.
Richness
⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
Nutrition Components per 100g
Energy 242kcal
Protein 6.0g
Total fat 17.7g
Carbohydrate 18.9g
Serving Ideas
Ice blended matcha float
Shibuya Toast
Brownies
Hojicha
A scoop costs between RM15 to RM 16
A pint (400gm; 13.5 oz) costs between RM45 to RM47
While eating straight from the pint is convenient and highly satisfying (we love it too), we may not do the ice cream justice because ice crystals tend to form on its surface after being exposed to different temperatures over time. A better practice: eat it from a bowl. As soon as you scoop up your desired portion of ice cream from the container, make sure you close the lid properly and store it back in the freezer.
At this moment, there is only 1 level of richness available online.
1. Hojilicious
This hojicha flavour is an all-time favourite for the sweet tooth! The roasted tea gives an earthy tone to the ice cream, often mistaken as chocolate flavour at a glimpse. Its long aftertaste of coffee-like is simply enticing for the palate. Many who don’t fancy tea ice cream will be surprised how likeable Hojilicious is.
2. Ho Ho Hoji
A double shot of Hojilicious, this flavour has an intense hojicha aroma tastefully balanced with strong roast bitterness that you have never experienced before. Such superior quality can only be achieved with the finest roasted tea leaves.
Hojilicious
(Light Roasted Sencha)
In dire need of a stress relief getaway? Stretch your arm for a pint of Hojilicious and zone out for the best Hoji-day! At first glance, you might be tricked by its color that resembles chocolate but Hojilicious gets its earthy brown tone from hojicha. When sencha is roasted at the temperature of 200°C, it transforms into hojicha – a new identity of different features. It acquires a slight fragrance of roasted coffee and a nutty taste. Unlike its matcha counterpart, Hojilicious is not bitter at all; it’s light, creamy, and pleasingly sweet. To get the best of both worlds, go ahead and indulge in a mixed scoop of hojicha and matcha ice cream each. It’s instant gratification!
Full Ingredients
Hojicha powder, sugar, fresh cream, milk and egg yolk (yeap, that’s it!)
Tea Origin
Somada, Wazuka town, Kyoto Prefecture. A family-inherited business for the fifth generation, the long-standing establishment prides on its tea-growing skills while respecting nature. Our tea growers from this quaint little town use no pesticides and chemical fertilizers in sencha production. Sencha leaves here grow in clay, red soil at an altitude of 400m surrounded by lush green. The tea leaves undergo a roasting process using two types of far-infrared machines to yield the sweet aroma and fragrance of hojicha.
Tea Richness
Light
Nutrition Components per 100g
Energy 241kcal
Protein 5.3g
Total fat 18.2g
Carbohydrate 17.4g
Serving Ideas
Whiskey on the ice cream
Smoothie bowls
Burnt cheesecake
Review
True enough, the matcha flavors are very rich yet smooth when it slowly melts in our mouths. Right after a fresh scoop, the ice cream melts very slowly under the tropical weather. We were talking to the PR Manager for a few minutes and the ice cream still looks solid on the inside. We were given the ice cream in a cup with a wooden spoon. I ordered number 2 which is very suitable for people who prefer a lighter matcha bitterness with a tinge of vegetal taste and number 6 which has the strongest and most vivid green tones than the other flavors. It is very strong but not throat-punching strong, essentially still very smooth when it melts down the throat.
According to the PR manager, the rest of the items will be available in-store, the rest being: Beverages, Charcoal Cones, and Toppings (Azuki, Mochi, and Gold Flakes). All of these will be made available once the store opens for its official launch which is on the 20th of January 2022.
- Beverages include Matcha Tea (cold), Matcha Latte (hot/cold), Hojicha Latte (hot/cold), Matcha Latte Float, and Hojicha Latte Float.
- Mochi and Azuki (red bean paste) are for cups only
- The Gold Flakes option would be available weeks/months later as they are currently still stuck in Japan.
If you love Matcha and Hojicha, do look forward to it! To locate the store, locate Starbucks in Gourmet Street that is right where the WOW Plaza is. (Not the same row as Shabu-yo) Then, follow the path and you will find Matcha Eight on the same row as Starbucks.
Matcha Eight @ LaLaport | 10am – 10pm daily
Lot G68, Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre,
No. 2, Jln Hang Tuah, 55100 KL, Malaysia
