I’d heard about Nana’s Green Tea in Vancouver, the great land of matcha. I’ve long dreamed of a time that Seattle would be home to more authentic matcha desserts. The time is now. Nana’s Green Tea is here and will be opening to the public on Thursday, 11/29/18. Read on for how to find out how you can get in on the soft opening before then.

I was invited to a soft opening of Nana’s Green Tea on Saturday along with other foodies including my Seattle Foodie Podcast co-host, Nelson Lau and IGers @tdteats, @emeraldcityeater, @serendipityseattle, @tinyhangrytiff, and @innymp.Was it everything I dreamed of? Yes. That and more! We got to meet Jasmine, the owner of the store. She was very nice and knowledgeable about every aspect of the business line. While we browsed the extensive menu, we were told we could order a drink, entree, and dessert. Wow! I was already having trouble narrowing my choices but this was a monumental task!

To start, I had the hojicha shiratama float. Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea. The leaves turn from green to reddish brown during the roasting process. It doesn’t have the same flavor as matcha – it’s smoother, earthier, and nutty. I ordered the hojicha mochi parfait for dessert. Both had amazing depth of flavor that showcased the roasted flavor of the green tea. The float reminded me of being a child, sitting in an old fashioned soda fountain in the small town that I’m from. The parfait was unbelievably complex. The layer upon layer of flavors had me trying to deconstruct every bit of it.

For my entree, I chose the chicken katsu curry. Before visiting, I didn’t realize they served savory dishes. It was quite well done. The chicken was a nice cut and it was fried crisp. The texture held up well with the curry. The curry is what I would expect to find at a Japanese restaurant – creamy and mild, not spicy. The rice was cooked well and provided good balance.

Matcha is everywhere on this menu. If I were to choose a star of the show after one visit, it would be the matcha swiss roll. I’ve always been a fan of roll cakes. Light, fluffy cakes filled with sweet (but not overly sweet) cream. This cake was a crowd favorite!

Here’s a list of treats we shot that day: matcha mochi parfait, black sesame warabimochi parfait, red bean caramel latte, matcha brown sugar latte, matcha swirl soft serve, salmon cutlet rice plate, tuna avocado don, chicken karaage curry, yuzu cheesecake, and matcha tiramisu.

Want to visit Nana’s? They will be having a soft opening from Monday, 11/26/18 through Wednesday, 11/28/18 by reservation only! Click here to register for a date and time. They officially open on Thursday, 11/29/18.