Matcha is My Middle Name: Little Joy Ratings

Most people look at classes and academic opportunities when searching for a college. But me? I was looking at cafes. Study With Me @ XXX Cafe vlogs had been all over my feed—and I wanted that experience too.

Fast forward two years: Little Joy has become one of my favorite spots to do some performative studying. After countless study sessions (and much matcha… and money), I’ve officially tasted my way through their menu.

Note: a 3-star rating here equates to a 5-star rating in the drinks world. Since a review with only 5 stars would be slightly odd, I’ve adjusted my ratings for nuance. So, without further ado, here is my complete ranking of Little Joy’s matcha, from five stars to one.

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Yuzu Matcha Tonic

If you’re a fan of yuzu at all, you’ll definitely like this drink. It’s a light, crisp, and vitalizing drink you can have anytime of the year (except, okay—maybe not winter). For those who don’t know yuzu, it’s a citrus that’s best described as a mix between lemons and grapefruit: sweet, tart, and bright. In the Matcha Yuzu Tonic, the earthy matcha brings out the fresh citrus notes, and the tonic brings a bubbly texture to the drink. It’s honestly addicting—so much so that my friend who worked at Little Joy thought it was my “usual” because I had ordered it three weeks in a row.

Matcha Latte (Hot, Unsweetened)

The reason I order my matcha hot instead of iced? Two words: latte art. Every single latte is a tiny, precious masterpiece. The baristas at Little Joy are extremely talented, and their art is gorgeous. It’s almost heartbreaking when I see the details slip away with each sip. I love that you can taste the rich flavors of the matcha in the drink, sweetened or unsweetened (I prefer the latter). Consistently one of my favs—it’s simple, beautiful, and delicious.

Strawberry Matcha Danish

For months, I refused to try the popular Raspberry Danish drink because I was convinced that the cream cheese cold foam would taste… cheesy. Or sour. I mean, it’s cream cheese! I pictured something rich, heavy, and tangy sitting on top of my matcha, and I was (to be quite frank) repulsed. But eventually, I gave in. I asked if I could swap the raspberry flavoring for strawberry instead, and the baristas agreed. (It’s just a strawberry matcha with vanilla cream cheese cold foam).

Technically this isn’t on the menu… but hear me out. The cream cheese cold foam doesn’t taste like cream cheese at all—it tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. Combined with the strawberry and matcha? So yummy. It’s a creamy strawberry matcha drink that brings out the best of each element. Needless to say, I’ll never doubt Little Joy’s skills again.

Matcha [Mango] Sticky Rice

Remind me (again) to never doubt Little Joy’s skills, because somehow—magically—they managed to bring mango sticky rice into drink form. Between the matcha, mango syrup, cream cheese cold foam, and coconut topping, I swear it feels like you’re consuming the dessert itself (but with a slight matcha flavor). It’s literally a drink-ified version of mango sticky rice, and yet again, the matcha does wonders in cutting through the sweetness and balancing the different notes of mango and coconut. If you ever try this drink, you’ll be left with exactly two questions: “How does this taste exactly like the dessert?” and “When can I get this again?”

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Spring Fling

For my Spring Fling, I get a lavender matcha that tastes exactly like its namesake: flowers, spring, and a promise of warmer weather. The lavender is delicate without being overly floral, and it’s giving cozy lavender-honey vibes (even though I don’t actually think there’s honey in it). It’s one of those seasonal drinks that I easily look forward to every year.

Matcha Painkiller

The Painkiller is a tropical vacation as a drink, and it’s by far the most bright and refreshing item on their menu (and in my life, honestly). When I’m walking across campus in the summer and I’m hot, sweaty, and questioning every life decision that required me to be outside, I dream about this drink. It’s so light and hydrating that I could down this in literally 2 goes (kudos to my self-control).

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Strawberry Matcha

It’s a classic for a reason—strawberries and matcha are practically soulmates. Personally, I find Little Joy’s strawberry matcha a tad bit sweeter than I would like it, but that’s completely a preference thing. If you’re new to matcha, this is a great place to start.

Raspberry Matcha Danish

The darling that went viral on Instagram—and for good reason. We know the vanilla cream cheese cold foam is delicious, and the raspberries they add on top make it the most gorgeous drink Little Joy has ever served. That being said—I accidentally created my own strawberry version, and now I can’t go back. What can I say? I’m just a loyal strawberry-enthusiast.

⭐⭐

Matcha Bramble

Unfortunately, this ranking has less to do with the drink and more to do with me. I just don’t really vibe with blackberry syrup. If you love the flavor, you’ll argue that this drink deserves five stars instead of two. Unluckily for you, this is my ratings list, so we’ll give the Bramble two stars (Apologies to Bramble-fans—my taste buds are too biased).

Matcha Lemonade

A solid drink, but the problem is… the Yuzu Matcha Tonic exists. Every time I drink the Matcha Lemonade, I can’t help comparing it to the yuzu version, and the yuzu wins every single time. If you’re a lemonade fan, I think you’ll really enjoy this drink. But if you’re ever seeking guidance for which of the two drinks you should get, I’ll gently steer you towards the Yuzu Matcha Tonic.

⭐

The Spilled Drink (Tragic)

Wind: ★☆☆☆☆
Customer Service: ★★★★★

This wasn’t Little Joy’s fault. But on the date I finally brought myself to get the Danish drink, I spilled it everywhere. A very sad and mournful experience, but the staff kindly remade it for me with no hesitation. So while the drink unfortunately lost its battle against the wind (our entire umbrella-ed table fell over), Little Joy’s customer service won five stars. Sometimes the best review isn’t about the drink—it’s about the amazing human beings behind the counter.

Alice (she/her/hers) is a rising junior from the Bay Area majoring in Cognitive Science and Psychology. During the summer, she works as a Student Researcher for the Decision-Making Lab and as a Fellow for Admissions. During the school year, she is a Resident Assistant and a former Student Baker for the Bakery. In her free time, she is engaged in Aikido, Karl-Pop and KRUSH Dance Crew (our K-pop clubs), Fellowship in Christ, and In Other Words, our multilingual literary magazine. Things she considers yummy include: strawberries, matcha (ft. Little Joy), picnics, memoirs, poetry (ft. Time is a Mother), violet (the color), naps, heart-to-hearts, tiny outings, random interactions, and Pikmin walks.