Cebu’s café scene is thriving, but now and then, a place comes along that challenges the ordinary.
Enter Strange Matcha, a café that dares to be different, reimagining the beloved green tea—blending creativity, bold flavors, and a touch of whimsy with every sip.
Now, coffee will always have a special place in our hearts, but the green queen steals this spotlight. Matcha, the vibrant, velvety powdered tea from Japan, has become the go-to for everything from zen mornings to Insta-worthy lattes. Because one thing’s for sure: this emerald elixir is more than just a pretty cup. It’s a lifestyle, a ritual, and yes, a whole mood.
Matcha, but Make it Strange
Amid the sea of cafés vying for attention, Strange Matcha stands out as a bold, unapologetically quirky contender. This matcha-focused café isn’t just about serving up your standard green tea latte—it’s a whole experience. From its experimental menu to its edgy aesthetic, Strange Matcha takes the traditional Japanese tea to bold new heights, blending it with unconventional flavors and modern vibes.
Strange Matcha started as a quirky pop-up, slinging drinks from a cart in founder Yza Durano’s garage. But its limited hours made it a hard-to-catch gem, leaving fans eagerly anticipating each opening. Fast-forward, and having traded the driveway for a café, the creativity (and charm) remains delightfully intact.
Sipping on Strange
Strange Matcha takes pride in using traditional ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from Wazuka, Kyoto, renowned for its premium tea leaves. Their matcha blend is naturally creamy and perfectly balanced with a touch of sweetness from their homemade vanilla syrup.
At Strange Matcha, creativity flows as freely as the drinks. Take the Purple Matcha, a vibrant concoction with homemade ube milk that’s as dreamy as it sounds. The ube milk in this buzz-worthy drink adds a subtle, earthy aftertaste to the vibrant green tea base.
“We’re mostly known for our ube matcha jud,” Yza says. “We were really curious if ube and matcha really go well together.”
Then there’s the Earth Matcha, a visually stunning mix of butterfly-pea milk and matcha. With its delicate floral notes and a hint of natural sweetness, this blue-and-green swirl channels serious planet vibes—proof that flavor and artistry can coexist in a cup.
If the adventurous Purple and Earth Matcha drinks don’t quite match your vibe, don’t worry—Strange Matcha has something for everyone, even the self-proclaimed basic girlies.
For a straightforward sip, there’s the Basic Matcha Latte, a perfect introduction to matcha’s earthy richness, served hot or iced. Sweet but still a little extra? The Matcha Sweet Cream tops the classic with a dollop of homemade sweet cream, adding a velvety texture that mellows the grassy notes of matcha with a hint of sweetness—think smooth and balanced.
Or, if you’re ready to get a little dirty, the Espresso Matcha Fusion—essentially a dirty matcha latte—blends the earthy tones of matcha with the bold, caramel-like depth of two espresso shots. It’s a matcha drink with bite and, trust us, if you’re looking for strong, this is it.
For those who like their matcha with a twist, here are some highlights:
- Strawberry Cream Matcha: a fruity delight with homemade strawberry sweet cream and a swirl of strawberry jam.
- Cinnamon Mallow Matcha: matcha meets cozy with cinnamon, torched marshmallows, and a touch of sweet cream.
- Dalgona Matcha: a decadent pairing of matcha with dalgona coffee cream for a drink that’s equal parts trendy and tasty.
In true matcha-lover fashion, Strange Matcha founder Yza Durano finds the simplest of pleasures in the Pure Matcha-Cano. With just matcha and water, this minimalist drink highlights matcha’s grassy, slightly nutty notes in their purest form—proving that sometimes, less truly is more.
But the star of it all—and a game-changer in the matcha scene—is the Brown Sugar Kinako Hojicha Cream Latte (yes, it’s a mouthful). This standout drink swaps the classic green matcha for roasted matcha, or hojicha, offering a flavor profile that’s rich, toasty, and delightfully unexpected.
“Hojicha’s notes are more chocolatey and smoky, [while] matcha is more grounded, more umami, and grassy,” shares Yza.
The combination of full cream milk, homemade sweet cream, and brown sugar syrup adds a creamy sweetness, while a dusting of kinako powder lends nutty, slightly smoky notes to the mix. It’s more reminiscent of a milk tea than traditional matcha, yet still undeniably unique. It’s different but familiar—the perfect embodiment of strange.
At Strange Matcha, every drink tells a story. Whether you’re in it for the bold, the basic, or the bizarre, there’s a flavor here ready to take your taste buds on an adventure.
Photo Kyrra Kho
