Food Blog | Niko Neko Matcha Bangsar
Probably the only brand associated with matcha that I can recognise immediately nowadays - today I’m reviewing Niko Neko Matcha (their actual shop lot) in Bangsar!
Context: Came here with my 2 sisters because they saw it a lot on Instagram. I’ve tried other things by them, including The Tokyo Restaurant’s Matcha Cheesecake and FROZEN by Ken’s matcha single scoop ice cream (but I believe this was just them using their powder rather than a proper collaboration). In general, I’m a fan!
Here is pretty much what I mean by small and a bit cramped
Where it Is?
It is located on a row of shops in Bangsar! What I would say is that parking here is an absolute nightmare. The reason is that there is a really narrow lane - one way, so do look out for the direction of traffic - for parallel parking on the row parallel to the shops and another row that is just absolutely full nearly all the time.
But basically you want to look out for their sign (which you’ll see throughout this blogpost) on that row of shops! Do be wary because it is actually a really small shop on the second floor. You’ll walk up the stairs and be confused why there is a locked office-esque door which someone has to buzz you in. Then you’ll see a flower shop and another door with the Niko Neko sign before heading in!
But my personal advise is, don’t eat/drink here unless absolutely necessary. It’s one thing that this is a pretty cafe/shop lot, but it’s absolutely another thing that there is like an absolute sea of people in there. Quite small in general, and they do sell other things like their powder itself and a lot of technical tools for you to make your own drinks at home!
Address: 82A, Lorong Maarof, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Operating Hours:
Daily: 12-7pm (Closed on Mondays)
Matcha Extremist Latte Ren (RM13)
What it Costs
But one thing you should be aware of is that this isn’t that cheap of a place.
We had the Matcha Extremist Latte (Ren Matcha) for RM13, the Chubkies Matcha White Chocolate Cookie for RM6 and the Mokureb Crunch Cube for RM6. The Chubkies Matcha White Cookie is just basically their cookie!
I’ll get into the taste in a bit, but what I’ll have to say about the Matcha Extremist Latte is that once I finished it and opened the cup, I almost feel a bit scammed. They legitimately have a gigantic ice cube that takes up let’s say 75% of the cup (and this is post drinking, please note). I wish I took a picture, but do take a look if you get it and you’ll see what I mean.
I can’t help but feel as though that left a slightly sour taste in my mouth.
If you talk about what’s worth the money, I would say that the cookie is just about worth it, but the Mokureb Crunch Cube really isn’t worth RM6 in my eyes. REALLY small cube that I find really hard to justify for that price - and as I mentioned above, I’ll get into the taste shortly.
How it Tastes
All those things aside, I really like the matcha they use. You can’t deny that there is a reason why their matcha powders are popular in pretty much everything they are used in. The Matcha Extremist Latte is REALLY rich, tasty and refreshing. Kinda almost reinforces the idea that good matcha isn’t meant to be sweet because it really shows in this drink with its pure flavour.
Honestly a really big fan of the drink. Big ice cube aside, I almost wouldn’t suspect that there would be such a big ice cube inside from just drinking it because it is so tasty.
Next up, the cookie! Quite simply a really yummy cookie that I feel pretty much most people will enjoy. Simple, tasty and just all around really nice to eat! The filling inside using their YURI Matcha is just SO GOOD!!!
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For their crunch cube (which I pinched a picture off of the Niko Neko Instagram page), I feel as though you definitely have a lot of flavour in there! I believe there is even a version whereby you can get a set of 3 for RM16, but being so small, it just becomes a little bit hard to justify. But I guess good to try for the simple fact that it is new and it is pretty yum - I won’t deny what I personally think!
Star Rating
7.5/10. I love Niko Neko Matcha! Plain and simple, but I feel like a combination of how crowded and cramped this branch is, as well as the fact that it is on the pricier side gives it a 7.5/10 (which is still pretty darn high for what I normally give. Definitely worth a visit because the cafe is still really pretty and their matcha is still really darn addictive!