{"id":2855,"date":"2026-06-01T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/matcha-exhibition-cafe\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T17:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T08:30:00","slug":"matcha-exhibition-cafe","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/matcha-exhibition-cafe\/","title":{"rendered":"By Lea Matcha & Bread\u2014A New Japanese Tea Experience Proposed by a District 2 Ho Chi Minh City \"Matcha Exhibition\" Caf\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"

A \"matcha exhibition\" that appeared in the lanes of Thao Dien<\/h2>\n

14 Tran Ngoc Dien Street, Thao Dien district, District 2 (Thu Duc City), Ho Chi Minh City. In a corner of a residential area is a caf\u00e9 whose white walls and matcha-green fa\u00e7ade catch the eye. \"By Lea Matcha & Bread\"\u2014here, matcha is a talking point for the concept of not just drinking it but \"appreciating\" it like an art exhibition.<\/p>\n

Business hours are 8:00 to 20:00. In the morning, foreign residents gather in time for the house-made bread coming out of the oven; in the afternoon, young Vietnamese customers pour in for the matcha drinks.<\/p>\n

Why an \"exhibition\"\u2014the space tells matcha's story<\/h2>\n

Step inside and the air is closer to a gallery than a caf\u00e9. Matcha tea leaves, a chasen (whisk), and tea bowls are lined up in display cases, and the beauty of Japanese tea utensils itself becomes part of the space. On the walls hang panels visually explaining matcha's production process\u2014from growing tencha to grinding it on a stone mill.<\/p>\n

Owner Lea says, \"Matcha is trendy in Vietnam, but many people only know the taste of powder. I wanted to create a place where you can experience the color, aroma, and froth of real matcha.\"<\/p>\n

Menu structure\u2014committed to the Japanese way of whisking<\/h2>\n

Matcha drinks fall into three broad categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Category<\/th>\nSignature items<\/th>\nCharacteristics<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Straight matcha<\/td>\nUsucha (thin tea), koicha (thick tea)<\/td>\nAn authentic cup whisked with a chasen. The vessels are made in Japan too<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Matcha drinks<\/td>\nMatcha latte, matcha tonic, matcha smoothie<\/td>\nArrangements suited to Vietnam's climate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
House-made bread<\/td>\nMatcha croissant, matcha an-pan, baguette<\/td>\nBaked fresh in-store every morning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The notable one is the \"straight matcha\" category. While many of Ho Chi Minh City's matcha caf\u00e9s center on lattes, a shop that serves usucha whisked with a chasen as is is rare. The tea bowls were ordered from Japan, and from the counter you can see each cup being carefully whisked.<\/p>\n

A matcha and Japanese-tea map of Thao Dien<\/h2>\n

Tran Ngoc Dien Street and its surroundings are becoming a cluster for matcha and Japanese tea. Four doors down (No. 18) from By Lea Matcha & Bread is Kocha Matcha Stand, and a 10-minute walk down the street brings you to Japanese-tea specialty caf\u00e9s such as Nagocha and Japanit.<\/p>\n

The article on Thao Dien, a fierce caf\u00e9 battleground for 2026<\/a>The Thao Dien caf\u00e9 culture introduced in has begun branching from a coffee focus toward \"tea.\" As wellness coffee, featured across Vietnam inthe Wellness Coffee Trends 2026 article,<\/a>rises, matcha is spreading its support with the positioning of \"low-caffeine and healthy.\"<\/p>\n

Local reactions\u2014\"This is a school of matcha\"<\/h2>\n