Rating: 10/10

As a matcha enthusiast, when I heard there would be a new matcha dessert shop opening in Mira Mesa, I dropped everything and drove straight there.

 Matcha Cafe Maiko specializes in Japanese desserts and drinks, made with matcha, hojicha, ube, yuzu, and other traditional Japanese flavors. According to their website, they focus on the quality of their ingredients — all of their products are sourced from Uji, Japan. I ordered the Maiko Jelly Parfait for $9.25, made of jelly, mochi, and cake cubes in a cup, all topped with their matcha and ube soft serve. I washed this down with their iced matcha tea drink made with matcha powder and water for $5.95. 

The jelly parfait was a definite 10/10. Their soft serve is creamy with a noticeable matcha flavor. The toppings pair with the ice cream amazingly as well. For its price, the parfait is a great size,  and I had to ask for an extra cup so it wouldn’t overflow. 

The drink is made using high-quality matcha that tastes extraordinarily smooth. However, for those who have never tasted matcha before, I would recommend a latte as they didn’t add any sweetener to my plain matcha. Overall, Matcha Cafe Maiko has great customer service and amazing matcha desserts, which are difficult to come by in San Diego.