The Scoop
Urth Caffé is the organic coffeehouse whose matcha comes from one family's farm in the district where tea in Japan began. Jilla and Shallom Berkman started Urth in 1989 and opened the first cafe in a 300 square foot storefront in Manhattan Beach in 1991, launching what became America's first exclusively organic, heirloom coffee roasting company. The matcha story is the one we find genuinely remarkable. Urth buys its matcha exclusively from Akihiro Nakai's Entsu Estate in Wazuka, the Uji district where a high priest of Kaijuusen Temple planted the first tea seeds from China in the 13th century, and where the tea grown became the first official tea of the Imperial Palace. Nakai farms high on the mountain above the chemical use of lower gardens and feeds his bushes a family compost of local herring and tea tree trimmings. Fewer than one in ten Japanese tea gardens is certified organic. Every spring Akihiro, his brother and his son pick only the new top leaves, within 45 minutes of the sun reaching them, and the entire harvest goes to Urth. The name pairs Urth, an old Welsh root spelling of Earth, with the Italian for coffee. The matcha turns up across a long list of drinks: the Rising Sun Matcha Latté puts matcha and espresso in the same cup, the Green Rose Latté, the Aloha Matcha, the Monkey Granita, and boba versions of most of them.
- Arts District459 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
- Beverly Hills267 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
- Hawthorne4940 W 147th St, Hawthorne, CA 90250
- LAX1 World Way, Southwest Airlines Terminal One, Los Angeles, CA 90045
- Pasadena594 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101
- Santa Monica2327 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
- West Hollywood8565 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Matcha Flavors
Matcha Menu
Rising Sun Matcha Latté™
Energy drink with organic ceremonial Wazuka matcha, organic espresso & dark chocolate. Can be made 100% plant-based upon request
Green Rose Latté™
Organic ceremonial Wazuka matcha with Earl Grey, pink rose, and oat milk
Aloha Matcha™
Created with Urth's exclusive organic ceremonial grade Wazuka Matcha, organic blue spirulina, creamy coconut milk and refreshing strawberry purée
Monkey Granita™
fresh banana milkshake with choice of organic espresso (Brown Monkey), or organic Wazuka matcha (Green Monkey), or organic rooibos (Red Monkey)
Organic Rising Sun Matcha Boba™
Organic matcha, organic espresso & dark chocolate. Can be made 100% plant-based upon request.
Matcha Shot
Our pure organic ceremonial grade Wazuka matcha hand whisked frothy in the traditional Japanese way
Matcha Hot or Cold
Organic ceremonial grade Wazuka matcha shot served over hot or iced water.
Matcha Macchiato
Organic ceremonial grade Wazuka matcha with a dollop of steamed milk foam on top.
Matcha Bebero
Organic ceremonial grade Wazuka matcha layered with sweetened condensed milk. Can be made 100% plant-based upon request
Japanese Matcha Latté
Made with organic ceremonial Wazuka matcha green tea and sweetened steamed milk
Strawberry Matcha
organic ceremonial Wazuka matcha, milk, and strawberry purée
Caffé Pistacchio Latté
Espresso, pistachio milk, Urth Pistachio Butter, & sprinkled with organic Wazuka matcha
Matcha Affogato Boba
Vanilla bean ice cream drenched with Wazuka matcha, fresh whipped cream & boba
Strawberry Matcha Affogato Boba
Vanilla bean ice cream drenched in Wazuka matcha, strawberry purée, fresh whipped cream & boba
Organic Green Rose Boba
Organic matcha with Earl Grey, pink rose & oat milk
Lemonade Matcha
Our exclusive organic ceremonial Wazuka matcha served on lemonade. Blended upon request no upcharge.
