Photograph by Andrew Doench
Cinsei
32 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 549-1750, cinsei.com
IN THE BEGINNING
After opening in a temporary space at Yard & Co. in Over-the-Rhine last summer, owners Kendall and Jaleesa Ross moved their café into a bigger space across from HomeMakers Bar in April.
FLAVOR FULL
The shop offers Japanese roasted green tea (hojicha) and a rotating cast of latte-blend matcha flavors, including strawberry and pistachio.
HAVE A SEAT
The Rosses always intended for Cinsei to be a third place for like-minded anime and manga nerds, so there’s plenty of indoor seating geared for conversation.
MERCH, MERCH, MERCH
Cinsei’s other big draw is manga. The shop stocks the most popular titles like Blue Lock, Naruto, and One Piece, as well as Japanese stationery, vinyl records, and branded shirts and sweatshirts.
YELPERS SAY
“I cannot say enough good things about this place! They made an effort to get to know us and make intentional conversations. I ordered a strawberry matcha and it was delicious. The matcha was creamy, tasteful, and dare I say one of the best in the city. The shop is vibey.” —Trinity G.
Little Matcha
332 Scott St., Covington, littlematchacincy.square.site
IN THE BEGINNING
After running a successful pop-up business, owners Cindy Jiang and Derek Ung opened a brick-and-mortar location of Little Matcha in Covington last October.
FLAVOR FULL
The menu changes every two weeks and features two to four new flavors, typically based on what’s in season (like strawberry or pumpkin). Little Matcha also has hojicha and genmaicha (a blend of matcha and roasted brown rice) lattes as well as Vietnamese coffee.
HAVE A SEAT
Unfortunately, seating is somewhat limited. There are 16 seats across tables both inside and out.
MERCH, MERCH, MERCH
The shop sells everything you need to make your own matcha at home—matcha powder, bamboo whisks (with charms that are hand sewn by Jiang), bamboo spoons, and bowls.
YELPERS SAY
“A gem of a place full of visitors on the weekends. Wow! I’m blown away. Definitely worth a visit if you don’t mind splurging a bit for some fresh matcha tea variety and homemade pastries! We got the jasmine matcha lightly sweetened. I recommend it.” —Aifa H.
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