Much of what we hear about matcha and its provenance points to Uji—and with good reason. Though small in size, Uji has an outsized influence on the craft, culture, and global rise of matcha. It remains, and for the foreseeable future will remain, the de facto beating heart of matcha culture. The knowledge held by tea makers there goes far beyond data or technique; it reflects centuries of lived experience, passed down through the community, in the pursuit of peerless matcha.
Yet over the past year, a hard truth was laid bare: Uji cannot keep pace with global demand. teashop websites crashed. Shops turned customers away. Business boomed as never before—but a cool wind swept through the streets of Uji City. Behind the success was strain. Stress was everywhere.
Since Kettl’s inception, we relied on a steady stream of teas from our trusted producer partners in Uji and Yame. Year after year, season after season, they were home runs—and there was always enough to share.
As Kettl grew, and as matcha itself exploded globally, our partners found it increasingly difficult to keep pace with demand. Stockouts are inevitable, but over time the gaps grew longer, wait times stretched, and customer frustration mounted. It was difficult for everyone involved.
Compounding the challenge, my own experiences sampling matcha from outside these regions—areas celebrated for sencha or hojicha—had been deeply disappointing. I found myself at a loss.
At the same time that I was envisioning a new catalog of matcha, I was also dreaming of a new way to share these yet-to-be-found offerings. The idea of a specialty store devoted to matcha—and only matcha—felt like a necessary counterbalance to its growing commodification, where matcha is treated as a flavoring rather than an artisanal product.
Out of this thinking, Matcha Sen Mon Ten was born: a carefully considered space, wholly in service of introducing customers to a deeper, more considered world of matcha.
Matcha Sen Mon Ten, while appearing to be a departure from our previous cafés, remains deeply rooted in our original vision: creating a venue for in-person experiences centered on Japanese tea and our own approach to hospitality.
Though this space is devoted exclusively to matcha, it is designed to welcome those at the very beginning of their matcha journey, while also offering a place for serious enthusiasts and professionals to return again and again—to learn, to exchange ideas, and, we hope, to be inspired.
Our front space is designed as a place to meet a friend or take a moment for oneself. While the menu remains entirely matcha-focused, it builds on the offerings of our Greenpoint café and pushes them further—still firmly grounded in the familiarity of a café setting.
The back tasting counter, however, is something entirely new. It is a space where the room itself becomes part of the experience. Conceived by architect Michael Tower, the idea was to create an environment that, once the sliding door closes, removes you from the noise of North Brooklyn and places you into a setting of contemplation and focus.
The menu here represents our most comprehensive offering of matcha, drawing from both celebrated and emerging production regions. While I’m proud to share what may be one of the most extensive matcha selections outside of Japan (or even within it), what I’m most proud of are the formats through which these teas are experienced.
The service ware was either designed and crafted by Minami or sourced from artists with whom we have real, longstanding relationships—not objects chosen solely for their beauty, but pieces with true connection. Minami and I wanted this space to build upon the community we’ve cultivated over the past decade and a half, and we are deeply proud to share the work of the artists and craftspeople we collaborate with every day.
As those who have visited can attest, the space offers both deeply traditional expressions of matcha alongside new and unexpected ways of enjoying it. Jacob Morgan, our Director of Retail, worked tirelessly to develop drinks that explore matcha beyond sweetness—leaning instead into umami, depth, and richness. Whether incorporating tomatoes, roses, or bay leaf, his ability to combine and amplify flavors has been a constant inspiration, and a reminder that matcha has far more to say than sweetened, creamy interpretations alone. And of course, the sweets crafted by Phoebe Ogawa: both delicious and beautiful but what we love most is each one reflects a small seasonal moment.
The truth is, we have a great deal we want to say. We want to champion tea makers. We want to foster an understanding that matcha is more than a flavor—it is a reflection of place, culture, and human intent. And we want to create spaces that feel singular, spaces that introduce new ideas and evoke new feelings in those who enter them.
Design—audio, visual, and olfactory—combined with a team of deeply dedicated hospitality professionals is the path we’ve chosen - to take a risk, and to tell a story distinct from that of coffee or cocktails. While there is still much work ahead of us, I felt it was important to document what we’ve built so far, and to thank each and every member of our team who has helped bring something truly special into the world.
I hope you’ll make the trip to visit us, and experience the world of Japanese tea for yourself.
- Zach
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