Matcha Time Cafe
| Address: | 3785 Hamilton St, Ellicott City, MD 21043, USA |
| Phone: | +1 410-418-4832 |
| Site: | matchatimecafe.com |
| Rating: | 4.8 |
| Working: | 11AM–6PM Closed 11AM–6PM 11AM–6PM 11AM–7PM 11AM–7PM 12–5PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
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Saeta Remick
Lets talk Matcha Time. First, Matcha time is located in Historic Ellicott City, right on Hamilton street. The easiest way to access the building is to park in Parking Lot D. The Shop is closed on Tuesdays and is open from 11-6 Mon, Wends, Thurs and Sun. 11-7 Fri and Sat. Cost is moderate. 3 to 18 dollars depending on what you order. The shop is owned and operated by the most darling Japanese woman and her family and has an attached gift shop with delightful little trinkets and nice tea sets and teas. The space is limited (and by limited I mean there are only 4 tables) but do not let that deter you! Matcha Time is perfection. The inside is clean and tidy. Very homey feeling. The lighting is not overly bright but not ungodly dim and they offer free wifi which makes it a perfect place to do some quick work over a cup of absolutely fabulous tea. The best part is the service. The shop is owned an operated by the loveliest Japanese woman. She is extremely friendly, very professional and for running the shop alone (at least while we were there) she somehow manages to prepare the food and tea in a timely fashion as well as makes sure to make conversation with the patrons. The menu is small but perfect. The tea selection is pretty solid. The ceremonial Matcha was deliciously smooth yet potent and the Genmaicha was to die for. Unfortunately I did not ask what the smell was, but one of the teas she was brewing for another customer made my mouth positively water. I am excited to go back and sample all of the teas. The food selection is simple. A handful of basic rolls (California, Philadelphia, Cucumber and Spicy Tuna to name a few), Inarizushi and make your own hand rolls. There is also Edename, Miso, Wakame salad and Onigiri. Like many we opted for the Onigiri set which comes with two rice balls (Choice of filling off the top of my head I remember some of the choices being Vegetable, Salmon, Japanese Plum and Mentaiko), Tamago, Edename and Sausage. I opted for one Salmon and one Mentaiko, both were positively delicious and filling! I also opted for a desert as they have a small selection of ice creams. I got the black sesame ice cream with red beans. It was positively to die for. If youre in the area and are looking for a wonderful tea experience and homemade Japanese treats, this is the place for you.
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Divoxken Mic
Wouldnt come back again if my food were free with trinkets. First thing as the wife and I walked in the restaurant, one of the workers plops himself down, On the only large table for 4, and looking at me dead in the eyes as he did this. When presented the menu it was seperated in two halves and looked like they didnt try to pay the extra 2$ to get something remotely nice. The cashier that took our order messed up our order and got us the 3$ shave ice rather than the 11$ order"I pointed what we wanted...". Fortunately, i was charged properly becauce the caffechino shave ice taseted horribly. It was sweated with what appears to be maple flavored table syrup and they managed to carbonate it 0.0. It was bubling as it sat on the table with neither myself or my wife willing to drink it. The cashier" who took his lunch"manged to get his food in no time while we waited 15+ min for my wifes "i didnt bother ordering, I chose to stay famished".Overall this does not feel like a family friendly established, but one that caters to meet and greets and/or tourists.Its been more than 6 years since I had a comparable bad experience. P.s. dont bother with military discounts.
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Erik Gjording
Bravo! I just returned from overseas and I was craving some home cooked Japanese food and a green tea latte. This is the place to go and the staff is very friendly! They work well together and are obviously vested in the total customer experience. I like supporting local, non-chain shops and this one is a winner. Good job ladies and thank you for the good experience. The only reason they didnt get 5 stars is because I think they need to organize their shop more (especially the front counter) and refresh with new paint and some maintenance/ deep cleaning of nooks and crannies such as ceiling vents and behind their equipment. I believe some good color on the walls and more Japanese feel with rich colors and draperies would go well making this great cafe even cozier. I also think some music needs to be playing at the conversational level to add some more atmosphere. Possibly traditional music or just some good acoustic would do. Just my opinion though.
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Caroline Cotten
This place is by far my favorite spot in Old Ellicott City. Upon entering, youre greeted immediately by the owner who is warm, welcoming, incredibly kind and attentive to your needs. All the other staff is just as friendly and enthusiastic with customer service. And their menu selection is right on par with their level of service. They offer a wide variety of authentic Japanese teas and cuisine that is both high-quality and very affordable. The atmosphere of the business itself is quant and warming, with a number of tables sitting against windows and the rest in a shop-like area where authentic Japanese novelties are sold. While waiting for your food, I suggest you take a stroll around and take a look at all they offer. Since finding this place a few months ago, Ive been back at least 10 times and will continue to go back just as frequently. I highly highly recommend this place!
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Zephyr Cyenta
Came here today for a quick bite before coming home, having recently searched the area for places to eat within walking distance to the courthouse. The place is small and cozy, located within Ellicott City proper, and seems to be quiet on Mondays. The staff there are polite and friendly. I rather appreciated their knowledge on tea, and their great selection. As a fan of Japanese cuisine, I was already curious in the place. After dining there, I have to say that their onigiri is superb, as well as the dragon ball ice cream (pictured) which I got the mango flavor for. Id definitely go there again when Im in the area, and I recommend anyone whos spending the day in the Ellicott City Historical district to try their food.
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Denise Gardner
Every time I have come here, I have had an absolutely amazing experience. Everyone working there is very kind and helpful. The pricing for their portions is a shock, because you get so much for such a small price. Their Peach Blossom tea is quite possibly the best tea Ive ever had. Requires no sweetener in any way, but its delicious hot or iced. The sipping chocolate is practically a liquid brownie! Gyudon is amazing with their miso soup being spot on. The onigiri set is odd with the berkshire sausage but it works out so very well. You cant miss their Ramen Weekends. They make phenomenal ramen!
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Anonymous Consumer
We ordered sushi, chicken curry (special of the day), and a takoyaki, a ball-shaped dumpling filled with diced octopus and onion and covered in a delicious brown sauce. Everything was excellent. The cafe was peaceful, clean, and the staff were very welcoming. A woman who seemed to be the owner was very friendly and answered our many questions. Everyone was kind to our children. If you are in the area, if not for a meal, stop in for a snack, tea, or one of their unique desserts.
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Hayley Libowitz
Love love love this place!! Everything is delicious and most is cheap. The owners and workers are incredibly friendly and helpful even with tricky dietary things like my friend had. Also, the shop is over flowing with cool little chachkis and imports from Japan that you can buy and and ask about :) the great food and funny atmosphere are enough for me to want to get out to old ellicott city again soon!
