Just Matcha Tea Shop

Just Matcha was founded in 2013 by Tiffanie and Kip Home, who tell on their site how their first bowl, made with a cereal bowl of boiling water and no sieve, was a disaster, and how they set out to learn to do it properly. The shop is at 544 Pandora Avenue, at the edge of Chinatown, and as the name says it sells matcha and nothing else: no loose leaf, no blends with other teas.

The house line is Hachi, graded from a culinary matcha in 100 g bags up through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and a seasonal shincha, sold in 20 g and 40 g tins with 100 g bags of the lower grades. Beside it are Japanese houses: Aiya, with an organic ceremonial matcha and a barista grade, and Ippodo, whose Ikuyo-no-Mukashi, Shoin-no-Mukashi and Ummon-no-Mukashi are stocked in 20 g and 40 g. There are also Amoda blends, bamboo whisks, sieves, scoops and raku bowls.

Beginner and traditional kits pair a tin of Hachi with a whisk and bowl, which is the sensible way in if you have never made matcha at home. The shop is open Monday to Saturday from 11 to 5 and on Sundays and holidays from 12 to 4, and ships across Canada and the United States. Note that justmatcha.ca is no longer the shop's address; the live site is justmatcha.com.