This New Star Vista Cafe Has Freshly Ground Matcha From A 400-Year-Old Tea Farm

KOKO Kawane is a new matcha cafe at The Star Vista

Image credit: KOKO Kawane

Matcha fans in the west, there’s a new spot to add to your rotation. KOKO Kawane has just opened at The Star Vista on 30 September 2026, and its party trick is a mill that grinds whole tea leaves into matcha powder on the spot, right before your drink is whisked.

The cafe is a tie-up between two names. The first is KOKO, the Japanese-style patisserie from GAIA Group, while the second is Kawane Matcha, a tea farm in Shizuoka, Japan, that the Ohashi family has run since the 1600s. Kazuteru Ohashi, the 13th generation of the family, runs it today.

Image credit: KOKO Kawane

The headline act is the Freshly Ground Matcha of the Day, an add-on of just $1 to your drink. The tea rotates daily between Okumidori, Tsuyuhikari, and the Soemon Blend. Staff mill it from tencha (shaded tea leaves that are steamed and dried) using a stainless-steel grinder calibrated to run at low heat, which helps the tea hold on to its colour and aroma.

It takes about 10 minutes from leaf to cup, so save this one for when you’re not rushing back to the office.

Image credit: KOKO Kawane

There are three matcha lattes to pick from. The House Blend ($8.50) is the lightest of the lot, balancing umami with a gentle bitterness. The signature Soemon Blend ($12.50) mixes Okumidori, Tsuyuhikari, and Yabukita cultivars with other first-flush leaves and is meant to be creamy, with notes of dashi and nut butter. At the top end, the single-origin Okumidori ($13.50) offers strong umami and a naturally sweet finish.

Not a matcha person? Try the medium-roast Hojicha Latte ($8) instead!

Every latte comes hot or iced, with dairy or oat milk at no extra charge. They’re sweetened with raw cane sugar by default, but you can ask for yours without.

Image credit: KOKO Kawane

Purists can go for usucha, matcha whisked with nothing but water. The dine-in Usucha Flight ($17) lines up Tsuyuhikari, the Soemon Blend, and Okumidori side by side so you can taste the difference yourself.

Image credit: KOKO Kawane

The five pastries come from KOKO’s head pastry chef Mei Kubota, who pairs Japanese flavours with French technique. Midoba ($10) is moulded to look like a fresh tea leaf, with almond sponge, matcha crémeux, raspberry jam, and matcha crunch inside a matcha chocolate and hazelnut shell. Its hojicha counterpart, Kohaku ($10), layers hojicha sponge and crémeux with hazelnut praline and passionfruit jam.

For the best value, get an ochagashi pairing, a tea served with a small sweet chosen to match it, at $15 each!

Image credit: KOKO Kawane

With only 15 seats, this is an intimate spot rather than a study cafe. The matcha bar has curvy counters and tables inspired by the rolling tea hills, plus floor-to-ceiling windows that let in plenty of daylight.

In other beverage news, the viral Chinese chain Molly Tea is opening at Hillion Mall soon! For more food options nearby, read our Holland Village food guide.

Address: 1 Vista Exchange Green, #01-02, The Star Vista, Singapore 138617
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm (last orders 8.30pm)
Tel: 8209 7988
Website
KOKO Kawane is not halal-certified.

Feature image adapted from KOKO Kawane