The Scoop

Archives Of Us sits on North Spring Street near Chinatown, and the matcha is first-harvest okumidori sourced directly from Kagoshima, a rare cultivar you will not find on many boards. It comes out dark green and clean with almost no bitterness, which is the point of okumidori and the reason to order the straight ceremonial before anything else. The room is Korean-inspired and pairs that matcha with delicate French pastries, and the banana cream matcha latte is the drink people name when they talk about the place. Time Out has named it on its current round-up of LA matcha worth seeking out. Nam Coffee is a short walk away in Chinatown, so we would do both.