Oyatsu Cafe have launched their very own Stick Menu of individual powdered drinks, which is a great way of trying the great Japanese "stick" drinks without having to buy a whole box of Maxim or Blendy. I choose five drinks, the Maxim Matcha Latte and Caramel Macchiato, and the Blendy Stick Tea Au Lait, Cocoa Au Lait, and Espresso Au Lait.
I decided to start with the two Maxim drinks because I was most curious about trying the Matcha Latte!
The drinks are made up just like any other powdered sachet drink, although I had to turn to Google for help translating the instructions. The method is; for a hot drink use 160ml of hot water and for an iced drink use 80ml of hot water and 4-5 ice cubes. I'd recommend using a fairly small cup to ensure a strong flavour, or two of the sachets if you want a larger drink.
Just look at that verdant color - it looks like one of those super healthy green smoothies, rather than a hot drink. Once I added the hot water, the drink starting to froth up and revealed it's bright green color. The aroma was immediately of the matcha green tea powder. Despite being called a Matcha Latte, this drink doesn't actually contain any coffee. The taste is a deliciously sweet with a lovely matcha flavour, and it's creamy without being too milky in flavor. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this Matcha Latte but I absolutely loved it, I'll definitely be keeping this one in mind for the future. It's unusual but delivers a satisfyingly sweet and warming drink.
The Maxim Caramel Macchiato lives up to it's name as a coffee based drink. My husband absolutely loved this one. It's all about the caramel, and the sweet aroma immediately fills the room once the hot water is added. The coffee flavor is full bodied and easily satisfies a caffeine craving, whilst the caramel is creamy and deliciously sweet. I'm sure this one would taste great as an iced caramel coffee drink too.
Check out some of the other flavours in the new Oyatsu Cafe Stick Menu http://oyatsucafe.com/drinks/blendy-maxim-stick-menu. It's a lovely way to discover the different flavours. I'll be reviewing three of the Blendy Stick flavours soon. The Tea Au Lait sounds especially good as it's based on Indian style tea - can't wait to try that one!
Discount Code: Don't forget to use GROCERYGEMS for 15% off your Oyatsu Cafe order! More details here: http://grocerygems.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/oyatsu-cafe-discount-code.html