Japanese School Teacher Turned Tea Master Sells Great Matcha At No-Frills CBD Kiosk Called Top Quali Tea Kyoto

Their iced Matcha Latte is priced from $7.40, and for comparison, nearby cafes like the chic Kyo Kohee’s Robinson Road branch charge $10.90 onwards for a similar Uji latte in a dine-in setting. The latter’s ambience is nicer, sure – proper cups versus Ayano’s plastic takeaway ones – but quality-to-price ratio? Ayano’s little kiosk is hard to beat.

Top Quali Tea Kyoto also serves hojicha and genmaicha, tea-flavoured ice cream, plus rotating house-made desserts like jellies, matcha cheesecake and madeleines.

Humble kiosk in dingy office building

Ayano’s glass-fronted kiosk sits quietly on the second floor of Oxley Tower, glowing warmly against a backdrop that’s, well, a little run-down (compared to the more modern and sleeker surrounds of the sleek 112 Robinson building, where Kyo Kohee is located). The building’s interior feels dated and sparse, with vacant units around her shop. It feels almost surreal to stumble upon a Kyoto-native-run matcha specialist tucked away in such a desolate corner of the CBD. 

The setup is simple: a compact counter, clean white surfaces, digital menu screens, and a few standees. It’s strictly takeaway, though a handful of communal high tables nearby let customers linger over their drinks.

The CBD location, she explains, was intentional: “I wanted to bring the calm of Kyoto to the heart of a busy city.” The quieter, lower-rent space in Oxley Tower allowed her to start her business without the heavy overhead of a full sit-down cafe. “What I really want is to sell matcha online. This shop is for people to get to know my drinks,” she explains. 

That said, we wouldn’t mind a cosier space – with a nicer ambience, the well-crafted drinks would be even more enjoyable to sip.

Owner hails from Japan’s tea capital

Ayano moved from Kyoto to Singapore two and a half years ago when her husband took on a teaching post here. A former primary school teacher herself, she would have liked to continue teaching, but was unable to do so after taking a career break to raise her two children, now aged seven and nine, and due to restrictions tied to her husband’s work visa.

“I was bored,” she admits. “Starting a new life in a foreign country itself was a major challenge, but what was especially difficult was making the decision not to continue with my former career and instead to pursue my passion for tea.”

Growing up in Kyoto, the heart of Japan’s tea culture, matcha was part of daily life. She fondly recalls her grandmother whisking matcha during family gatherings. “As a child I thought it was a little bitter,” she laughs. But everything changed when she tried her grandmother’s matcha pudding – “a harmony of gentle sweetness and pleasant bitterness” that sparked her enduring love for tea.

Earlier in June, Ayano invested $50K of her savings to open her dream tea shop. Her family was shocked but supportive. Her husband told her, “Follow your passion and believe in yourself,” while relatives in Japan cheered her on during recipe trials.

What makes her matcha different

Most matcha shops here rely on wholesalers like the Malaysia-based Niko Neko. Ayano, however, insists on sourcing directly from Uji through her high school friend – a certified Japanese tea instructor whose family has been in the tea trade for about 170 years.

Their 20-year friendship comes with rare industry access. Because Ayano’s friend comes from a historic tea family, he can secure exceptionally high-grade leaves that often never leave Japan’s tightly knit tea circles – access wholesalers, despite sourcing from Uji, may not have.

Not all ceremonial-grade matcha are equal

Her matcha is ceremonial-grade and first harvest (ichibancha) – an important distinction, since not all ceremonial-grade matcha is made from first-harvest leaves. Lower-tier ceremonial grades can come from later harvests, which may taste flatter, more astringent, and lack the depth and sweetness prized in tea ceremony matcha.

Ayano chooses teas that are prized for their sweetness, vivid colour and lower bitterness from shade-growing. The leaves are stone-milled into ultra-fine powder, then blended from two cultivars – Yabukita (bright, fragrant) and Okumidori (smooth, rich) – for flavour harmony.

“What truly matters is not only which cultivar is used, but how it is blended to maintain quality and achieve the ideal flavour balance,” she explains. The result is a latte that’s greener, deeper and rounder than most – unmistakably “real matcha” even without sweetener.

Affordable, quality-focused drinks

Every drink is prepared individually. The tea powder is precisely measured, whisked by hand with a traditional chasen by Ayano or her trained staff, and brewed at the right temperature to draw out natural sweetness and smoothness. “Rather than simply serving a drink, we aim to offer an experience that lets people feel the spirit of Kyoto,” she says.

Their bestselling drink is the Iced Matcha Latte (from $7.40), though Ayano’s personal favourite is the Iced Matcha Latte with Jelly (from $8.40), a layered drink featuring house-made matcha or hojicha agar jelly.

“I noticed that Singaporeans like drinks with texture [like bubble tea], so I wanted to create something for people to enjoy authentic matcha,” she explains. “Sugary textured drinks can hide the flavour of matcha, so I make my own low-sugar jelly to highlight the aroma and umami while adding a pleasant texture.”

For purists, she recommends the Usucha ($8.90): just whisked matcha and water. “Because of its simplicity, it requires high-quality matcha to avoid bitterness.”

Excellent omotenashi in a simple setting

Despite occasionally relying on a translation app, Ayano is warm, cheerful and attentive. During our visit, she quietly rearranges our bulky order into a more stable carrier and sends us off with a bow and a smile. Her mostly Japanese staff offer thoughtful explanations of each drink, happy to describe cultivars and flavour notes to curious customers.

She sees this as preserving omotenashi, the Japanese spirit of heartfelt hospitality. “When customers tell me, ‘This feels like real matcha,’ or ‘It tastes amazing even without sugar,’ or even ‘It feels like being in Japan.’ Those words keep me going,” she shares happily.

Mostly local customers

Ayano says 90 to 95 percent of her customers are locals. “Japanese are used to getting tea for free at restaurants,” she jokes. “If I depended on Japanese customers, my shop would go broke!”

Still, business is steady. They sell around 100 drinks daily, with a growing community of regulars who come not just for tea but for comfort and conversation. She even opens for half-days on Saturdays despite low CBD footfall because regulars requested it.

Ayano hopes to expand slowly and stay quality-focused. Her immediate goal is to grow her online retail presence, where customers can buy her teas directly. She also hopes to host workshops and, one day, create job opportunities for people with disabilities – inspired by her background in special needs education.

Iced Matcha Latte with Jelly, from $8.40 (8 DAYS Pick!)

A strikingly vivid jade green – the kind only true ceremonial matcha achieves – and unlike many cafe versions that turn murky as the ice melts, this one maintains its brilliant hue even after sitting for a while. The depth of colour alone marks its quality, and the flavour further confirms it.

As tea purists, we opted for no added sugar. The drink is clean and bright, with layers you rarely get in mainstream matcha variants: there’s a gentle upfront bitterness, smooth vegetal sweetness and soft umami that signals first-harvest matcha. The house-made matcha jelly, made with plant-based agar, adds a refreshing wobble and subtly amplifies the tea flavour.

Iced Hojicha Latte, from $6.90 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Smooth, toasty, and comforting without heaviness, this is an excellent hojicha latte. We especially enjoyed the naturally caramelised note from the slow-roasted Uji green tea leaves.

Iced Genmaicha Latte, from $6.90 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Made with stems of premium sencha and gyokuro (Japanese green teas) blended with roasted brown rice. The drink has a gentle umami base and a cosy, grainy aroma. A mellow, balanced cup that’s less grassy and more toasty than typical green tea lattes.

Usucha, $8.90

A luminous jade foam tops this refined, ceremonial-grade matcha whisked with water, and the drink stayed impressively frothy even after our shoot. There’s a measured, savoury depth, followed by a whisper of bitterness. We find it a real shame that this delicate, nuanced drink is served in a paper cup, given the quality of the brew. Worth trying if you’re a serious matcha lover.

Matcha Ice Cream, $6.40 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Their ice cream is made with Hokkaido milk and crafted by an external supplier using Ayano’s tea powders – and it shows. The matcha version is rich and fragrant, with a creamy texture and a true green-tea bitterness that isn’t masked by sweetness. A thoughtful dusting of matcha powder on top enhances both aroma and flavour. Considerably richer and more satisfying than most matcha ice creams around.

Premium Hojicha Jelly, $6.90

Prepared daily by Ayano, this refreshing, not-too-sweet jelly bears hojicha’s signature roasted aroma. Served with house-made adzuki and chewy mochi as a lovely, guilt-free snack.

Matcha Cheesecake, $4.80

Featuring suiko matcha (the same tea used for lattes) and sun-dried Japanese sea salt, this house-made mini cheesecake isn’t as custardy or oozy as the typical Basque style, but tasty nonetheless. The matcha flavour is robust, and a gentle saltiness lifts the tea’s natural sweetness beautifully.

Madeleines, $4.80 each

Available in Hojicha Dark Chocolate, Matcha White Chocolate, and Maple Pecan, these house-baked madeleines are infused with Ayano’s teas and baked with monk fruit sugar for less sweetness. While they weren’t as airy as a classic French madeleine, the flavours were quite good – and ironically, our favourite was the non-tea one: the Maple Pecan, which is wonderfully nutty and well-balanced. Note: Since our visit, Ayano has tweaked the Matcha White Chocolate version, replacing the white chocolate glaze with a matcha chocolate coating.

The details 

Top Quali Tea Kyoto is at #02-36 Oxley Tower, 138 Robinson Rd, S068906. Open Mon to Fri 8.30am-5pm & Sat 12pm-5pm. Closed on Sun. Operating hours may vary in Dec due to events. Check Instagram for the latest updates before visiting. Tel: 87098763. 

Photos: Dillon Tan