If you’re a Singaporean or an Indonesian who has been to Singapore, there’s a good chance you’ve probably heard of Hvala (pronounced as ‘fa-lah’), one of the OG matcha spots in Singapore that has been around for more than a decade. With five locations in Singapore, they are now expanding beyond Singapore and opened their first international location in Indonesia.

Hvala Jakarta opened their door to the public yesterday (Sunday, April 19), bringing their matcha creations from Singapore to Jakarta. The cafe occupies a pretty spacious building with matcha bar, indoor and outdoor area with ample seatings for solo patrons as well as bigger groups.

Their menu focuses on a variety of matcha drinks and desserts that are similar to their outlets in Singapore. For their ceremonial matcha powder, they offer four different choices for you to choose from. Three of the powders—Hikari, Sei, and Haru—are from Japan and one powder—Panda—is from China. And instead of the usual 3-4 grams matcha powder per cup, at Hvala they actually use 7 grams of matcha powder per cup with the option of additional extra shot, topping it up to 9 grams per cup. You can choose anything from straight matcha, tea latte, flavored tea latte, ice blend, cold brew, to brewed tea and pair it with the selections of desserts, gelato and sliced cakes that’s on the menu.

Greysuitcase Jakarta Cafe Series: Hvala Jakarta, Gandaria, South Jakarta, Indonesia.

I came here with my friend to try their matcha drinks and desserts and here are what we ordered:

🍵 Iced Sei Matcha Latte (140k) | 8.5/10

Advanced Ceremonial Grade. Notes: Nori, Cocoa, Toasted Nut.

Their Iced Sei Matcha is very balanced. Tasted all the flavor notes and it wasn’t too bitter. Enjoyed this drink.

🧇🍨 Dairy-Free Waffles (120k) | 8.5/10

Dairy-free waffles drizzled with golden syrup, with a sprinkle of fragrant genmai (toasted rice). Served with a gelato scoop.

The waffle has a bit of a chewy texture and not too sweet. For the gelato, we chose the White Chrysanthemum Sobacha and the Matcha °3 gelato. I think this was my first time trying a White Chrysanthemum Sobacha flavored gelato and it’s actually pretty good. It’s a little on the sweeter side for my personal preference but still okay if you eat it with the waffle. The Matcha °3 gelato actually balanced out the sweetness pretty well because it’s not too sweet. Overall, this is a great dessert for sharing.

🍨 Warabi Mochi with Black Sesame Gelato (110k) | 10/10

Warabi mochi served with a gelato scoop.

So excited for this menu because I got two of my favorite things in one cup and they didn’t disappoint. This was really gooood. They nailed the Warabi mochi’s texture and flavor and it has the right amount of sweetness. The black sesame gelato has the perfect balance of nuttiness and sweetness as well. Will definitely order this again next time I go back.

🍵 Ice Blend Hojicha (120k) | 9.5/10

Another one of my personal favorite. Their Ice Blend Hojicha was goood. I actually enjoyed this the most out of all the drinks we ordered (but also a disclaimer, in general I think I prefer hojicha than matcha). It’s not too bitter and the nutty flavor was well balanced. A great choice for a dessert drink, especially on a hot sunny day.

🍵 Iced Sakura Matcha (100k) | 8/10

Was skeptical at first and thought that I wasn’t going to like this one because I tend to not enjoy floral flavored drinks too much but it was actually pretty enjoyable after I tried it. There’s definitely a hint of that floral flavor in the matcha, but it wasn’t too overwhelming so the matcha flavor still shone through. A good option if you want something light and floral that reminds you of spring.

🍵 Iced Banana Pudding Matcha (120k) | 8/10

The banana pudding is vegan.

First time trying Iced Banana Pudding Matcha and at first I thought it’s going to be matcha with hints of banana pudding flavor. But surprisingly, the banana pudding flavor really came through. This tasted like a dessert drink and a little heavier than the other matcha drinks that we ordered. If you like Banana Pudding, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

All and all, I really enjoyed the drinks and desserts that we ordered. Service was also pretty good during our visit. The staff was friendly and attentive and we didn’t really wait too long for our orders. Other thing to note, parking space is limited in front of the cafe but they have valet available for your convenience.

Given that the matcha craze still going on right now, Hvala Jakarta is probably going to be one of the go-to spots for matcha enthusiasts in the city.

Hvala Jakarta

Address: Jl. Kyai Maja No.59, RT.2/RW.5, Kramat Pela, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12130, Indonesia
Telephone: +6281232182621
Hours: Everyday 10am-10pm

Instagram: @hvala_idn