Nana’s Green Tea, a Japan-based teahouse chain specializing in matcha, just expanded to California for the first time with a flagship location in Pasadena. The new store, set in the heart of Old Pasadena, opens on Saturday, May 9, with a menu of tea lattes, soft serve, and savory dishes like chicken katsu curry.
The first Nana’s Green Tea location opened in Jiyugaoka, a neighborhood in Tokyo, in 2001, named “Green Tea Cafe.” Nanaha, the cafe’s parent company, opened a second location in Ochanomizu, Tokyo, in 2003, followed by a third in Yokohama in 2006. In the following two decades, Nana’s Green Tea expanded to Hawaii, Vancouver B.C., Seattle, Hong Kong, New York, Las Vegas, and more. Nana’s other U.S. locations are operated by franchisees; the Pasadena outpost will be the first stateside location to be company-operated.
In Pasadena, Nana’s Green Tea will serve classic matcha lattes, alongside versions with brown sugar, mochi, or red bean. Simply prepared teas, served hot or cold, include sencha, hojicha, and genmaicha (only available hot), while matcha can also be prepared as a blended frappe with chocolate crunch, soft serve, or black sesame. Intricately layered parfaits span combinations such as matcha mochi, black sesame mochi, and hojicha mochi. Soft serve options include matcha with mochi and red bean, hojicha with chocolate crunch, and vanilla. On the savory side, Nana’s will offer chicken soboro don, salmon sashimi don, pork katsu curry, and chicken nanban, among other dishes.
Following the expansion to Pasadena, Nana’s Green Tea plans to open locations in San Mateo, California; Meridian, Ohio; and Boston, Massachusetts this summer.
New brunches in Los Angeles
Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish Comedor kicks off weekend brunch service on Saturday, May 9, just in time for Mother’s Day. The brunch menu includes dishes such as huevos rancheros, chicharron hash, and chilaquiles verdes, alongside beverages like cafe de olla, a carajillo, and a margarita. Si! Mon in Venice, meanwhile, has revived its short-lived Sunday brunch into a two-day affair: You can now eat from the Caribbean–inflected brunch menu Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Across town in West Hollywood, Sushi Samba just debuted its weekend brunch, which runs Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The three-course, $65 menu kicks off with pão de queijo, green bean tempura, nigiri, and “everything but the bagel” maki, followed by a choice of entrees, including passion fruit French toast and aji verde steak and eggs. Reservations are available on Seven Rooms.
Friends of Firstborn dinner series
To celebrate Firstborn’s first anniversary, the restaurant will host a series of collaborative dinners with local chefs throughout the summer. The series kicks off in May with Little Fish, followed by Michael Voltaggio and Mei Lin in June, and Vin Folk in July. Reservations are available on OpenTable.
Johnie’s Coffee Shop reopens for one day
Historic Googie coffee shop Johnie’s will reopen its doors for one day on Friday, May 8, to celebrate the extension of the Metro D Line. Head over between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. for ice cream, a performance by Bob Baker Marionette Theater, music, and more.
AloJapan.com