This will be a matcha-centric post following two hot spots I stopped by over the past two days! There hasn’t been much miso consumption since Saturday. It's disappointing, I know. But, I have been popping by some spots around the city to grab a quick breakfast bite with my boyfriend and all by myself. If you know me, you know I typically CANNOT. And I mean CANNOT. Go places by myself. It's not codependency; it’s fear of being perceived as a lonely girl roaming LA alone. But you’ll be proud to hear I did it in the name of matcha! So, let’s get into it!
Let’s give an honorable mention to the Costco Hello Kitty canned boba matcha!! It tasted like milk and sugar, but the boba was decent, and I enjoyed the drink. It definitely hit the spot and satisfied the need for the moment.
Okay, on to Courage Bagels. You would think that one of the most popular bagel spots in the city would MAYBE have a chill period on a Monday, but they did not. My boyfriend and I drove to Courage around 10:30 am, parked several blocks away, and made the treacherous hike in 90-degree weather to the sidewalk outside the infamous bagel joint. Shout out to Courage for their mist fans and parasols – they made our hour wait much more tolerable, especially in the August heat. While the bagels were delicious, the matcha honestly was not. I did not like it – it left a bad taste in both of our mouths and while it was perfect to cool me down, it was in no way a spectacular matcha. It was too strong, which I usually don’t have an issue with, but this matcha was SO STRONG that it burnt a bit going down. It had a nice texture, not a nice flavor, and needed some sort of honey or sweetener to cut through the extreme bitterness. Over all? 3/10… The experience was redeemed by how good the tomato cream cheese bagel was. I devoured that RAPIDLY. Snarfed it down.
This morning, the next day, I decided to go to a cute Argentinian spot called Tortoni! Located on the corner of Ventura and Noble, right after the freeway exit towards Castle Park, is an amazing bakery and cafe serving up empanadas and one of the best matchas I have ever had. I heard about this place from an elderly guy named Rich, who bought me a matcha at a different spot that I’ll review later. He told me to grab a matcha with 1 pump lavender, 1 pump rose, and oat milk, so I did! When I say immaculate, I mean everything I could ever dream of in an American matcha. Its texture was rich and creamy, with no graininess at all. The matcha was the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, and the large beverage size was mostly drink and not 95% ice! I finished it in less than five minutes, it was so, so good.
I also grabbed an onion and cheese empanada, which I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who enjoys food. It was so delicious and piping hot; I could have eaten ten of them right then and there. If you’re ever in Sherman Oaks, I IMPLORE you to make your way down to Tortoni at 15060 Ventura Blvd. If you’re ever craving a delicious bagel and willing to wait, head over to Courage Bagels at 777 Virgil Ave. Until next time!
Happy sipping,
Gabs
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