Tsujiri recently opened their second location in West Edmonton Mall and I was invited to their media event for a preview. During the event, I got a chance to try some items on their menu and learned what matcha is all about. Here’s a peek into this hosted experience.
Disclaimer: I was invited to Tsujiri for their media event and had the opportunity to preview menu items at no charge. In addition, there was no commitment to create a blog post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you are unfamiliar with Tsujiri, they are a Japanese tea house specializing in matcha. Their matcha is imported directly from Kyoto, Japan and their menu offers a variety of matcha goods including drinks and desserts. If you’re a fan of matcha, this is definitely a spot you want to visit! From what I know, it’s one of the only traditional matcha specialty shops in Edmonton.
Tsujiri merchandise 
Pastry/dessert case
Learning how to properly whisk matcha was probably one of the highlights of this event! It was my first time doing it and it’s a little trickier than it looks. Some tips from the pro were to loosen your grip on the whisk and to whisk in a “W” formation, going back and forth. Your matcha should eventually get light and foamy!
After whisking the matcha, we got to pour it into our own lattes. I tried an iced O Matcha Latte and an iced Kinako Kuromitsu Latte. If you’re not sure where to start with your latte order, I was told that the O Matcha Latte is essentially the “base” for most of their matcha drinks so that would likely be a good starter. The Kinako Kuromitsu latte is made of a roasted soy bean flour and brown sugar syrup, which makes the drink itself a bit sweeter. Overall, I really loved the matcha lattes and particularly loved the kinako kuromitsu latte! I substituted dairy milk with oat milk and it was so, so creamy – highly recommend trying that if you are needing a dairy alternative.
O Matcha Latte (L) and Kinako Kuromitsu Latte (R)
Afterwards, we also got to order some items off the menu too. For this, I tried the dessert parfait, a yuzu shaved ice, and some pastries. All were quite tasty in their own way. The Yuzu Shaved Ice was refreshing and would be perfect if you enjoy citrus flavours. The Matcha Cheesecake was creamy, velvety and had a strong matcha flavour. The Houjicha Roll Cake was a bit dense for my liking, however after all the matcha I had, it was nice to have a bit of a different flavour palette. Houjicha is a roasted green tea so the bitterness that you may find in some matcha items is not as prevalent. And lastly, the Dessert Parfait – an indulgent treat: soft serve, pastries, red bean, and corn flakes, a great choice if you want ice cream and some variety. A heads up… The matcha soft serve is quite strong in flavour, so ask for it to be swirled with another flavour if you can.
Yuzu Shaved Ice 
Matcha Cheesecake and Houjicha Roll Cake 
Dessert Parfait
In addition to the tasty menu, Tsujiri WEM’s interior is very aesthetic and makes for a perfect backdrop in photos. Win-win if you love to take pictures too. If you’d like to check out Tsujiri for yourself, head to their newest location in West Edmonton Mall (Phase 3/upstairs in between the Waterpark and Sea lions attraction). Thank you to Tsujiri for having me!
Tsujiri West Edmonton Mall
#2355, 8882 – 170 St NW, Edmonton
Eat with Sharon 