Matcha Cafe Maiko

In spite of the different ice cream places located in Valley Fair, I always find myself gravitating back towards Matcha Cafe Maiko anytime I'm in the mood for ice cream while I'm there. Nothing beats their smooth, silky soft serve, with a perfect balance of flavors and a unique, rotating seasonal menu that helps set it apart.The service is always relatively quick when I go there, in spite of the lines that are usually there, and the flavors more often than not usually live up to the hype in my head. I can't really say what the drinks are like as I usually don't get them, but I'd say that their ice cream is high on the list of my favorite South Bay ice cream places.Overall, Matcha Cafe Maiko has remained consistently enjoyable for the times that I've come here. I'm honestly astonished that it took me this long to get around to writing a review - I was certain I had written something sooner, but I suppose I can make up for it now. My only regrets with this place are the occasional times that I miss out on some of their limited edition flavors, but I'll look forward to whatever new flavors arrive in the future.

I had this on a weekend afternoon and the stall is very popular, so it was to expected that the wait in line to be long. I'd say I had to wait in line for 20-25 minutes and around 5-10 minutes for my and my friend's order. There seemed to be some issues with the ice cream machine, but the workers did their best to keep the stall going. I've always liked eating here because it's not too sweet, and I like the smooth texture of their matcha soft serve. The mochi balls and red bean keep the texture interesting (Adzuki Sundae for $7.20).Though I did have to deduct a star because the soft serve portion seemed to have shrunk. I recall their items looking a lot like their pictures in the menu.

Gave them another shot, since I don't recall my first experience. But since I'm on a crazy strawberry matcha hunt, I had to try this location again. And boy did I regret it. Look at my photo, and imagine how it tasted like. The end. Maybe come here for their other products, but I definitely won't recommend their strawberry matcha to anyone. So save your money and calories. When my drink came out, I was already terrified how it was going to taste like... gave 3 sips since it was almost $8 down the drain and trashed it. Service, was slow due to their long lines, even though they had at least 3/4 people working that day. Avoid WEEKENDS. I went on a weekday so it was doable, and tried it, never again. GOODLUCK.

The line here is always a bit long, but it does move fast. Originally I was planning on getting what they're known for - their matcha, but I got enticed/side tracked by their hojicha and black sesame options. I noticed that the black sesame float had the "popular" sign next to it, so I thought it'd be promising choice. Unfortunately, the black sesame flavor tasted very diluted. I should've stuck with matcha. They also add a lot of ice, so it didn't really feel that satisfying drinking it. The hojicha soft serve was not bad, but I've had better. Service was friendly and helpful though!

Matcha Cafe Maiko is a retail kiosk in Westfield Valley Fair, close to Nordstrom on the 2nd level.Luckily, the line wasn't too long and we only waited about 15 minutes to get to the front.My wife and I split the Maiko Special: soft-serve (of matcha & vanilla swirl) with mochi balls, chestnut, matcha cake, adzuki beans, cornflakes, agar jelly and kuromitsu syrup drizzle (4/5). The soft serve was flavorful and you could really taste the matcha flavor. This reminded my of the Vietnamese dessert called Che or Filipino dessert called Halo Halo. This was a Japanese take on layered goodness which was not too sweet dessert but each gave you texture, taste, etc.A great dessert stop if you are taking a break from shopping.

After trying so many matcha places, I'm convinced Maiko does it best and its soft serve is to die for. Matcha lover, looks no further.The only annoying thing is it's inside the mall

Super long line next to Uniqlo, so be mentally prepared to wait with basically no seating. One person can wait in line while the others can go shopping though! After ordering, you'd still need to wait a little longer for your drinks as well. I almost always get a Matcha Latte or Matcha Latte Float. The soft-serve ice cream (half vanilla half matcha) is so yummy. Their matcha is top-notch and high quality though. All products are imported from Uji, Japan. I tried the Maiko Special, but it wasn't worth it for the price. Better to get their drinks!

Whenever I'm at valley fair I try and stop by Matcha cafe maiko for my matcha fix. I heard they had two seasonal flavors this month - melon and calpico soft serve. I came here to try those out before they were gone! The melon is very fragrant and sweet, not at all overbearing. I'd describe it as a lighter version of the melona melon bars. The calpico is the original flavor drink and it was very light. Sort of like a froyo tart flavor, but much lighter. If you're into those types of flavor profiles, I'd recommend it! (Get the swirl for the best of both worlds)I also tried out the hot white chocolate matcha. FYI, it only comes in hot and not iced. The flavor was okay, not very sweet or hot chocolate-y so I'd pass on that. Matcha flavor is there though.The booth does get a little busy on the weekends, but well worth the wait for some matcha. There's some tables nearby for you to sit and enjoy your order.

I always come here for matcha almost every time I'm shopping at Valley Fair. It's still as busy as when they first opened. The line can get long, especially on weekends, so be prepared to wait. I usually opt for the matcha latte float with extra matcha on top--it's so creamy and not overly sweet, just the way I like it.I did try the strawberry matcha recently, and I wasn't impressed. It tasted pretty artificial and was way too sweet for me. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you're after a solid matcha drink, this place is definitely worth the wait!

Matcha blended frappe 5/5- wow the matcha was so good here! I understand the hype of this place now. It was a pretty sweet drink which I don't mind and the matcha flavor was perfect. I don't like when matcha tastes too earthy and this one did not have that taste. I want to try all of their other matcha and black sesame drinks and desserts next time! Line was long but moved fast.