"Once you step into Stonemill Matcha, a rush of calm energy will wash over you as if you’ve just sunk into a bubbling hot tub after a long day. The Japanese cafe in the Mission looks like a botanical garden and a minimalist design store had a baby—and being here always makes us want to cancel our plans for the day just so we can settle into one of their wooden booths. But there’s another reason we love this place: Stonemill Matcha’s food is as fantastic as it is comforting. Take, for example, the occasionally-rotating teishoku set meal. It comes with a main—like salmon and a tea egg, or potato croquettes—plus miso soup, a bowl of koshihikari rice, and housemade pickles. It all looks simple at a glance, but crafting each perfect bite is more soothing than a six hour-long playlist of lofi beats. There’s also a chicken katsu curry that's 100% effective at getting us out of the house on a rainy day. And don’t skip out on dessert: a lot of the pastries involve the titular Japanese green tea. Things like the matcha cheesecake or white chocolate chip matcha cookies are well-balanced and not too sweet, and any extras we end up taking to-go for later usually end up being eaten on the way home. You’ll see other tables filling up with people on relaxed lunch dates, or solo diners sipping on a rose matcha latte while flipping through a book. Everything just seems slower here, in the best way possible. Grab your own drink and get cozy—you’ll be staying for a while. " - Julia Chen
