Source : THE AGE NEWS
Marie David was experimenting with flavours when she decided to combine matcha with strawberries.
“My parents went strawberry picking and they had kilos of strawberries, so we made everything strawberry flavoured,” she said.
She filmed her process of mixing matcha and strawberry, posted it on TikTok, and saw it blow up over overnight.
“I was the first strawberry matcha in Brisbane,” she claims.
Fast-forward three years, and strawberry matcha is a staple for many cafes across the city.
The 27-year-old started Lola’s Coffee Bar on a fluke. Having never been a barista, she jumped headfirst into the Brisbane cafe scene four years ago. She’s now one of the most locally recognisable faces in the industry.
“I felt like I needed to work harder because I had no experience,” she said.
Lola’s started as a traditional coffee shop but has since expanded into a go-to destination for viral and aesthetic drinks. Regular queues at the Tarragindi and Kelvin Grove outlets are proof of their popularity.
What has remained throughout her journey is David’s strong Filipino influences, with ube (purple yam), pandan and mango flavours featuring in her cakes and drinks.
The name of the cafe is also a direct tribute to her grandmothers.
“Lola means grandmother in Tagalog,” David explains. “We’re very close, and we have kind of the same taste palate with food, so I said, ‘this one’s for you’.”
After being convinced by a matcha-obsessed friend, David included the green tea drink on her menu.
At first, it was slow to sell, with only a few locals aware of the Japanese drink. Now, it can be found at most Brisbane cafes – but not all are made equal.
David claims she has even spied competitors popping in to see what all the hype is about.
“They’ll sit here the whole day just observing,” she said. “I take it as a compliment, but it is funny.”
David sources her ceremonial-grade matcha powder from Uji, south of Kyoto. Last year, she travelled to Japan to visit her supplier.
“We want to respect the culture that it’s from. Matcha is Japanese, and they really value tradition, and so do we,” she said.
Strawberry matcha isn’t the only drink David has helped Brisbane foodies become obsessed with; she was also an early adopter of the now-popular Mont Blanc – a dessert-like coffee drink – following a research trip to Melbourne three years ago.
“I had to really sell it because people were like ‘cold brew? … orange?’. It’s only now just catching on, it’s crazy.”
So, what’s the secret to a good matcha? According to David, it’s simple.
“Don’t skimp on the matcha [powder], and know how to make it traditionally.”
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