Stonemill Matcha - Japanese Cafe, San Francisco

 561 Valencia St, San Francisco CA 94110
(415) 796-3876
Parking: street parking
Hours: 10am-3pm Wed-Sun, Closed Mon-Tues
https://www.stonemillmatcha.com

Last Visited: June 4, 2023

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

I've been wanting to go to Stonemill Matcha for some time because I really like good matcha and they have a matcha cream pie that I read about in an article that was offering a copycat recipe.  Since I ran across the recipe during Covid and tried to make it, but things went a bit awry, I was waiting for an opportunity to check out the cafe, and on this day, I finally made it.

The line outside the door shows the popularity of the place.  Whether it's waiting for your party to all arrive before entering, or the constant hustle and bustle of take out orders, it seems like a rarity not to find a line.  They've anticipated your arrival, even creating a gap in the line for those walking on the sidewalk in front of the shop.  The menu offers light Japanese fare like a pork katsu sando, korroke (potato croquette), or chicken katsu curry to name a few. There are also sides like miso soup and tsukemono (Japanese pickles) available.  Coming to a place with matcha in the name makes getting matcha items a no-brainer, and for me, I had to get the pie that eluded me. 

- Matcha Cream Pie - Described as silky matcha custard, fluffy citrus cream, and flakey pie crust, if any of those things sound good, you surely won't be disappointed.  Is it life changing? Not quite, but it is very good.  The custard has a strong matcha flavor that isn't too sweet. The citrus cream is the best part though; the pairing of the orange zest and citrus flavoring with the matcha gives a lightness that I enjoyed with each bite - it's a delight for your palate.  The pie crust is flakey and golden brown; it holds up well.  The dusting of matcha on the cream makes for a nice presentation - my photo doesn't quite do it justice since this was after a ride in the car.  Nevertheless, it was very good.  $7.50

- Matcha Latte - Matcha, milk, and cane sugar.  Even with ice, the matcha flavor stayed strong throughout the time I enjoyed the drink.  It's smooth and not too grassy.  The price reflects the quality I suppose.  Good.  $6

While I would get these both again, for me, it's not so great that it's worth driving a long distance for.  If you're in the Mission, it's worth a try.  You might purchase some of the matcha products to make drinks at home yourself and that would be a more sustainable long term solution if you develop a matcha habit. 

Service is not particularly friendly or standout.   What is noticeable is that despite these being fairly easy items to fulfill from an order perspective, the wait time was at least 15 minutes if not more; you may want to order ahead if you know you're going to be in the area.  Even those who ordered ahead still had a little wait, but you can approach the window for pick up without waiting in the order line.