Coconut Pandan Matcha Tonic

my new morning drink + the right way to make your matcha

a few weeks ago in Portland, i had a Coconut Pandan Matcha Tonic from Memoire Cafe that i haven’t stopped thinking about, so i made my own version at home. i’d tasted pandan before, but never really knew how to use it. turns out, turning it into a syrup is one of the easiest ways to start.

pandan leaves (widely used for flavoring in the cuisines of Southeast Asia) have this nutty, coconut-y aroma that pairs beautifully with grassy matcha and fizzy tonic. i topped mine with a matcha cold foam (because obviously) and it tasted shockingly close to the one i had at the cafe—but not too sweet.

below the paywall: you’ll get the recipe for the coconut pandan syrup and a breakdown of the proper way to make matcha, from someone who’s watched an embarrassing number of matcha videos on the internet in the last month.

Coconut Pandan Matcha Tonic

for the simple syrup:

• 1/4 cup dried or fresh pandan leaves, chopped