Japanese matcha is huge in London, but its Korean counterpart is lesser known. Sooji Im, owner of new Covent Garden cafe Tokkia, wants to introduce Korean tea to London in a space that brings to life the country’s lively cafe culture. The tea here has a nutty, toasty flavour profile – subtly different from the vivid green umami of Japanese matcha.
“Koreans have been drinking matcha since the 12th century,” Im, who also founded now-closed Exmouth Market Korean teahouse Be-oom – says. “But we don’t treat it as something fixed or formal. It’s playful and personal.” All the tea is sourced from small rural tea farms in the mountains of Korea, which Im first began visiting as a hobby, to immerse herself in Korean culture while she was studying.
The menu is small but intentional, with matcha and hojicha served with or without milk in bangjja, handmade Korean brassware. The bangjia, along with tins of matcha powder, can be bought to take home. Seasonal specials available at launch include a cinnamon matcha made with persimmons, which is a staple in Korea during autumn, and a hojicha peanut latte that tastes a little bit like “dark cocoa”.
Salty-yet-sweet breads, sogeum-bbang, are also on seasonal rotation. “Every Korean cafe has one,” Im says. “It’s like a croissant, but with fewer layers and a hollow centre filled with butter that bakes from the inside out.” Launch sogeum-bbang include a matcha cream-filled salt bread with a matcha and white chocolate ganache, and a hojicha cream-filled salt bread with a hojicha-chocolate glaze.
At Tokkia, you won’t find coffee machines or baristas. Instead, hosts stand behind one of three bars, greeting guests and whisking matcha to order. “In Korea, service is about warmth,” Im says. “You’re not just served; you’re cared for. That’s what I want people to feel here.”
Tokkia translates to “hey bunny” in Korean, and its design, by studio Stephenson Edwards and British architect Jack Holloway, draws inspiration from the warm and playful nature of Im’s pet bunny, Hazelnut. Its terrazzo tiles, earthy tones and a large ceiling installation of dried flowers by florists Yinari and Cosmos & Plums are playful nods to the inside of a rabbit’s burrow. Knotted raffia threaded around the cafe is inspired by the straw Koreans hang to keep bad spirits at bay.
Tokkia
3 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9DA
Hours:
Mon to Sat 10am–7pm
Sun 10am–6pm
