Halo² Matcha Club

A small matcha-focused counter near Cloud 9 run by two guys who clearly take the craft seriously. The matcha is the vegetal, slightly bitter kind that actually tastes like matcha – not the sweet green powder that passes for it everywhere else. Oat milk comes free as a substitute, which is a bigger deal than it sounds when most cafes in the Philippines charge extra for it.

The halo-halo here gets a matcha twist and it works. Ube overload, mango float versions, packed with ingredients and not cloying – it’s the kind of dessert that makes sense after a surf session when you’re overheated and need something substantial. Prices sit around ₱150 for drinks, which is genuinely cheap for the Cloud 9 area.

The strawberry matcha and mango matcha are the flavor combos worth ordering (the strawberry jam with the bitter matcha is better than it has any right to be). Staff will walk you through the menu and have apparently taught at least one person to make their own matcha on the spot.