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Kettl Los Feliz
A Los Feliz cafe from the only US tea company incorporated in Japan, with a tasting bar.
Published
Reasons to check it out
- Founded in 2010 by Zach and Minami Mangan, with an actual office in Fukuoka, Japan
- This Los Feliz cafe, open since Spring 2024, is the company's LA flagship
- Runs guided tastings like 'Teas of Japan,' with staff walking small groups through named cultivars
- 4.4 stars across 200 Google reviews, with specific cultivars like Hukuju and Suiteki named and praised by reviewers
“Most matcha spots sell you a flavor. This one will tell you which farm it came from if you ask.”
— STEFAN
Kettl is the only US-based Japanese tea company fully incorporated in Japan, with an actual office in Fukuoka — not a branding detail, since it's what lets the shop carry specific, named cultivars rather than a generic "matcha" menu. Founders Zach and Minami Mangan opened their Brooklyn location first; this Los Feliz cafe, running since Spring 2024, is the company's flagship on the West Coast.
A tasting counter, not just a counter
The four-seat tasting bar runs guided sessions like "Teas of Japan," where staff walk small groups through the differences between cultivars rather than just pulling a shot. One visitor, two weeks before this writing, described a Sunday-morning session as busy but unhurried, with staff "spending time with us and guiding us through the tasting."
Google's 200 reviews put it at 4.4 stars, and the specifics in them are the tell: reviewers name actual cultivars — Hukuju, Suiteki from Nishio — rather than just "the matcha latte." One reviewer, four months before this writing, specifically praised that the matcha wasn't pre-sweetened, calling the result "nutty, velvety" rather than generic-sweet.
Sources: Google Maps — Kettl Los Feliz listing and reviews, Kettl — Our Story (official site), The Infatuation — Kettl Tea review, World Tea News — Kettl founder Zach Mangan launches Stories of Japanese Tea
