Matcha has become somewhat of a hit over the past year in Vietnam. With chains like Nagocha serving up glasses of Matcha Latte for more than VND150,000 a serving, I was with the camp that the average consumer sees it as a fad.
But perhaps there’s something truly alluring about a Japanese beverage made from ground tea leaves that boasts an assortment of purported health benefits, and we at Saucefish think we found some good evidence on the ground at Artisan Slow Bar (Ngõ 5 Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Ngọc Lâm, Long Biên, Hà Nội) in Hanoi’s Long Biên District.
From a matcha “cocktail” made from non-alcohol Tsingtao lemon-flavored beer to coconut matcha and more, ex-magician founder Nguyễn Tuấn Anh never expected to become a “tea purveyor”, but the course of recent history carved a seamless transition to a new career.
Ex-magician turned Vietnamese matcha Performer
After more than a decade as a professional magician, Tuấn Anh sensed his passion for the trade fading and decided to change course.
“I was a magician, an illusionist, and then a mentalist at the end of my career,” he informed.
Just as I was signalling confusion, “[a mentalist is] a magician focusing more on tricks in your mind than in my hands,” Tuấn Anh explained.
Describing the post-Covid world as one characterised by “Artificial Intelligence gone out of control [sic]”, he pondered what he could do to make a difference.
“I wanted to do something that honors the human hand,” Tuấn Anh recounted.
And indeed, Artisan Slow Bar is all about artisanal living. From chasen (Matcha whisks) to chawan (tea bowls) and glass receptacles in a zen-inducing tea room space speckled with occasional visual eye candy, almost everything in place is hand-selected or made by artisans from throughout East Asia.
A Hanoian matcha concept with a mixology soul
With dazzling rituals and lightplay behind drinks made here, it’s not difficult to recognise a connection between Artisan Slow Bar and the art of making cocktails.
“I’m the slowest amongst the ‘bartenders’ here,” Tuấn Anh laughed lightly.
Post-magic, he began working as a bar back in several cocktail bars in Hanoi, with a stint as a waiter at a bia hơi joint, before beginning the process of designing drinks.
“The presentation of my drinks are inspired by years of performing which combines light, sound, and body movement,” he added.
Artisan Slow Bar finally opened doors to eager tea lovers in May 2024.
Despite visual excitement, Artisan Slow Bar does not neglect flavor
The menu item that catches the attention of first time visitors is the Japanese Matcha Beer.
Made with the original Yugen Blend #1, a mellow and aromatic matcha blend popular amongst tea ceremony enthusiasts, it was envisioned as a non-alcoholic cocktail-style beverage for “Vietnamese people who drive [their] motorbikes daily.”
“This one comes with a lightshow performance,” Tuấn Anh divulged, moments before the process began.
Saucefish also sampled the Matcha Smoky Earl Grey, a Artisan Slow Bar item that is ongoingly viral on Tiktok and Threads — owing to an interactive “game” where customers play with a smoked-filled bubble with a special glove.
The creamy, almost vanilla-like, notes of Samidori single cultivar matcha powder from Uji, Kyoto serves as an ideal base.
For those who like acidity and sweetness, Matcha Ichigo (Matcha Strawberry) combines matcha, fresh strawberries, and milk, all which interact to create an unexpected flavor resembling ripe guava.
Beyond that, Tuấn Anh’s Avocano featuring a matcha espuma made with pandan-infused coconut juice pays homage to a popular local Vietnamese sidewalk favorite — sinh tố bơ (avocado smoothie).
Carving a desirable lifestyle through matcha at Artisan Slow Bar
Interestingly, Tuấn Anh considers his “farewell show” of sorts as his last appearance as a magician in 2023. Alongside singer-songwriter Vũ Cát Tường, he performed for the largest association of Vietnamese Students residing in the United States.
Yet seeing how everything has come together as a combination of matcha, magic and hospitality, he has decided that the fate of night Artisan Slow Bar were evening shows showcasing the brilliance of matcha — a step above what regular daytime customers are already being treated too.
We all had a quick laugh about how Matcha had ironically reignited his passion for performance.
“After drinking tea and reading about its philosophy for years, I think this is my kind of life,” Tuấn Anh declared.
“I want to live a beautiful life without effort. Well, still a lot of effort, but if it comes from passion, it’s not [that] much effort!” He concluded.
