Matcha, Matcha, Matcha!

"Green tea in Bellevue
Three-fifty is not too much
for fresh distraction"

Seattlest wrote the above haiku while sitting in Koots Green Tea, which wants to be your matcha mainline on the Eastside.

The place, awash in faux woodgrain and paper lanterns, has the feel of a corporate cafeteria, not the Harajuku hipster hangout we were hoping for. But it seemed just fine with the office types and middle-aged shoppers who filled the place.

Exhibiting a zen-like acceptance, we ordered the white chocolate matcha latte on recommendation of a young Japanese man who identified himself as the "training manager." He insisted it wasn't too "pussy Gaijin" (our words) to order. It had a pleasing foamy thickness and just a hint of sweet.

The sushi rolls, which come wrapped in foil papers like a ballpark hotdog, are what you'd expect from pre-made sushi. The sweets, too, are an afterthought, just a couple of assorted popover-type pastries of matcha or chocolate. If you're carb or calorie conscious, deal. Koots doesn't offer any nutrition information, though you might try looking here or, if you read Japanese, here.

We still prefer the U-district's Shinka Tea Co, but we'll be to Koots nonetheless, if only to try the green tea soft serve ice cream ($1.75 for a waffle cone) which could be a contender for our favorite summer indulgence.

At least until the Matcha McFlurrie appears.