Salty cheese foam on matcha sounded like a gamble. I ordered the Salty 46 at Labora anyway, and the first sip changed my mind. The balance of flavors caught me off guard in the best way.
This is the drink that made me obsessed with Vietnamese style matcha. Now, anytime I see salty cheese foam on a menu, it has my attention. Kyle’s Pistachio 54 Vietnamese coffee delivered too, so we did not need matching orders to leave happy with this stop.
One detail that stood out on our earlier visits was how quickly the team moved. We ordered through a tablet, saw an estimated 15 minute wait and had our drinks in less than five. That was our experience, rather than a promise about every line, but it gave us a reason not to be put off by a busy café.
I was skeptical of cheese foam. One sip made the case.
We later went to the North Park grand opening, where we both chose the Salty 46 matcha. We loved the North Park location. It was just as busy as Kearny Mesa, but the space was beautiful and it is closer to home for us. I was still obsessed with the drink.
The matcha comes from two tea regions.
Labora uses first harvest tea leaves from Kyoto and Kagoshima, Japan. The leaves are grown in shade and slowly stone milled. The café describes its blend as pairing Kyoto’s depth and umami with Kagoshima’s freshness, so there is a story beneath the foam.
What makes it differentWhat we ordered at Labora
These were the two drinks in our original reel. At the North Park grand opening, we both went with the Salty 46 matcha.
Salty 46 matcha
Ceremonial matcha layered with salty cheese foam. This is the drink that started my obsession with Vietnamese style matcha and salty cheese foam. This was also both of our opening day orders in North Park.
Pistachio 54 Vietnamese coffee
Vietnamese coffee with pistachio foam. Kyle enjoyed this order on the visit in our reel. At the later North Park opening, he switched to the Salty 46 matcha alongside Lana.
The details worth knowing
Choose the right location
Our original reel was from Kearny Mesa at 8055 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Suite 101. The North Park location is at 2899 University Avenue. Our opening day update refers to North Park.
Name your drink base
The Salty 46 can be ordered with Vietnamese drip coffee, ceremonial matcha or espresso. Ask for the matcha version if you want my order. Kyle’s Pistachio 54 in the reel used Vietnamese coffee.
Opening day was busy
North Park was packed when we visited for the grand opening. Our fast tablet ordering experience came from earlier visits, so give yourself time rather than treating it as a guaranteed turnaround.