Business owner Cairene Pinpin’s reason behind starting Cai’s Café was simple — she started making matcha last November, and realized it was something “more sustainable” to get her through the day. With four kids — one of whom is an infant — and a full-time job, the days can be long.
“I only started making matcha last year; I was a diehard coffee person, but it gives me a lot of anxiety,” Pinpin says. “One day, I was like, ‘I want to share the love I have for matcha with other people, and I want to create a unique flavor profile for people. I did some research and this (my business) is basically what happened.”
Cai’s Café officially launched one month ago, and is based out of Pinpin’s home. She’s been a certified food handler for almost a year.
“I was a baker before,” she shares. “I was pregnant when I came up with the idea to try and do food markets, but it didn’t take off. I just held onto the certificate and thought, ‘Maybe I’ll pick up the business again later.’”
Pinpin says she used to be a coffee drinker, but learned how to make matcha on TikTok.
“TikTok kind of blew up matcha, and there’s a lot of content out there regarding it,” she says. “I follow some creators that are very honed to the culture of matcha and where it’s originated from.
“I did a lot of research on what quality grade matcha is — the ceremonial grade,” she adds. We have about 4 to 4 and a half grams of matcha per drink; we try to have 500 grams of matcha on hand every week. It’s a lot; there’s a demand for it.”
Speaking of demand, Pinpin acknowledges the matcha shortage — and how expensive matcha has become.
“We did a lot of research on syrups, supplies, the logistics of how much it would cost and how to price things,” she says. “A small tin of matcha is about 30 grams; it’s like $10 in Japan, but I pay $30 for it. We’ve sold close to 300 drinks already.”
Pinpin uses matcha sourced from Kyoto — Samidori and Shikibu no Mukashi — and uses a 30-10-10 method for whisking — vigorously whisk for 30 seconds, lift for 10 seconds, break up the bubbles and lift it completely after another 10 seconds.
“The temperature of the water is 175 degrees Fahrenheit, so not boiling hot — that brings out the notes and flavor of the matcha,” she explains. “(When you’re done whisking) you’re going to have this really nice microfoam.
“Some people like more vegetal (flavor); some people like more nutty, sweet or floral,” she adds. “These (the matcha I source) have a more nutty taste to them versus floral and sweet.”
Cai’s Café menu features drinks like strawberry matcha latte ($8), banana praline matcha latte ($8), coconut cloud matcha latte ($8) and crème brulee matcha latte ($9). Sweetener options include agave, maple syrup and homemade simple syrup. Pinpin makes all of her syrups in house, and customers can choose from oat or whole milk for the lattes.
“The strawberry matcha latte is a staple that everyone loves,” she says. “The number one seller is the vanilla bean black sesame matcha latte; it’s kind of that Asian fusion. I love crème brulee, so I thought to try and torch it on a drink, and it actually turned out really well.
“I recently came up with the banana praline,” she adds. “There is a popular drink that other cafés are doing — a banana matcha — so we went through a series of testing. We came up with banana praline; it’s a cinnamon banana bread in a matcha form.”
Pinpin explains that she uses a cold whisking method to make most of her drinks, including the crème brulee matcha, which is complete with a sweet cream and torched sugar topping.
“This is not the traditional way; this is a popular, modernized way,” she says. “Instead of using 100% hot water, we’re going to use the cold milk (to whisk) and it gives it more of a creamy taste. Most of the drinks are made by cold whisking; the only time I use the traditional way is for the strawberry matcha latte because it’s layered.”
Drinks are 16 ounces and range from $7 to $9, depending on what you order, and each cup features the business’s logo, which is inspired by Niko, Pinpin’s two-year-old corgi.
To order from Cai’s Café, visit the business Instagram page and message your order, date and pickup time. Customers can make their payments through Venmo or cash when they pick up their drinks.
“I have my availability pinned on my Instagram page, and I update it every Saturday,” Pinpin says. "We wanted to make it affordable, but we need to make a profit somehow. We’re still in the early stages, so it’s a good price point for what you’re getting.”
CONTACT
Cai’s Café
Instagram: @cai.cafex3
By pre-order only
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
