Green food is most often associated with fruit and vegetables, but anything green that doesn't come from straight from Mother Nature is not usually that appetising. Judging by the spate of recent photos of swirls of jade-coloured Japanese ice cream on social media, matcha soft serve is one of the exceptions.
Thanks to Via Tokyo in Causeway Bay, the dessert is the hottest frozen treat in town. Whether it is served in a crispy cone; in a dessert bowl with jellies, salty beans, red bean paste and a sweet brown sauce; or as a matcha affogato, the rich ice cream is always a hit.
The shop was opened last year by Kosei Kamatani, owner of Ramen Jo around the corner, and since then it has consistently topped the charts on OpenRice and gathered positive reviews from media and bloggers alike.
"The most important thing is the quality of the matcha," says Kamatani. "It's very high grade. We get it straight from Kyoto, but I can't say which brand obviously - it's a trade secret. It's very expensive.
"Matcha is not just for dessert, but when you combine it with something sweet you get this bitter aftertaste and this kind of distinct flavour that hits you when you first try it. The balance of that is something very interesting to a lot of people. It may not be for kids; it's more of an adult taste."
Matcha, or finely milled green tea powder, is distinctly Japanese. Used traditionally in tea ceremonies, it is now commonly infused in desserts and soba noodles. For those who did not grow up with it, it can be an acquired taste.
Masato Yamamoto, manager of research and product development at City'super's confectionary business, food and beverage business unit, is proud of the fact that the company brought the popular brand, Kasho Chaya, to Hong Kong five years ago. Since then the outlets have been renamed Sweets House Cha Cha.