
Photo: ASANO
Asano doesn't run standalone shops. It operates inside existing restaurants, using their space during the hours they aren't — mornings, before dinner service — under a revenue-sharing licensing arrangement. In the founder's words, "the A.M. cafe to your P.M. restaurant": the room that is Sandro's on East 86th Street at night is Asano in the morning, serving Japanese-inspired matcha and specialty coffee on weekday mornings and a short Saturday window. The matcha is ceremonial grade — a custom blend of the Saeakari and Saemidori cultivars, sourced directly from Osada Tea in Mori-machi, Shizuoka, grown along the Ōta river, and whisked by hand. The shop's own tasting notes: roasted almond, snap pea, umami. Every syrup is made in-house; the signature Asano Latte pairs matcha with miso and coconut. A second Asano runs the same way inside The Noortwyck in the West Village. Hours are short by design, so check before you go.
Last updated · Curated by Matcha Maps Staff