Matcha has a funny way of making people lose their minds.
One minute, you’re perfectly happy with your usual coffee order. Then suddenly, you’re lining up for a bright green drink because multiple creators on your feed said it was worth the hype. But if there’s one drink that should encourage us to slow down, it’s matcha. There’s the chawan (bowl), the chasen (whisk), the careful scooping, and all that whisking before it actually becomes a drink in your hand.
Which makes Take Five in Kapitolyo, Pasig, an interesting place to visit. It calls itself a matcha slowbar, but I arrived to find a line of people eager to get their green fix. So, naturally, I wondered: can we really take it slow when everyone’s rushing to get a taste?
Looking for Matcha in Kapitolyo? Meet Take Five
Take Five started as a pop-up before eventually settling into its new, permanent spot in Kapitolyo, a neighborhood with more than enough cafes already in the mix.
Its name comes from the familiar phrase or idiom which means to step away for a short break. And really, who couldn’t use one? Between work, errands, and the doom scrolling, sometimes all you need is a drink and somewhere to comfortably sit for a while.
And with Take Five’s cozy, playful, and naturally-lit interiors, it makes a pretty good case for spending your hour-long break inside. And with cheery staff who make ordering feel easy, you can figure out your matcha preferences on the fly with different blends and sweetness levels to choose from. So whether you like your matcha bold or prefer it softened with milk and a little sweetness, you can find your own sweet spot here.
Matcha Drinks With a Dessert-Inspired Twist at Take Five
For my visit, I went with the viral Cereal Matcha and equally striking Banana Pudding Matcha. Both drinks take matcha in a more playful direction, borrowing flavors from familiar treats instead of keeping things strictly traditional.
The Cereal Matcha arrives crowned with a generous layer of golden cornflakes, which add a gentle toasted sweetness and a welcome crunch that play nicely with the matcha’s earthy, slightly bittersweet flavor. Each sip brings a little contrast: smooth and creamy underneath, crisp and sweet on top, making it feel sort of like dunking your breakfast cereal into a matcha latte.
The Banana Pudding Matcha, on the other hand, leans further into dessert territory. And with a thick, silky layer of banana pudding sitting on top, it has a distinct sweetness and a custardy creaminess that softens the matcha’s earthier notes. It’s rich without being all sugar, with the banana lending a familiar, almost nostalgic flavor to the drink.
Both are the kind of drinks you can sip through a straw or tackle with a spoon. And really, why choose between sipping and spooning when you’re encouraged to do both?
By approaching a drink that can sometimes seem a little intimidating in this fun, playful way, Take Five is making a case for matcha that’s not always serious. Because, sometimes, you don’t have to feel like you’re joining an exclusive, cult-like club—you just want something green, tasty, and a little different from your usual order.
Taking Five in Kapitolyo, Pasig
Of course, I did have to wait around 10 minutes in line before eventually getting a chance to order. Not terrible, but still a mildly amusing experience at a place whose name practically tells you to take a break.
And as I got bored of people watching, I realized that the matcha craze as a whole feels pretty ironic. Because how did a drink with a precise preparation process become something people hurry to buy, photograph, and post before moving on to the next hyped-up cafe?
But maybe a slowbar doesn’t have to mean a quiet, phone-less room where everyone contemplates while sipping in silence. I guess Take Five being busy, serving fun lattes, and eagerly welcoming curious first-timers is proof of that.
Besides, the point isn’t to turn every cup of matcha into a convoluted, overly-complicated spiritual experience. It’s about creating a space where you can enjoy a sweet drink, chat with friends, take a few photos, and still have a good time.
For me, Take Five’s appeal lies in that balance. It takes matcha seriously enough to offer different blends and sweetness levels, but its space, menu, and people keep the experience light and approachable. It’s a place for matcha fans, yes, but also for anyone who wants to try something new without making a whole production out of it.
Will a slowbar stop the matcha craze from moving at full speed? Probably not—if anything, it’ll probably speed it up even more. Plus, there’s always another drink to try and another cafe to visit. But if you can spend a little time enjoying the cup in front of you, that’s a start.
After all, the whole point of taking five is to pause before jumping back into the chaos. And if that pause happens to come with a matcha, then all the better.
Take Five Matcha Slowbar is located at 91 East Kapitolyo Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig.
Frequently Asked Questions
Take Five Matcha Slowbar is a matcha-focused café in Kapitolyo, Pasig, that started as a pop-up before settling into a permanent space. It offers customizable matcha blends and sweetness levels, along with playful, dessert-inspired drinks like Cereal Matcha and Banana Pudding Matcha.
Take Five Matcha Slowbar is located at 91 East Kapitolyo Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City — a neighborhood already known for its concentration of cafes. The space is designed with cozy, naturally lit interiors meant for lingering over a drink.
The name “Take Five” refers to the idiom for stepping away for a short break. The slowbar concept encourages customers to pause and actually enjoy their drink, rather than treat matcha as something to rush through, photograph, and move on from.
Yes. Take Five offers different matcha blends and customizable sweetness levels, letting first-timers ease into matcha’s naturally earthy flavor. Dessert-inspired drinks like Banana Pudding Matcha, with its custardy sweetness, offer an approachable entry point for drinkers unused to matcha’s bitterness.
Take Five is known for playful, dessert-inspired matcha drinks, including the Cereal Matcha, topped with golden cornflakes for a toasted crunch, and the Banana Pudding Matcha, layered with a silky, custardy banana pudding that softens the matcha’s earthier notes.
