It was only 11 a.m. on a Tuesday in February, yet every table at SUBCO Coffee & Matcha was filled. Pairs leaned into conversation while solo customers scrolled on their phones. At one table, a group of four cheerfully played UNO over brightly colored drinks.
Behind the counter at the garnish station, baristas poured bright green matcha into iced lattes. The faint aroma of cold brew lingered, and the drink was soon finished with a layer of cold foam and crushed pistachios. A warm, lightly smoky sweetness drifted from the kitchen blowtorch as banana slices were torched for the tops of matcha drinks.
As Arlington sees a growing number of aesthetic coffee shops, SUBCO Coffee & Matcha on South Bowen Road offers a diverse range of signature drinks that blend Eastern and Western influences, from a salted Oreo hojicha latte to an ube coconut Vietnamese latte…