Welcome to Best Bites, a series where we celebrate not a whole restaurant or menu but one specific and amazing dish or drink. These bites and sips have something to say, and we are listening. Keep reading for dishes that are seriously worth the trek across metro Phoenix to find. Dig in!
Tucked into an artsy corner of downtown Phoenix next to The Churchill, Futuro is quietly serving one of the most delicious beverages in the city. You may recognize the coffee shop for its sleek, minimalist decor, or for its matching salon in the back, Palabra. The building buzzes with creativity, coffee culture and a refined, yet understated sense of style.
The space is almost completely white and ultramodern, drawing one's attention away from the negative space, and instead, onto the beverages and pastries by the renowned Mark Chacon that look nearly too beautiful to devour. Palabra and Futuro owner Jorge Ignacio Torres strolls around effortlessly, incognito to the untrained eye in all black.
When it comes to coffee alternatives, matcha has long held a sacred spot in the favorite caffeinated beverage rotation, alongside freshly brewed ice teas that abound in the Valley's hot summers.
But recently, Futuro introduced something new that’s been on our mind ever since we took our first sip: the iced oat milk hojicha latte.
We knew this drink was special when we couldn't quite shake it, heading back to Futuro for another few cups before the week concluded.
The name "hojicha" is a mix of the Japanese words for "roast" and "tea". While both hojicha and matcha can be ground into a superfine powder, the latter remains bright green. Hojicha goes through a roasting process after the tea leaves are picked, turning the powder a rich, warm brown. The resulting beverage resembles black tea more than its green counterparts.
The roasting process imparts a nutty, earthy warmth, with subtle notes of caramel and natural sweetness. The result is a tea that’s smooth, mellow and a tad chocolatey, without the bitterness that sometimes accompanies green tea.
Futuro get its ground hojicha from Kettl Tea, a Brooklyn-based company that sources from Japan. Variations of hojicha have become popular on various menus around town, from Crete Tea Room on McDowell Road to Dialog, just down the street from Futuro. But this is the best iteration we've tried yet, something the barista attributed to Kettl Tea's unparalleled sourcing.
The drink itself is made artfully, a meditation in beverage crafting. First, some of the finely ground hojicha powder is incorporated into water using a matcha whisk, a small tool made of bamboo whose fine, springy tips, radiate from its center. Then, the barista adds oat milk and ice before vigorously shaking the concoction in a cocktail shaker. It's then poured into a delicate glass and hits the table frothy and beautiful, its warm colors complementing its smooth flavor. Feel free to add sweetener if you'd like. But even without any, this beverage is a standout.
A few patrons type away at their laptops. Across the way, a group of hair stylists await their class inside Palabra, to learn the editorial techniques that have made the place stand on its own.
This is a spot for art, for social gatherings, where one is free to reflect and savor their caffeine slowly and where each beverage is handcrafted rather than made sloppily and called out haphazardly, names mispronounced. Now, Futuro has also become a place for hojicha, something we'll be back for frequently.
