Riding the new wave

Could Asian cuisine-inspired drink traditions and innovative textures become as essential to the Australian café scene as the flat white?

Australia has long been a prime example of a thriving café scene – from the espresso bars of the post-World War II immigration boom, to the country’s own unique identity in the global scene today.

But walk into a café in any metropolitan area and the landscape is beginning to shift. Classic specialty coffee now sits alongside the colourful powders of matcha and ube, or the toasted nuttiness of black sesame.

A “new wave” of Asian-inspired influence is driving specialty drinks in Australian cafés, particularly among younger customers.

But is this a short-term trend, or evidence of a permanent change in café beverage menus?

New flavours, new inspiration

Melbourne-based Coffee Instructor and Café Owner Junnie Phyu says Asian-inspired signature drinks have become a drawcard for visitors to her café, More Coffee, which recently opened in Hawthorn.

Junnie says demand is growing for speciality drinks at her café – making up around 40 per cent of sales (the strawberry matcha is one of the most popular on the menu), compared to 60 per cent classic beverages. She notes factors such as business models and shop location also influencing the popularity of drinks.

“As my location is close to Swinburne University, there are more international students, and we create some signature drink flavours to suit their taste,” she says.

“Really in the last year it has exploded – for some cafés; they might have had just one, maximum two, trendy drinks. But now cafés are creating a lot more [signature drinks] and putting them on their menus, for sure.”

Adelaide Coffee Educator and Barista Zone Lee sees this growing influence as a “very natural development” in Australian coffee culture.

“Australian coffee culture has always been diverse and open, and over the past few decades it has continued to evolve through the influence of different immigrant cultures,” he says.

Zone notes that Asian flavours, such as pandan or ube, already have distinctive aromatic and flavour profiles – and with Australian cafés always valuing creativity and drink design, these provide baristas with a new flavour language and fresh source of inspiration.

“Pandan, for example, carries notes similar to vanilla and nuts, while ube offers a gentle sweetness with a creamy, nutty character. Structurally, these flavours actually work very well with coffee and milk-based drinks,” says Zone.

Digital direction

Social media buzz – particularly on TikTok and Instagram – has played a big part of the increasing popularity of Asian-inspired flavours.

“I would say social media now is really important. You can find a food influencer, and ask them to do some great coffee content,” says Junnie.

“People can see [the post] straight away and get more exposure, rather than just putting it on a website.”

Zone says that while social media is helpful, he thinks it’s important to keep some perspective.

“It allows new drink ideas to gain visibility very quickly. However, cafés also need to consider whether those trends genuinely suit their own customer base,” he says.

“In some ways, social media is a double-edged sword. If the flavour and structure of a drink aren’t solid, social media can amplify negative feedback just as quickly as positive attention.

“For me, social media is best used as a source of inspiration rather than the sole basis for decision-making.”

Zone says that ultimately, the success of any drink always comes back to flavour.

“Drinks shouldn’t be designed purely for visual appeal or by simply layering ingredients together,” he says.

“Matcha, for example, carries deep cultural meaning in Japan, with its own preparation methods, tools, and flavour expectations. In the Australian café environment, however, many customers are encountering this flavour for the first time.”

Because of that, Zone says cafés can make thoughtful adjustments – such as sweetness levels, milk pairings, or presentation – while still respecting the original flavour and spirit.

“As long as the core identity of the drink is respected, innovation can be a very healthy and positive thing.”

Junnie says that although she’s unsure of what the future trends will look like, she points to the continuing popularity of bubble (boba) tea.

She says there could be a switch to healthier options within that Asian-inspired flavour inspiration, with less sugar.

“Personally, I wouldn’t be able to drink signature drinks every day – it’s more a once-or-twice-a-week drink.”

Back to basics

As coffee educators, Junnie and Zone are at the forefront of seeing what future baristas and café owners are wanting to learn.

Both say they’ve noticed a growing interest in students wanting to learn more about different speciality drinks – including Asian-inspired beverages – outside of general coffee.

“Lately, there are a lot of people reaching out to me to just simply to teach them all signature drinks,” says Junnie, noting the interest is significant enough that she’s considering creating a new course specifically for learning signature drinks.

It’s a similar experience for Zone, although his teaching still focuses heavily on the fundamentals first – coffee extraction, milk texture, and flavour evaluation – as they are “the foundations of any well-designed drink”.

“Once those skills are developed, students can then begin exploring how different cultural flavours can be thoughtfully integrated into beverages,” he says.

Looking ahead

Zone believes this trend will continue to grow in the Australian café world, noting these flavours could move above novelty and become menu staples – following in the footsteps of the matcha latte.

“Australia is a highly multicultural society, and café culture often reflects those broader cultural shifts,” he says.

He’d like to see more integration of coffee flavour into these drinks, rather than them simply becoming another type of milk-tea-style beverage.

Based on current trends, Zone thinks flavours like black sesame or hojicha – warm, roasted aromas that pair well with milk – could gain traction.

“Hojicha’s flavour is generally softer and more approachable than matcha for many customers, while black sesame, on the other hand, has deep nutty and roasted notes. When combined with milk or coffee, it can create drinks with very interesting flavour layers,” he says.

“Coffee itself contains incredibly complex flavour compounds. Because of that, I would love to see more baristas exploring floral and fruit elements within coffee beverages – using them to highlight and enhance the natural aromatic qualities of coffee.

“Flavours like lychee, rose, or osmanthus, which are common in many Asian desserts, can pair beautifully with coffee and bring a lighter, more aromatic dimension to café drinks.”

Zone says that Asian-inspired drinks shouldn’t simply be treated as “a short-term trend”, noting that if cafés truly want to integrate these flavours, it’s worth “taking the time to understand the cultural background and flavour characteristics behind them”.

“When creativity is combined with genuine understanding [of background and characteristics], drinks can become more than just visually appealing or trendy,” he says. “They can be a meaningful part of café culture.”