Best of Cleveland 2016: Matcha Waffles

Similar to how we buzz about coffee-flavored ice cream, cupcakes and pie, people in Jeff Su’s native Taiwan treat themselves to matcha green tea tiramisu, croissants and waffles. So when Su started Vintage Tea & Coffee downtown, he wanted the uber-nutritious powder made up of ground green tea leaves to shine. “It’s like a cleanser to clean the toxins in your body,” he says. Su gets the antioxidant-packed ingredient from a supplier in Japan and provides it to local makers here. His relationship with Mason’s Creamery lead to the Ohio City shop developing a matcha ice cream that became the perfect topping for Su’s fluffy matcha Belgian waffle recipe. To complete the waffles ($4), he adds local Stein’s Honey to balance the sweetness of the ice cream ($2) and the earthiness of the waffle that tastes like it does overseas. “When you eat it, you don’t want to feel like you are putting in tons of sugar or calories,” he says. “You want to be delighted.” 1816 E. 12th St., Cleveland, 216-417-8230, vintageteancoffee.com