Matcha bar celebrates ingredient of the moment in Las Vegas suburb

Like sun-dried tomatoes, capers, tahini, miso paste and sriracha before it, matcha has moved from a niche ingredient in the U.S. to a pantry staple. Fifteen years ago, a bar devoted to various incarnations of matcha — a powder made from young, finely ground Japanese green tea leaves — probably would not have found a home in the Centennial Hills neighborhood of Las Vegas.

But today, the greening of Centennial Hills is proceeding apace with the recent opening of Leev Matcha Atelier on Norman Rockwell Lane. The bar takes its name, in part, from the surname of founder Lotus Leevantan; the Leev Matcha team is also behind the Coffee Religion coffee shops in Centennial Hills, in Henderson and on West Charleston Boulevard.

“I wanted to create a space where people could experience matcha the way it’s meant to be, with a focus on quality and intention,” Leevantan said in a recent announcement. “After traveling to Japan multiple times, it was important to me that every detail, from sourcing to presentation, reflected that standard.”

On the menu

Leev sources its matcha from Hamasa-En, an organic farm in Shizuoka, Japan, known for matcha offering vibrant green color and smooth, rich flavor. The menu features classic matcha, matcha latte, flavored matcha lattes (coconut, jasmine, an ombré strawberry and more), usucha (light-bodied matcha), and hojicha drinks made from mature roasted green tea leaves. Drink enhancements (house syrups, matcha cream, hojicha cream) and match soft serve round out the menu.

Beginning at 11 a.m. April 18, the matcha bar is celebrating its grand opening with the first three guests in line receiving free matcha for a year (one per week) and a free matcha affogato and the next 97 guests in line receiving a free affogato. Guests are encouraged to post about and tag the matcha bar on social media (@leev_matcha) to be entered into a drawing for a matcha tasting experience.

Leev Matcha Atelier is at 7565 Norman Rockwell Lane, Unit 120.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.