MAZU
Yellow Springs, Ohio
The A-frame sign on a Yellow Springs sidewalk spells out MAZU in blue letters and directs guests to a warm space that’s both lived-in and modern. Inside, the bar top, a honey-colored wood from a local black locust tree, is full of single diners, and tables have been arranged together to serve bigger groups.
Since opening in March of 2023, MAZU has become a welcome spot for vegan and international food in Southwest Ohio. That is thanks to the efforts and vision of the three owners—Angie Hsu, Matan Mazursky, and Kumar Jensen. Hsu and Mazursky, who are married, joined with Jensen to channel their love of food and community. (Jensen left the restaurant in January.)
The trio also prizes sustainability by using as much locally sourced produce as possible. So far, they have found fruitful collaborations with local farms such as Guided by Mushrooms, Biddy Bobby Farms, Smaller Footprints, and others. Their mushrooms, radishes, herbs, onions, and more appear in vibrant dishes such as guabao steamed buns, hummus and falafel, and yansu mushrooms.
The framework from which the unique dishes arise is a synthesis of three cuisines that reflect each owner: South Indian, Israeli, and Taiwanese. “It’s incredibly meaningful to be true to the cuisine, but also be representative of us, working together,” Hsu explains. One dish representative of their communion is MAZU’s Kati Roll, which is served on their signature scallion pancake instead of the traditional paratha flatbread, and filled with mint and tamarind chutney and falafel, among other toppings.
Rotating specials inspired by the staff’s ideas also showcase the community focus of MAZU. These weekly dishes, like the recent ones of empanadas and harira, a Moroccan soup, are a venue for the storytelling MAZU strives to makes space for. “Food is a tool for narrative sharing, as well as sharing a space, and opens up your horizons about how you see people around you,” Hsu says. And in this small Ohio town, MAZU tells delicious stories, to all our benefit.
MAZU
229 Xenia Ave.,Yellow Springs, OH
THUR: 11a-3p
FRI-SAT: 11a-3p / 4p-8p
SUN: 11a-3p
Nora Hickey lives in Springfield, Ohio, where she is a librarian at Ridgewood School. Before Ohio, she lived and ate in New Mexico, where she wrote for Edible New Mexico. Her writing also appears in Guernica, Electric Lit, The Rumpus, and elsewhere.
