Eating at the best restaurant in Latin America is one of the perks of Traveling or Living in Peru; once again, we venture into Micha Tsumura’s world to discover this season’s tasting menu experience.
After closing for a few weeks for renovation, the restaurant reopened in its Miraflores location with some modifications. A new wood structure on the outside welcomes guests, and a renovated diner makes the space look open and wider.
The concept
Micha Tsumura is one of the leading voices of Nikkei food, a fusion style of Japanese techniques and local ingredients, and this has been the thread of their fifteen years of history; however, as time passes, the chef allows himself to relax the straitjacket of being Japanese-only and now has the inclusion of other Asian and Peruvian cultures in a creative way, Maido has become a creative-driven restaurant with its own identity.
¿What makes it the best?
It is not only the flavorful and creatively presented food but also the pairing with outstanding wines, sakes, cocktails from around the world, outstanding hospitality, and harmonious space that make it unique.
The new tasting menu
The summer menu is an eleven-course meal inspired by different regions of Peru. Three small bites start the menu: a miniature triple-layer sandwich inspired by the Limean breakfast classic, a Ccapchi bite, a pillow with Andean herbs, morels, fava beans, and rocoto inspired by the Andean highlands, and a paiche cylinder inspired by the Amazon jungle, to pair this part of the experience, head sommelier Flor Rey selected a Sake, Asahi Shuzo Koubota Mariju on the alcoholic side, a delicate Jumai Daiginjo, and for the non-alcoholic a de-alcoholized Taru Sake, that within the process keeps its delicate flavor and aroma.
The pairing of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic adds a different layer of flavors to the experience.
The wine and plates flow seamlessly while we enjoy a conversation; next in line are the oceanic snails in soy sauce, the perfect texture on the snails plated on a yellow chile foam and with a tapioca texture, the sauce is poured onto the table from the snail’s shells. It is followed by the Squid ramen, a plate of soup that uses instead of noodles strings of squid that is cooked to perfection with hot broth that is poured over from a teapot.
Flor Rey comes with a bottle of Sancerre in hand. This is just one of many different wine pairings that have earned her recognition as the best sommelier in the region, according to Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.
This wine will pair the Tiradito, delicate slices of fresh caught-of-the-day fish covered in beef tendon dashi, with drops of green oil and hot chili oil made at home. It is followed by a Yunanyaki, a slice of cod slow-cooked with black garlic and plated with crunchy fish scales.
There can only be a complete Nikkei experience with Nigiri. They change daily, this time we had unitoro, a new take on the classic Maido toro nigiri, tuna belly that melts in your mouth with a tongue of uni on top to roll up and eat in one or two bites, and the hako with hot eel on top. Next is the Crab, a course that has different textures; on one hand, a shot of Crab concentrated; on the other, popeye crab that is brined first and then plated with trout eggs and a fish emulsion, a sort of mayonnaise made only whipping a fish concentrate.
Following two courses to finish the savory side of the experience is the Duck dumpling; a wooden spoon serves as the vessel for this dumpling, which has a flavorful broth of duck inside, the flavor profile is so intense that it was hard for they to pair it with a still wine, so the pairing is a Pierre Péters L’Espirit 2017 Gran Cru Champagne that hit the nail in the head. Carne frita, inspired by a preparation from Arequipa called “Malaya Frita,” is a piece of slow-cooked short rib with bean foam on the side and a gaze of cacao mucilage.
The desserts for the tasting menu are also new creations. The first one, Semillas, uses Loche squash, an ice cream made from squash seeds, and the textures of those seeds. As the northern region inspires it, it also uses carob syrup, a product from that region, and a liquid squash “milk.” Antojitos closes the experience with two petit fours: a mochi filled with lucuma and chocolate filled with cacao and copoazú from the Amazon jungle.
Make it part of your trip to Peru.
If you don’t live in the city, going to Maido can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you must plan and reserve ahead. They offer the Maido experience, or you can order a la carte from their menu, which includes the best and most celebrated classic plates.