Last November 28th, in Rio de Janeiro, Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony took place, where Maido, the iconic Nikkei cuisine restaurant located in Lima, was recognized as the first spot. However, there are other places to find Mitsuharu Tsumura’s fine dining.
The recent edition of Latam’s 50 Best Restaurant list was held at Belmond Copacabana Palace. Chef Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura, owner of the prestigious restaurant with over 14 years of existence, has received this recognition for one of the most outstanding cuisines in Latin America. Maido has received this award in the years 2017, 2018, 2019, and now in 2023.
IN CHILE
Few know that “Micha” owns restaurants outside of Peru, located in Santiago de Chile. It’s called Karai by Mitsuharu, situated in the W Santiago Hotel in the exclusive El Golf neighborhood.
Maido’s sibling, Karai, has been in the classic Las Condes hotel for six years and was founded by “Micha,” who entrusted his right-hand man in Lima, the Peruvian chef Gerson Céspedes, to take on the challenge of opening this restaurant in October 2017, due to the incredible popularity of Peruvian cuisine in Chile, which has the highest number of restaurants of this type of cuisine outside of Peru.
PANAMÁ
In the center of Latin America, Mitsuharu joined forces with the most recognized chef in Panama, Mario Castrellón, and together, they created Mai-Mai, a concept that fuses the Nikkei experience from Maido and the Afro Caribbean provided by Maito; the name is a join of both restaurants Mai Mai (Maido + Maito).
The restaurant is a rooftop in the Panamá Design Center mall in Costa del Este; combining culinary contributions from both teams, it is a rooftop izakaya. Asian cuisine proposal with an itamae for raw and cold dishes and a dedicated space for the robata to grill delicacies like the combination of Peruvian anticuchos and Panamanian skewers, cocktails are a big part of the experience, bringing classics with a twist.
IN THE KNOW: Perú has a lot to offer, and the great options extend worldwide. If you want to know more about the best Peruvian restaurants, download a free restaurant guide.
