Background:
Maido is owned by Mitsuharu "Micha" Tsumura and is currently number eight on the "World's Fifty Best Restaurants" list, which is published by the British magazine Restaurant. The list is updated each year, and also includes rankings by region in addition to the main list. The rankings themselves are based on a composite score from previous year's chefs and restauranteurs, as well as restaurant critics. Maido is currently ranked eighth in the world ranking and number two for top Latin American restaurants. You can read more about Maido and other restaurants on the list here.
Main dining room ropes hanging down. When viewed from above, the ropes form the Japanese flag
Tsumura is a native Peruvian Nikkei who studied in Japan for a while before returning to Lima to open Maido, his first restaurant. Nikkei is a term that refers to Japanese emigrants, and Tsumura's menu reflects both parts of his background--his Japanese roots and his Peruvian upbringing. Tsumura is essentially a prodigy--he is easily among the youngest chefs on the top fifty list, and it's so cool that he has achieved so much success with Maido.
Checking things out as we wait outside--eagerly early for our reservation
money money money money...MONEY
Eat This:
The meal started with an assortment of "snacks" before leading to the larger courses. The first course of fine dining is so often my favorite, as I feel the chefs really try to wow with the early dishes, and the tiny bites pack so much flavor. Maido was no exception!
Snacks
Seaweed tempura
sweet potato cream, squid fermented in beetroot, lime gel
Sushi rice cracker, avocado, trout belly, ponzu gel
Aji negro chawanmushi
Two of our favorite bites from the whole meal
We were instructed to eat the two bites and then drink the custard. This was a top course for both of us. Every little bite and sip was perfection.
Poda Cebiche
Sarandaja cream, mackeral, shallots, limo pepper, chulpi corn, nikkei leche de tigre
We only had fancy ceviche like this during our trip--we ran out of time for a good old fashioned hole-in-the-wall place, but can't say we are mad about it. The ceviche at Maido was mouthwatering in its tangy savoriness.
Dim Sum
Squid and sea snail cau cau, camotillo cream, crispy white quinoa
The fifty best restaurants list notes this course as a standout dish on the Maido menu. Can't say we disagree! So many textures from the pureed fish, the squid and snail dumpling, and the crispy quinoa.
Choripan
Steamed bread, fish and octopus sausage, pickled vegetables, Japanese mustard, native potatoes
Other than dessert, this was my favorite dish! The Japanese mustard made this little fish hot dog taste like a classic ballpark dog--only about 52 million times better, obviously.
Nigiri
Catch of the day
Basically this was the best nigiri we have ever tasted.
The money shot (in food blogger terminology...not in other worlds)
Why the fish is so fresh: this is two blocks from the restaurant. Lima is so pretty!
Lapas Cebiche
Chullpi corn, lapas, avocado, aji Amarillo leche de tigre
This dish was steaming from the liquid nitrogen corn--yummy and fun to eat!
Liquid nitrogen corn!
Catacaos de Camarones
Green rice tamale, sautéed river prawns, creole sauce, chupe reduction
The chewy mochi tamale was perfect with the rich broth. Look at that tiny bouquet of veggies on the right!
Cassava Soba
Cassava soba, tenkatsu, vongole dashi
For this dish, you were instructed to eat the noodles and then drink the dashi. So savory and delicious. Lots of umami happening here.
Soup made from clam broth
Noodles made from cassava root!
Sudado
Catch of the day, sudado reduction, seaweed
The broth was poured in table-side. Loved this one!
Beef Short Rib 50 Hours
Camotillo potato cream, crispy rice, cushuro, purple corn chowder, black garlic
Yes, this meat was really cooked for fifty hours. It just fell apart when you put your fork in it. This was Jason's favorite course!
Sea Urchin Rice
Chiclayo rice, Atico sea urchins, avocado cream, wan yi, baby corn
This tasted like a risotto and all of the different textures played so well together.
Whew! There you have it! We were so full and happy. But wait--don't forget dessert!
Whew! There you have it! We were so full and happy. But wait--don't forget dessert!
Dessert:
Reef
Tofu cheesecake ice cream, bread sand, sweet potato, appel with wakame, camu camu, taperiba, and burgundy grape tapiocas, soy milk
This was a game changer. We especially loved the crispy cocoa decoration and all of the textures. Taperiba is a Peruvian fruit--all of the fruits in Peru are ridiculously fresh and tasty, and I wish we could get all of them in the states!
Mussel
Granadilla with mandarin sorbet, mucilage foam, cacao nibs, lucuma ice ceam, raspberries
That's a little chocolate shell made to look like a cacao pod, filled with the lucuma ice cream! Wow. Lucuma is another Peruvian fruit. You can usually find it in the states in powdered form. The desserts at Maido were the best of all three restaurants from our trip that were on the top fifty list. We are still thinking about them!
The prettiest, tastiest dessert of the whole trip.
Drink:
The signature drink of Peru is the Pisco Sour, and they are everywhere. This was our first meal of the trip, so we enjoyed our first Pisco at Maido! It definitely spoiled us for other Pisco Sours on our trip, because it was excellent. Pisco is a brandy liquor that is fermented from grapes. To the pisco, they add fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg whites, and bitters. It is stronnggg and super tasty--not too sweet.
Day drinking = vacation staple
Jason enjoyed a cold-pressed juice--fresh juices are so prevalent in Peru!
Muy fresco
Atmosphere:
The vibe at Maido was so exciting--there was not any music playing, but the constant buzz from the kitchen and sushi bar provided its own soundtrack. We sat at the sushi bar, which is something we love to do--we got to see a lot of action. We watched one of the chefs plate maybe 50 of the egg nigiri dish--it was such a delicate process to keep the yolk from breaking. Whenever any new party enters the restaurant, all of the chefs and serves yell "Maido"--which means "welcome" in Japanese. We had constant smiles on our faces throughout our dining experience. The overall mood was elegant but not at all stuffy.
Chefs hard at work
Close up of my view. Hi, wavy cat!!
Ropes hanging down into the dining room, viewed from above
Japanese Peruvian Hospitality:
The staff could not have been more gracious and lovely. They provided the sort of top notch service you except in a restaurant of this caliber.
Also, they were nice enough to let us behind the sushi bar at the end of the meal for a group shot. And guess what else? The man himself, owner Tsumura, happened to be in the restaurant during our lunch and came by to say hello! We felt so hashtag blessed, guys.
GEEKING OUT
The Lovers Statue in El Parque del Amor, or The Love Park
Really exciting art near Maido. Can I keep him?!
Frankie's Notes:
Frankie really wishes he could have been here for this meal, but he can't take long flights due to his dislike of airplane food; This was one of two tasting menus we ate in one day; We really do not recommend that the average person eat such a staggering amount of rich food in a twelve hour period; We, however, are professional eaters--your mileage may vary/try this at your own risk; We also ate some street meat and street fruits on this trip against doctor recommendation; Our bacterial biome is very rich and hardy now; MAIDO!
Rating: 5 out of 5 + two Michigan Pugs
