Maido
Calle San Martin 399, Miraflores
(esquina con Calle Colón)
Lima, Peru
+511 4462512
Official Site
In the late 19th century there was a great Japanese migration to Peru. Looking for gold and land they brought along their cuisine that later became part of the Peruvian culture. Known as Nikkei, it is the ultimate fusion cuisine of Japanese techniques using local Peruvian ingredients. There are many “Nikkei” restaurants in Peru, especially in Lima where Maido sits among the very top. The restaurant was recognized as one the best in Latin America ranking #7 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2014.
Like most of Lima’s fine dining establishments, Maido is located in the Miraflores District on a nondescript street. There are no signs outside, valet personnel and a door man standing in the front is enough to prompt curiosity from passerby’s. In this multi-level restaurant guests are led up a spiral staircase to get to the dining room on the second floor where the sushi chef behind the black marble sushi bar welcomes your arrival. There are rows of ropes dangling horizontally that cover the entire ceiling in the dining room while bare top rectangular blonde wood tables partnered with grey leather padded seats fill up the space. There’s also a kaiseki style chamber on the third floor for private dining.
Chef and Owner Mitsuharu Tsumura, (a Peruvian of Japanese descent) desired opening his own restaurant which led him to Japan. There, he learned the kitchens strict discipline and developed his culinary techniques while fully understanding Japanese cuisine. He returned back to Peru with what he gained from Japan, laying the foundation of Maido.
A la carte and two types of tasting menus are offered for both lunch and dinner. I had the tasting menu called the “Nikkei Experience” for Sol 370 ($125). The “Nigiris Experience” (a tasting menu that consists of 20 pieces of the fresh catch of the day) looked enticing as well, but unfortunately time was not on my side.
Nikkei Experience:
The Bonito-Porcon-Umami and its nice combination of salty and sweet flavors jump started this 15 course tasting. The dish was made with chopped bonito fish on potato crackers served with chawamushi or egg custard. Lapas Cebiche, raw clams served in a half shell with avocado and pulverized chulppi corn that provided a grainy texture to the deep sea flavors. Then there was the Rocoto Relleno, beef rib eye stuffing deep fried in tempura batter. The crusty tempura outer shell was a prelude to the delicious and tender rib eye stuffing.
Tofu Ccapchi, tofu turned into a creamier consistency with tomatoes marinated in mirin for a hint of saltiness then garnished with baby corn and crispy potatoes. The Pajesapo Sandwich followed, fried pajesapo fish (monk fish or frog fish), steamed bun, tartar sauce, and a creole salad. The fish was fried fittingly leaving the inside nice and moist. Sivinche, made with river prawns, cilantro sprouts, flying fish roe and jora chica (corn beer) sauce for a bit of sourness. Fresh sea urchin, squid and salmon roe served in a cocktail glass was served afterward and you could definitely taste the freshness as it still had the remnants of the ocean. The next course was sushi from the sea that came in twos. Octopus and scallops from Paracas. Served with chopped tomato and avocado on top, the octopus had lovely firm texture. Meanwhile, the scallop was meaty with an added bit of maltiness from the maca emulsion.
The second half of the tasting was a transition from seafood to poultry and land proteins. Lamb dumpling or Seco De Cabrito, served in a bamboo steamer was distinctive yet was such a profound flavor. Then there was the Cuy San, a small piece of fried Guinea pig or cuy (a delicacy of Peru) with yucca cream and sprouts. This was a first for me eating this type of animal and it was very interesting. Cuy meat was lean with a taste similar to rabbit. The yucca cream provided a rich sauce which went well with it. Next up was Sushi from the earth. Three pieces of sushi made from red meat; grilled pigeon, al pobre (steak and egg) with quail egg, and crispy duck. Each individual piece were both pleasing and somewhat fascinating.
Hen stock with sichimi and lime served with crispy skin followed. The crispy skin had an undistinguishable texture but at the same time retained the fried chicken skin characteristics. The stock on the other hand shocked the palate with a burst of flavor from all directions. Next was the miso black cod. An excellent piece of fish cooked to perfection and draped in sweet miso sauce. Braised short ribs on top of fried rice with cured meat and served on a piece of heavy rock. This was a superb dish of luscious short ribs that melted in the mouth. It was perfectly complimented with fried rice flavored with cured meat.
Finally it was on to the sweet stuff and the first to arrive was the Cebiche dessert, a hodge- podge of lemon ice cream, sweet potato paper, chili macaroons, cherimoya, and tangerines. This was a refreshing, yet fruity dish with just a dash of spiciness to it. Coffee and cacao (C &C) was a stark contrast from the previous dessert. It was slightly bitter from the coffee powder which balanced the sweetness of the rich chocolate. A shot of espresso to go with the petit-fours finished the Nikkei Experience.
For an additional Sol 120 ($40) I had the beverage pairing with the tasting. It was pleasant but the absence of sake was noticeable, especially for a Japanese restaurant. I mentioned this omission to the manager and he acknowledged what was missed and was willing to make up for it.
Wine Pairing:
Service at Maido was approachable and unpretentious. The friendly staff provided a relaxed atmosphere in the dining room. Though not all the servers spoke English, they were engaging especially the sushi chefs behind the bar. Language was not an issue as there was a manager who spoke perfect English and took care of mostly non-Spanish speaking guests.
Maido is one of the restaurants that I had to visit in Lima (Central is the other one). My hopes were high, but I’m glad to say that I had an excellent meal there. Chef Tsumura’s pristine flavor combination of Japan and Peru on each plate one course at a time was a stroke of genius. His use of local and foreign ingredients as well as applying his own technique in modernizing the Nikkei cuisine was creative.
Peru’s Nikkei combines the culinary wealth of two countries separated by the Pacific Ocean. Maido reinvention and representation of this cuisine continues to solidify Lima and Peru as a gastronomic powerhouse.
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