Mayta isone of the most promising restaurants to open in Lima (Miraflores) in 2009. The chef, Jaime Pesaque, is quite young but he has a lot of experience (Cordon Bleu, other top restaurants in Lima). Mayta has received nearly 100% positive reviews from the local critics in Lima. I concur.
Pesaque isn’t the brash personality of Acurio or Osterling, but his seasonally changing menu is unambiguously creative and clever: Foie Gras on a bed of Basil and Mango with a Cocona and Camu Camu sauce, Swordfish Anticuchos, a Garbanzo puree with Amazonian chorizo and grilled octopus. On a recent Wednesday night visit, the restaurant was rather empty, but filled up more as the night went on.
Panko crusted jumbo shrimp over a puree of sweet potatoes and granny smith apples was satisfying and filling. My goat – roasted for 36 hours and basted in Chicha de Jora – wasn’t life changing, but I could appreciate the tenderness and strong flavor. Maybe I just don’t like goat that much. I always seem to order it because I like to see what a chef can do with goat, but I never come away satisfied. The Tacu tacu de Pallares it was served with was beautiful though.
The bar is adventurous too and might be my favorite part of Mayta (not the first time). There are several unusual macerations (Lemongrass, coca leaves, Aji pepper) in Pisco and a total of 40 specialty pisco cocktails. I liked the Chilcano flavored with actual ginger (not just ginger ale).
The restaurant made my top ten list for the city, which is hard to crack.
Mayta
Av. 28 de Julio
Miraflores (Lima)
Tel: 243-0121
www.maytarestaurante.com
Writer and photographer Nicholas Gill is the editor/publisher of New World Review. He lives in Lima, Peru and Brooklyn, New York. His work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CondeNast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, and Penthouse. Visit his personal website (nicholas-gill.com) for more information.
Leave a Comment