Top Five Restaurants of 2019

Roca Nation

It’s hard to believe, but this is our fifth year blogging. This year, of all the years, was exceptionally hard to pick our top five restaurants since we went to so many amazing places. But this is why we’re paid the big bucks - to make the hard choices. Which of them made our ultimate list for 2019? Read on to find out!

Jason

Clear Bread

1. ENIGMA

Barcelona, Spain

As I look back on the year, the most fun night of high end meals was at Enigma. The setting of the restaurant, the movement through different rooms, and the overall elevation of the food makes it my best restaurant of the year.

A play on a steak frites, with main dish being vegetable steak with a side of beef.

2. Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Tarrytown, NY

Blue Hill is the first high end restaurant we’ve been where each table got a different menu. The amount of skill and coordination it takes to pull this off is incredible. We wish we could have dined at a time other than 10:30pm, but alas you take what you can get.

Crab on crab on crab

3. Noma

Copenhagen, Denmark

We now make an annual trip to Copenhagen to visit Noma because we like Copenhagen and we like giving our money to Rene Redzepi. We thought the vegetable season in 2018 was better than the seafood season, but it was still an amazing meal and experience.

Look at this presentation!

4. AlINEA

Chicago, IL

I freaking loved everything about Alinea. It was two hours. Every course had a purpose. Everything on the table had a purpose. The balloon tasted better than expected. It was the rare top level restaurant that left you wanting more, and that’s the feeling I want when I leave a fine dining restaurant.

Duck taco

5. QUINTONIL

Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico was even better than expected for us, and Quintonil was the highlight of our trip. Each course was emaculate, and really showcased the abudence and magic of Mexican cooking. You could see Chef Jorge Vallejo’s influence from Noma and Pujol to create a menu unique his own.

I got to play St. Andrews this year, which was the ultimate highlight

Yvonne

HIT THE LINKS

TEE OFF

1. SCHWA

Chicago, IL

I know that Jason is going to be floored by my #1 pick, but I will not deny my love for Schwa. I had zero expectations going in, and Alinea was ostensibly the main event of the weekend, but this was the first restaurant other than Noma where I found every single dish over-the-top delicious.

Even the drinks were fun

2. ENIGMA

Barcelona, Spain

There isn’t a restaurant in the world like Enigma (well, that I know of). It’s hard for me to pick a standout dish from our meal, but the overall experience and interactive elements make this place so special.

This is pre-dinner, and already two hours past his bedtime

3. Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Tarrytown, NY

I hate that I always forget about Blue Hill since we were so tired from our 10:30 p.m. reservation. The whole thing feels like a fever dream, but when I reflect on the experience, it was truly exceptional in every way. That chocolate sourdough bread (and squash pie, pictured)!

Fresh to death even right after a flight overseas

4. El Celler De Can Roca

Girona, Spain

While you didn’t move around like at Enigma, El Celler de can Roca was so whimsical and creative. The desserts we had here were truly unforgettable, and I loved seeing my dad experience his first Michelin star restaurant.

Our family now includes chefs

5. Kitchen Table

London, UK

This was a hard pick for me as Alinea nearly edged it out, but I think the creativity and flavor – plus the awesome setting – make Kitchen Table the winner of my fifth spot. Some of our dining companions soured this one for me since they weren’t into the experience, but it really was incredible. And how often do you get face time with the chef like that?!

Honorable Mention: Anomaly

Charlotte, NC

Chef Sam Hart’s Anomaly pop-up was really something amazing, and it felt even more special since we attended his very first one. The energy was palpable and the food was top notch, especially considering everything was produced in a home kitchen. We can’t wait to see more at his first ticketed pop-up next week!

I hope 2020 has this many fun animals in it

Top Five Restaurants of 2018

Oh…Hi….Massimo Bottura.

What a year! It’s hard to believe this is our fourth year of blogging and our fourth annual best restaurant list. This year was extra special, as we spent a month eating heavily in our favorite city in the world, Copenhagen. Not only that, we went to Noma, Eleven Madison Park, and Osteria Francescana this year. Which of them made our ultimate list for 2018? Read on to find out!

Jason

Celeraic shawarma

1. noma

Copenhagen, Denmark

I’m not going to speak for Yvonne, but to me, Noma is so far above any other restaurant we’ve ever been to, it’s almost disrespectful to have them on a list. If you’re on the fence, trust us: Noma is worth a trip around the world, especially during vegetable season.

Magical fish

2. Bardo popup with Chef Jake Bickelhaupt

Charlotte, NC

Bardo is the best restaurant in Charlotte. Hands down. Chef Mike Knoll of Bardo worked with Chef Jacob Bickelhaupt in Chicago. Bickelhaupt had a two Michelin Star restaurant in Chicago, 42 Grams, which shut down because of a domestic violence incident with his ex-wife. He is holding pop-up dinners around the country, and he held a one day pop-up in Charlotte where he and Chef Knoll served a 12-course tasting menu that was incredible.

Honey ice cream with a bee pollen magic shell

3. Atelier crenn

San Francisco, CA

Atelier Crenn is chronically underrated by the Top 50 Best Restaurants list, but not by Scallionpancake. Of all of our out-of-town high-end dining experiences, this was second only to Noma for 2018. And this dessert? The best. Coconut and pineapple custard with a chocolate outside that is made to look like a coconut.

I am a happy man at EMP

4. Eleven Madison Park

New York, NY

Eleven Madison Park was very contentious in the Scallionpancake household. It didn’t live up to our expectations, but it was still, in my opinion, a spectacular evening. The best dish was the duck, but the rest of the courses were also excellent. The only part I found truly lacking were the dessert courses.

Finnish blueberry vodka

5. Restaurant Kuu

Helsinki, Finland

This meal at Kuu was one of those that stands out when taking into account the perspective of the time and place. Here, I had reindeer for the first time with a glass of Finnish blueberry vodka. To me, this meal encapsulated our weekend in Helsinki perfectly.

Back on my college stomping grounds, NYU’s Florence campus

Yvonne

I am only truly happy in Noma’s hygge room

It’s NOMA, bish

1. Noma

Copenhagen, Denmark

This isn’t even a fair fight. Noma was not just a restaurant for me, it was a major life event. As we’ve mentioned often on the blog and podcast, I often go into experiences with little to no expectations in order to avoid disappointment, and Noma was no exception. I really wasn’t prepared for how much Noma’s atmosphere, service, food, and creativity would blow me away. From being greeted at the door by René Redzepi to the celeriac shawarma, to the hygge room, I am not sure if any other dining experience will ever live up to Noma.

Maybe not dressed properly for Atelier Crenn

2. Atelier Crenn

San Francisco, CA

Everyone knows how I feel about Dominique Crenn and Atelier Crenn, and Jason and I cried tears of joy for her when she finally achieved her third Michelin Star earlier this month. Atelier Crenn’s tasting menu with the accompanying poetic flare was so thoughtful, and every single flavor and texture just made my heart sing. Something about her food really speaks to my soul and my tastebuds, particularly her desserts. So many similar restaurants dial in the dessert options, but Crenn didn’t make them an afterthought.

I don’t even usually like chicken, hand to god

3. Amass

Copenhagen, Denmark

I know that this choice will shock and intrigue Jason (no--we don’t talk about our picks together at all. We don’t want any undue influence on one another). We ate a much larger meal at Amass last year, but somehow it didn’t leave the same impression as the small, non-tasting meal we had at Amass this summer. I had been dreaming of their fermented potato bread since the last time we had it, and it remains one of my favorite things of life. Imagine the best sourdough you’ve ever eaten, but even tangier and doughier. This visit, we dined at the bar, sipped on the best Aperol Spritz I’ve ever tasted, and just had the loveliest time. If you are visiting Copenhagen, I recommend ordering sitting at the bar and ordering a la carte over the tasting menu for sure. You do have to sit at the bar or counter for this option, though, and seats are first come, first served. The atmosphere is second to none, also. Amass is housed in a giant warehouse overlooking the water, and the giant murals are majorly fun and change regularly.

You eat this salad WITH YOUR HANDS. I know there’s a fork there. That’s irrelevant.

4. Al’s Place

San Francisco, CA

We went to Al’s Place with our friends (and friends of the blog and pod) Sharon and Andrew when we visited San Francisco in May. Everything about our evening was magical, from the company to the salad you eat with your hands. I loved the emphasis of fresh vegetables with zero compromise on flavor. Also, these radishes with butter made one of the prettiest plates I’d ever seen. From the brine-pickled french fries to the warm brownie sundae, I was in heaven for the entirety of this meal.

PICKLED FRIED ONION RINGS omg

5. Majordomo

Los Angeles, CA

David Chang is the god of umami, and I love everything I’ve eaten at all of his restaurants, and all of his dishes are highly memorable for me. Majordomo was up there with Ko as far as the all around experience, and the bing bread and pickled onion rings with French onion dip skyrocketed Majordomo into my top five late in the year. We also met two fabulous ladies out on a girls’ night, and sitting next to them and getting to know them just made the evening that much more enjoyable. Chang is masterful at creating fine dining experiences that are the polar opposite of stuffy, and I always feel free and giddy while eating at his restaurants. I am not surprised we met new friends at Majordomo, because that’s just the vibe that Chang has cultivated in this space.

Honorable Mention: Bardo

Charlotte, NC

Bardo is our favorite restaurant in Charlotte, and every experience there transports us and makes us feel that we’ve left home for a bit. Beyond the inventive and delicious food and drink, Jason Whiteside, Mike Noll, and Amanda Britton have made us feel like a part of their family, and now each visit is even more special than the last. Bardo makes Jason feel happy and relaxed, and since he works so hard and is always so busy, I am so appreciative that we have a food oasis in Bardo that is transformative for my husband during a hectic workweek.

WHATTA YEAR. Bye, 2018.

Top Five Restaurants of 2017

Listen to this post in audio format on our awesome blossom podcast! 

Incan af

What a year! Scallionpancake traveled three continents in 2017, and during our travels we visited some of the best restaurants in the world. Like years past, both of us have come up with our top five restaurants for 2017. SPOILER ALERT: Next week we will publish our top five dishes of 2017. Stay tuned!

Jason

1. Noma Under the Bridge

Copenhagen, Denmark

The most magical food night of the year for me. The atmosphere combined with the excellent food made for an unforgettable experience. My favorite dish was the "make your own" shrimp tacos. Noma also had a delicious almond cake with lime zest that was out of this world.

2. Momofuku Ko

New York, NY

I've said it before, and i'll say it again, I love David Chang. Ko is his signature restaurant, and it did not disappoint. I had been to Ko at their old location about five years ago, so I was excited to to see what had changed at their new location. Ko is meat-focused fine dining, and I like that. They're most famous for their duck, which they age in-house every week.

3. Franchesetta 58

Modena, Italy

This fall, I took a trip to Italy with my friends Vishnu and Ravi for a ten year reunion of our time studying abroad in Florence. We took a special trip to Modena to go to Franchesetta 58, Massimo Baturo's sister restaurant to his famous Osteria Francescana. It was outstanding and served some of the best Italian inspired dishes I've ever had. My favorite dish was the pumpkin covered in Parmesan sauce with bacon. The sweetness of the pumpkin with the salty, strong flavors of the Parmesan combined with the fattiness of the bacon to make the perfect dish.

4. Joe's Kansas City BBQ

Kansas City, KS

Joe's BBQ in Kansas City has a lot of hype, but it lives up to it and then some. The best sandwich of the year goes to the Z-Man: smoked brisket, smoked provolone, two onion rings, and famous Joe's BBQ sauce on a bun. It doesn't get better than this. We enjoyed our meal so much that we went back the next day and ordered two--one for right then and there and one for the plane ride home.

5. Here's Looking at You

Los Angeles, CA

We went to LA in January, and the standout restaurant of the trip was Here's Looking at You. The vibe from the beginning was just plain cool--we felt like we were in a place where cool things happened and where cool people hung out. Oh, by the way, the food was really good, too. The standouts for me were this fried whole fish and the bar pie.

Keepin' it classy in Lima

Yvonne

,

1. Noma Under the Bridge

Copenhagen, Denmark

I couldn't agree more with Jason--the vibe at Noma Under the Bridge was just magical. It was our first night in my favorite city on earth. The temperature was crisp and the sun was setting along the harbor when we settled into the long dining room table with about 75 new friends from all over the world. The night started with champagne and ended with almond cakes in an antique tin, and that's really all anyone could ask for out of a vacation dinner. 

2. Central

Lima, Peru

Jason and I are still sorting out our feelings on Central (more on that on our podcast), but I do know that I absolutely loved the flavors of so many of the dishes we tried, particularly the dessert made with meringue clay and algae, and the potatoes with an alpaca dipping sauce. Central is the restaurant I would most like to experience again, if only to have more time to figure out exactly which obscure plant we were eating. The creativity on the Elevations menu is incomparable, and going on a culinary journey through the ecosystem home to the most diverse climate on earth was a once in a lifetime experience. 

3. Momofuku Ko

New York, New York

Ko was just a downright fun dining experience; I have never had the pleasure of viewing the kitchen directly from my seat in a fine dining restaurant, and I loved every minute of it. We got to chat with the chefs and it was pure entertainment to watch them work throughout our meal. We saw them prepare the duck from the moment we sat down--it went through step after step of marinating and braising, and then finally we got to try it. Super exciting. Another highlight? The bouncy Japanese cheesecake with shaved truffles. I die. 

4. Geranium

Copenhagen, Denmark

Everything at Geranium was a cut above, from the decor, to the service, to the food. I mean, wheeling out a cart of potted herbs to prepare a hot tea? It was all just next level. The dishes were inventive, like the dill stones and the razor clam dish, and everything had incredible flavor that captured the vegetation-heavy feel of modern classic Danish cuisine. One of my favorite moments here was the final dessert course that included so many little bites of goodness. Also, getting to meet the chef when he was in the back room preparing new recipes was pretty darn cool, too. 

5. Baest

Copenhagen, Denmark

As you heard on the podcast, Jason is rather rude about my choice of Baest, but gosh darn it, I'm sticking to it. Pizza is a simple meal that ranges from good to omgsogood, and that's what I enjoy about it. With five or six top notch ingredients, a well-made pizza can compete with more complex dishes any day of the week. Also, the cured meats and in-house made mozzarella with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt basically took me to another planet. Oh, and the dessert! Milk gelato with olive oil? I was in hygge heaven while dining at Baest. 

Central

Background:
Central opened in 2008 in Miraflores, Lima and quickly rose to being ranked as the best restaurant in Peru. By 2014, it was named Best Restaurant in Latin America and remains number one today. Central currently ranks as the 5th best restaurant in the world.  Virgilio Martinez also won International Chef of the Year in 2017. And lastly, Central is featured on Season Three of Netflix's, "Chef's Table." In the words of Ron Burgundy:

Yvonne's never seen Anchorman

Central is run by Virgilio Martínez and his wife Pía León. Central serves a menu of items only found in Peru, and its goal is to show off the country's unique biodiversity. Peru experiences 30 of the 32 climates found on earth, and therefore boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna. Virgilio and his team travel the country looking for new ingredients he can bring back to Central. 

Eat This:
You have two different tasting menus you can choose from--an 11 course menu and a 17 course menu. If are you are in Lima and have managed to get a reservation, you need to just go all out and get the 17 course menu, k? The 17 course menu is called Mater Elevations, and each course is based on a certain ecosystem and elevation unique to Peru. The menu takes you on a wild ride through the biodiversity of Peru, and a lot of this biodiversity includes some obscure ingredients us Gringos had never heard of. Don't fret if you have never heard of some of these items, just sit back and enjoy the adventure of Virgilio's unique take on Peruvian cuisine. 

Rock Molluscs

Sea snail, mussel, sargassum, limpet

-10 Meters

The first six courses were all eaten by hand with no utensils. The first course started under the sea at -10 meters (that's -33 feet for those of you who failed 4th grade math). Sea snails and mussels were made into a black paste which you spread on the crispy seaweed crackers.

Desert Plants

Huarango, cactus, sweet potato leaf, loche

180 Meters

The second course took us to the desert where we enjoyed a bite of cactus, a lightly fried sweet potato nest, and then a sweet potato leaf coated in a mix of sweet spices. Our favorite part of this dish was the leaf--who knew a leaf could taste like such a decadent snack?

Lofty Andes

Potato, tree tomato, alpaca, muna mint

3,500 Meters

Next up, we traveled higher--up to the Andes, where we got to eat some potatoes with a delicious Alpaca sauce. Depending upon who you talk to, there are between 2,000 and 5,000 different types of potatoes grown in Peru.

The only problem with this dish is you wanted to eat more of the Alpaca sauce compared to the size of the potato (one small one each) you were given to dip in the sauce. Looking back, we probably should have put our fingers in that bad boy, but this was early in the meal and didn't want to lose decorum too early.

Thick Stems

Olluco, chincho, onion, field mustard

3,500 Meters

This little gem included a olluco, which is a purple tuber (no relation to a potato). They made a little latke out of the olluco and provided an elixir made of a little broth of chincho (native herb), onion, and field mustard to wash it down after.

Water of nanay

Piranhas, cocona, achiote, huampo bark

680 Meters

This baby was all about the piranhas, which were served two ways. One version was served raw in a leaf and the other was a lightly fried piece of the piranha (skin attached).

The waiter told us that this was one of their newest dishes on the menu, and yes, the piranha heads that make up the serving dish are real frozen piranhas! The piranha tasted pretty meaty in the raw form, almost like a flounder.

Forest Cotton

Churo, gamitana, pacae, llanten

300 Meters

Forest Cotton is one of the signature dishes of Central. It had three distinct bites. The first was white part of the cacao plant filed in the middle with cream. The next was the cacao leaf filed with Gamitana, which is a fish. Finally, it was washed down boiled juice from the Llanten plant.

High Jungle

Macambo, cassava, copoazu, air potato

2800 Meters

The bread course! If you know anything about scallionpancake, you need to know that we love bread more than Oprah. The main loaf (pictured on the right) was made from the cacao plant and came with a cacao spread as well as a burnt butter which blended right into the little dish it was served in. The middle was a little fried cassava cake, and the far left was a crunchy "air potato."

Marine Soil

Sea urchin, pepino melon, razor clam, seaweed

0 Meters

Finally a course where we knew all of the ingredients, and it was the token sea urchin dish. It seems like you have to serve sea urchin on your menu or you don't get invited to the Top 50 club. What made this one special was the razor clams, which mixed perfectly with the melon and sea urchin to take away some of the strong briny flavor of the sea urchin.

Tree Skins

Avocado, huacatay, kanihua, macre

1200 Meters

The warm avocado paired with the herbs and crunchy kanihua made this dish one of our favorites. The flavor was simple, and the avocado was perfectly savory.

Land of Corn

Kculli, purple, chulpi, piscorunto

2010 Meters

For those of you that know Yvonne, you know that she has a mental corn allergy/fear. We don't know the exact origin of the corn fear, but let's just say this was the Jerry Springer moment where Yvonne had to meet the corn head on. I don't know if it was Peru, Central, or the Lord up above, but Yvonne conquered her corn fear and ate the whole dish! Peru has over 50 varieties of corn, and this dish includes four types of corn made four ways. Our favorite was the fritter, which was basically the best hush puppy ever made.

Colors of amazonia

Paiche, yacon, bellaco, lemongrass

450 Meters

We're now in the Amazon. The pink slivers are paiche, a type of fish, which were slightly pickled. The rest is a bunch of straight up Amazonian magical plants and herbs.

Coastal Harvest

Scallops, yellow chili pepper, borage, tumbo

20 Meters

We've back by the coast, where we found ourselves eating scallops. These were the best scallops that we've ever tasted. hands down. The yellow chili pepper added a nice flavor to the little cracker made from tumbo, which is a Peruvian fruit.

Sea Coral

Octopus, crab, squid, sea lettuce

-10 Meters

This one gave us flash backs to our trip to In Situ in San Francisco, where we tried their take on this famous course. What makes this dish really cool is that it looks like the environment which you're eating - a little bed of sea coral. You have to dig down deep for the octopus and crab, but it's well worth the reward.

Low Andes Mountains

Pork, black mashwa, panca chili pepper, kiwicha

1800 Meters

We've made it to the end of the of the savory dishes, and this was really the only true "meat" course. The pork is pork belly, which was slow roasted for over 50 hours. It was dressed with a really nice, heavy Black Mashwa (Peruvian Plant) sauce. The seeds here are Kiwicha, which the internet considers a "Peruvian Superfood" that will cure pretty much any disease you have. Added bonus!

Humid Green

Caigua, cushuro, sweet lemon, chaco clay

3700 Meters

Desserts, desserts, desserts! If you've watched the Chef's Table episode on Central, then you'll remember Virgilio and his sister hand-picking tiny balls of algae (cushuro) from a lake high up in the Andes. Well here they are! The green ice is made from caigua, which is Peruvian vegetable. This was Yvonne's favorite dish of life.

Amazonian White

Cacao, chirimoya, bahuaja nut, taperiba

400 Meters

A little chocolate ice cream Central style sounds good to us! The white shaved part is bahuaja nut, and the white ice cream is made from Chirimoya & taperiba, which are Andean Fruits.

medicinals & Plant Dyes

Congona, matico, malva, pilipili

3050 Meters

We made it! We're at the end of our meal, and if you've eaten all this you need to go to the Shaman to help you digest everything you've eaten. Take a shot of the medicinal water made from various Peruvian herbs and have a few little chocolate bites before you take a look at the check and leave this magical land

Drink: 
Central offers two drink pairings--one wine pairing and one juice pairing. We tried the juice pairing, because what other restaurant in the world offers a juice pairing? The juices ranged from random Amazon fruits like granadia, to lettuce and lime juice, to beetroot and muna mint. For Jason, who doesn't really enjoy drinking, this was his dream pairing. The table next to us got the wine pairing, which consisted of not just wine, but also a beer made especially for Central and a lot of fun liquors; however, we're not sure how you can walk out of a restaurant after drinking 10 glasses of anything.

The rooftop garden

Atmosphere:
As soon as you walked into Central the energy is palpable. It almost feels like the base camp of an expedition to an exotic locale. There are jars of all ingredients, flow charts, maps, and white boards filled with graphs. You are literally in a Peruvian culinary laboratory. There is an open kitchen, where guests can see what's being prepared. There is also a rooftop garden where a lot of the flowers and herbs are grown for the restaurant.

Part of the learning kitchen, where they train chefs from around the world how to make the menu.

Peruvian Hospitality:
The waiters were exceptional, always answering our questions (and believe me, we had questions!) and getting us whatever we needed at all times. At the end we asked for a tour of the restaurant, which the Maitre D' gladly provided, taking us through the kitchen, the garden, wine room, and of course the laboratory where they test out new ingredients.

The research room where they try out and test new ingredients

Frankie's Notes:
Literally knowing only 4% of the ingredients on the menu makes us feel cool; eating lunch at 1:30 and having the fortitude to not eat anything before that deserves an olympic medal; Yvonne can now officially consider corn as a friend, and not as a face-eating zombie enemy; Frankie would come down to South America, but he does not like that the toilets flush the opposite way; Eating at three of the top 30 restaurants in one week is pretty incredible, but something only professional eaters should try. 

Rating: 5 out 5 + 3 Michigan Pugs

 

Maido

Maido in Lima, Peru

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