Latest news with #MitsuharuTsumura
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘Rodent never tasted so good': My 14-course meal at the world's best restaurant
The very first dish leaves me so baffled I have to ask the waiter which bits I am supposed to eat. The only edible part, it turns out, is the tiny blob of brown foam, made from Amazonian chorizo, perched on top of a spiky bed of desiccated scales from the arapaima, one of the world's largest freshwater fish. Each the size of a credit card, the scales vaguely resemble prawn crackers; it's a shame, I think ruefully, that they are there purely for decoration. This is the first mouthful of a 14-course tasting menu at Maido, a restaurant in Lima's touristy Miraflores district (just a short walk from my home of the past 15 years) that specialises in Peruvian-Japanese cuisine, known as Nikkei. Even by the stellar standards of Peru's gastronomic boom, Maido is not just another high-end eatery. After years of bouncing around the top 10, in June 2025 it finally achieved the number-one spot at the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards. Never mind Michelin (which has yet to include South America in its star system) – the 50 Best, voted on by more than 1,000 industry insiders, is arguably the gold standard for international culinary excellence. Maido, hidden behind a cluster of Eucalyptus trunks on an otherwise nondescript street corner, can thus claim to offer the most superlative gourmet experience on planet earth. Its chef-owner, Mitsuharu 'Micha' Tsumura, is now the Leo Messi of gastronomy. And I am here to soak up his skills. The waiter recommends I pick up the hors d'oeuvre and down it in one. As I pop the foamy morsel into my mouth, it seems to simultaneously vaporise on my tongue and explode into improbably distinct flavours and textures. Seasoned with annatto (derived from the seeds of the achiote tree), Brazil nuts, the juice of a local mandarin-citron hybrid, sweet chilli peppers and yacón (a crisp tuber from the Andean foothills), the foam clearly delivers a porky flavour. But it also gives off subtle tones of smoke, citrus and fresh fruit, along with layers of umami and sweetness that feels familiar but which I cannot identify. Ethereally light, the jungle-inspired chorizo concoction somehow also manages to have a faint, satisfying crunch. What follows is a virtuoso voyage across Peru's dazzlingly diverse geography – without ever stepping out from beneath the forest of ropes that hangs over the dozen, highly-coveted tables in Maido's dining room. Although it is hard to make out, they portray the Hinomaru, the Japanese national flag. As new diners enter the dimly-lit space they are greeted by staff with a chorus of 'maido', meaning 'welcome' in the Osaka dialect of Tsumura's ancestors. Diners are then swept from the 1,500-mile Pacific coast over the soaring Andes and down into the endless rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon and their myriad exotic fruits. There are sea urchins and scallops served with basil oil, and a sauce made from another rare tuber – arracacia – blended with tumbo, an acidic fruit once used, before the Spanish brought citrus to the Americas, to make a precursor of ceviche. Then comes arapaima butifarra – slivers of a fishy cold cut in a diminutive bun, flavoured with an emulsion of sweet chilli peppers, karashi (a Japanese mustard) and honey. And Cuy San, or san guinea pig – Tsumura's haute-cuisine take on the fluffy (but, in this neck of the woods, very edible) Andean staple. A diminutive, delicately-battered leg is served with chilli peppers and greens; rodent never tasted so good. Towards the end of the marathon feast there is charqui, a kind of Andean beef jerky but made with wagyu and garnished with huacatay, a minty marigold used widely in Peruvian cooking. All of it is washed down with a New World wine pairing that runs from a semillon made from old vines in Argentine Patagonia, to two different sakes. The service is friendly and efficient but never fawning. Maido is actually the second Lima restaurant in three years to claim the top spot in the 50 Best, after Virgilio Martínez's Central in 2023 (now in the rankings's hall of fame and withdrawn from future consideration), also a 10-minute walk from my home, but in the other direction. The Nikkei emporium leads a cohort of four restaurants from the Peruvian capital in the 2025 list. London, by comparison, has just two in this year's 50 Best, the genre-defying Ikoyi at 15, and Kol, offering Mexican fusion, at 49. Like most top Peruvian restaurants, Maido achieves this at relatively competitive prices. My tasting menu with wine pairing came to 1880 Sols (roughly £390), including service. That's rather more than I am used to paying for lunch. But it's also hardly the arm and leg that many of Maido's international peers charge. The story of how Peru, a poster child for political corruption and underdevelopment, came to overshadow gastronomic powerhouses such as Paris, Tokyo and New York is rooted in a national food culture that is highly original and diverse, and genuinely includes Peruvians of all races and classes. That culture is itself the product of breathtaking geography as well as immigration from across the globe, and even, believe it or not, the brutal legacy of the Maoist terrorists of the Shining Path. Peru's natural pantry is unrivalled, thanks to its tropical location and the Andes's vast altitudinal variation. The country is home to just about every ecosystem, and therefore every crop, plant and game species on earth. Successive waves of immigrants, not all of them willing, from Spain, Italy, Africa, France, China and Japan, among others, have each left their stamp. So too distinct pre-Columbian traditions from the desert coast, mountains and jungle. No Peruvian kitchen, for example, would be complete without a wok or various uniquely local ajíes or chillies. Then a generation of young chefs, including Tsumura, trained in the 1990s at top culinary schools from San Francisco to Rome and Tokyo. Many did so to flee a national collapse partly triggered by the Shining Path's bloodletting. On their return, they began applying their new, cutting-edge techniques and ideas on Peru's extensive pantheon of home recipes. Adding some extra spice is the national propensity for breaking the rules. It's a trait that makes Peruvians both Latin America's worst drivers and best cooks. Mexico – whose wonderful food I do not underestimate, having lived there for four happy years – is a clear but distant second. Eventually, after three hours of what becomes a quickfire blur of dazzling delicacies, I emerge back into the grey light of Lima's overcast, southern winter. I'm satisfied full, there's no question, but it will take me days to fully process the experience, perhaps the way one might after visiting an exhibition by a truly great artist. The highlight dish? Tsumara's nuanced take on Peru's national dish, ceviche, titled Sea and Pistachios. Miniscule chunks of fortuno, a small local fish species, were served with diced squid and snails, floating with nuts and avocado pieces in a light, tangy chilled broth. And does Maido live up to its new reputation as the 'world's best restaurant'? I can't say. But the meal is one I will remember for the rest of my life – which is not a bad thing to say of your local.
Bloomberg
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Why There Isn't a Best Chef in the World
In victory, top chefs are much like the classiest of professional tennis players: self-deprecatory, admiring of their rivals, grateful to their teachers. Two weeks ago, just after his restaurant Maido was proclaimed No. 1 among the 50 Best Restaurants in the World at a ceremony in Turin, Italy, Mitsuharu Tsumura told me, 'There is competition, but when you finish, you shake hands, you have a beer.' Unlike tennis and other sports, though, the world of haute cuisine doesn't really have a universally recognized ranking system like the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women's Tennis Association. For those who point to the Michelin Guide, I will politely say the French tire company provides ratings not rankings. The 50 Best franchise certainly provides a glitzy showcase for some of the finest eating establishments in the world, but it's incomprehensive. The list has lots of Latin American representation, like Maido in Peru, but sparse North American luminaries. (One of my favorites, Atomix in New York City, placed 12th this year, dropping six spots; the next US restaurant isn't even in the top 50: Single Thread in Healdsburg, California, at 80.)
Euronews
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025: Who takes the top spot - and how does Europe fare?
The World's 50 Best Restaurants has announced this year's recipients of 'The World's Best Restaurant' - one of the world's most prestigious food awards. The awards ceremony took place last night in Turin, Italy, where the crowd gathered to celebrate the top restaurants and chefs for 2025. A panel of more than 1,000 experts, split into 27 regions around the world, came together to decide on the final ranking. So, what is the World's Best Restaurant this year? The accolade went to Maido in Lima, Peru – which was placed at number 5 in the 2024 awards and now unseats last year's winner, Disfrutar in Barcelona, Spain, to the top spot. Maido's Lima-born chef Mitsuharu Tsumura cooks a fusion of Latin American and Japanese flavours, and said: 'We talk a lot about sustainability of the environment, but we rarely talk about human sustainability. I think this industry can be an example of how we can bring people together with the power of food.' Every year, the panel awards special prizes to chefs, front-of-house staff, and activists who are leading the charge in hospitality in 2025. This year's special awards went to the Best Female Chef, Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij of Potong, Bangkok and Mindy Woods in Byron Bay, winner of the Champions of Change 2025 award. The World's Best Pastry Chef award went to Parisian chef Maxime Frederic, while the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award went to Alberta Adrià, head chef of Enigma in Barcelona. The highest-ranking restaurants on each continent were given a special mention. Maido, as the best restaurant in the world, takes care of South America. Incidentally, Peru was well represented in the Top 50 list, as three other Lima-based establishments joined Maido: Kjolle (9); Mérito (26); Mayta (39). Tresind Studio in Dubai (ranked number 27 in this year's awards) was named the best restaurant in the Middle East. The best restaurant in Asia is Gaggan in Bangkok, at number 6, while the best restaurant in North America is Quintonil in Mexico City (number 3). The best restaurant in Europe is Asador Etxebarri in Spain (number 2 this year and last year). Spain also has DiverXO in Madrid in the global Top 5, retaining its number 4 spot. Elsewhere in the Top 20, Denmark's Alchemist (Copenhagen) ranks number 5 and climbs three spots compared to last year; France's Paris-based Table by Bruno Verjus drops to number 8 from its number 3 ranking in 2024, and Plénitude (also in Paris) has the 14th spot this year, up four compared to last year; and the UK's Ikoyi, which was ranked 42nd in 2024, jumps up to number 15. Italy is the European country with the most restaurants in 2025's Top 20 list, with Lido 84 in Lake Garda, Reale in Castel di Sangro and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico all ranking 16th, 18th and 20th respectively. Here is the full Top 50 restaurant list (European entries in bold): 1. Maido, Lima, Peru 2. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain 3. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico 4. DiverXO, Madrid, Spain 5. Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark 6. Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand 7. Sezanne, Tokyo, Japan 8. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris, France 9. Kjolle, Lima, Peru 10. Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina 11. Wing, Hong Kong 12. Atomix, New York, USA 13. Potong, Bangkok, Thailand 14. Plénitude, Paris, France 15. Ikoyi, London, UK 16. Lido 84, Lake Garda Italy 17. Sorn, Bangkok, Thailand 18. Reale, Castel di Sangro, Italy 19. The Chairman, Hong Kong 20. Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico, Italy 21. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan 22. Serene, Bangkok, Thailand 23. Boragó, Santiago, Chile 24. Elkano, Getaria, Spain 25. Odette, Singapore 26. Mérito, Lima, Peru 27. Tresind Studio, Dubai, UAE 28. Lasai, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 29. Mingles, Seoul, South Korea 30. Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand 31. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy 32. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy 33. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria 34. Enigma, Barcelona, Spain 35. Nusara, Bangkok, Thailand 36. Florilège, Tokyo, Japan 37. Orfali Bros, Dubai, UAE 38. Frantzen, Stockholm, Sweden 39. Mayta, Lima, Peru 40. Septime, Paris, France 41. Kadeau, Copenhagen, Denmark 42. Belcanto, Lisbon, Portugal 43. Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy 44. La Cime, Osaka, Japan 45. Arpege, Paris, France 46. Rosetta, Mexico City, Mexico 47. Vyn, Skillinge, Sweden 48. Celele, Cartagena, Colombia 49. Kol, London, UK 50. Restaurant Jan, Munich, Germany
Malay Mail
20-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Japanese-Peruvian fusion earns Peru's Maido top spot on 2025 World's 50 Best Restaurants
PARIS, June 20 — Maido, a restaurant in Peru founded by chef Mitsuharu 'Micha' Tsumura, was on Thursday named the best eatery in the world for 2025 by the influential but controversial World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Founded 16 years ago, Maido features a Japanese-Peruvian fusion menu, and lunchtime diners in the sleek Lima dining room were ecstatic about the win, shouting 'Maido, Maido!' 'The fusion of flavours at Maido is spectacular,' Valentina Mora, 33, told AFP. Restaurants from three continents made the podium of the World's 50 Best, which was launched by a British press group to compete with France's Michelin red guides. Asador Etxebarri — which offers Basque cooking in Atxondo, Spain — won second place and Quintonil in Mexico City was third. Maxime Frederic, at the helm of the Cheval Blanc Paris pastry shop and head pastry chef at Plenitude, was named Best Pastry Chef. The 50 Best award has been presented since 2002 by media group William Reed, based on reviews by one thousand 'independent experts' such as chefs, specialist journalists and restaurant owners. The list has been criticised above all by French chefs, who accuse it of being clubby and opaque, but it is generally considered to be ahead of the Michelin guide in identifying the latest food trends. Its detractors — French, but also Japanese and American — launched The List in 2015, a ranking of 1,000 restaurants across the world that uses an algorithm to aggregate and analyse data from more than 400 international sources. — AFP Picture of the facade of the Maido high-cuisine restaurant in Lima, taken on June 19, 2025. — AFP pic
Japan Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Four restaurants from Japan earn spots on World's 50 Best list
Japan walked away with four restaurants among the top 50 spots at The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 awards ceremony held at Lingotto Fiere exhibition center in Turin, Italy, on Thursday night. In Tokyo,French restaurant Sezanne earned the No, 7 spot, climbing eight places from its previous position of No. 15 in 2024, while Narisawa returned to the top 50 club at No. 21 after being ranked at 56 last year. Florilege , which previously ranked No. 21, fell to No. 36 Modern French eatery La Cime in Osaka also fared well, jumping from No. 66 to No. 44 in this year's rankings. This year's top honor went to Maido , a Lima-based restaurant run by chef-owner Mitsuharu Tsumura. The eatery, which specializes in Nikkei cuisine, was ranked No.5 on the 2024 list. In a press statement, William Drew, director of content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, said Tsumara 'demonstrated remarkable dedication, seamlessly incorporating Japanese techniques with traditional Peruvian ingredients to create dishes that captivate and surprise diners.' Lima-based Maido, run by chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, is the winner of this year's best restaurant accolade. | WORLD'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2025 With six restaurants cited on the list, Bangkok emerged as the city with the most entries, underscoring the Thai capital's growing influence in the culinary world: Gaggan , which was crowned this year's top restaurant at the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards, was ranked No. 6. Thai fine diner Sorn captured the No. 17 position, while Thai-Chinese fine dining restaurant Potong earned the Highest New Entry award, debuting at an impressive 13th place. German restaurant Suhring landed itself at No. 22, while modern Thai eateries Le Du and Nusara claimed 30th and 35th spots respectively. Other notable entries from Asia on the top 50 list include Hong Kong's Wing (No. 11) and The Chairman (No. 19), Singapore's Odette (No. 25) and Seoul's Mingles (No. 29). Meanwhile, South America's restaurants continue to demonstrate their rising clout, with four of the top 10 entries comprising restaurants from the region: Mexico City's Quintonil and Lima's Kjolle improved on their previous rankings, climbing from No. 7 to No. 3, and No. 16 to No. 9, respectively. Buenos Aires' Don Julio kept its No. 10 position. 'This year's list celebrates culinary excellence across 22 territories, with 10 new entries making the 1-to-50 rankings,' Drew added, 'underscoring the growing global appreciation for diversity, creativity and excellence in hospitality.'
