Maz
Restaurant
Tokyo, Japan
About Maz
With the opening of Maz, the younger sibling of acclaimed restaurant Central in Lima, Peruvian star chef Virgilio Martinez has added an entirely new category of cuisine to Tokyo’s food scene. Led by the talented and charismatic chef Santiago Fernandez, the 25-seat restaurant offers a deep dive into Peru’s diverse food culture and traditions. Organised by altitudes, the seasonal tasting menu explores the country’s topography and microclimates in nine inventive courses. “Desert coast,” for example, features sweet king crab layered atop a spiced pumpkin stew, served alongside a beignet crowned with sea urchin and drizzled with sea urchin caramel; a dish of aged beef and pureed white corn finished with minty huacatay represents the Andean ecosystem at 4,200 meters above sea level.
The short-but-sweet wine list showcases South America, with an emphasis on high-altitude regions in Chile and Argentina, alongside producers in Spain, Georgia, and Hungary. You’ll also find a range of unique ferments and distillations created by Martinez’s Mater Iniciativa research centre outside of Cusco, as well as wonderfully sweet wines made from the olluco tuber by potato farmer Manuel Choqque.
