At just 28 years old, Maido's chef embarked on a journey that initially received little attention, but went on to become a global gastronomic phenomenon.
The story
On June 19, in Turin, the beating heart of global culinary excellence, a wave of applause swept through the room when Maido in Lima was crowned Best Restaurant in the World 2025. This triumph marks the culmination of a meteoric rise for chef Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura, bringing Nikkei cuisine from relative anonymity to global prominence.
Micha Tsumura's journey and the birth of Maido
Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura, born in Lima but with deep roots in Osaka, Japan, is the visionary mind behind Maido. His culinary training is a fascinating blend of cultures: after studying Culinary Arts and Food and Beverage Management at Johnson & Wales University in the United States, he immersed himself completely in Japanese cuisine in Osaka, working in specialty restaurants such as Seto Sushi and Imo to Daikon.
The call of his roots and his passion for blending Peruvian cuisine with Japanese techniques brought him back to Peru. After a brief but significant stint at the Sheraton Hotel in Lima, where he held the positions of chef de partie, sous-chef, and Food and Beverage Manager, Tsumura launched Maido in 2009. At just 28 years old, he embarked on a journey that was initially met with skepticism and little attention, but which has since become a global gastronomic phenomenon. “At first, Nikkei cuisine wasn't very well known on the street, but now it's known all over the world,” reflects Tsumura to 50 Best, recalling the moments when he even considered closing the restaurant. “But one day, my father came to me and told me to persevere and keep believing in what I was doing. Many Peruvians also supported me, saying, ‘Don't close, we love what you do,’ and that pushed me to keep going.”
Maido: The pinnacle of Nikkei cuisine
Maido is much more than a restaurant; it is an ode to Nikkei cuisine, a masterful fusion of Peruvian flavors and Japanese techniques. Its success is no surprise to those in the know: since its debut in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2015, Maido has been a fixture, regularly ranking in the top 10 and winning the title of Latin America's Best Restaurant four times. Fifth place worldwide in 2024 was just a prelude to this year's triumph. Reflecting on the victory in the interview published by 50 Best, Tsumura expressed a mix of emotions: "I really can't put it into words. It's a mix of feelings... All the hard work, all the difficult moments, getting people to understand what we were doing, and now seeing what we have done with Nikkei cuisine and Peruvian cuisine... with hospitality. Making people happy has always been what I loved to do.“ He added: ”I think the most beautiful act of love is cooking for someone. It's the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. It's been 11 years [since I was named one of the world's 50 best restaurants] and it's a dream come true."
The Maido Experience
The tasting menu, known as the Maido Experience, is a sensory journey that unfolds over more than 10 courses. Each dish is a celebration of rare ingredients from the Andes, the Amazon, and the northern coast of Peru, expertly enhanced by skilled Japanese techniques. Among the most iconic creations that have conquered palates around the world is the sirloin. A masterpiece of slow cooking and precision, it is cooked for 50 hours, reaching unparalleled tenderness. It is then glazed in a rich sauce made from sake, mirin, shoyu, and beef broth, a combination of umami flavors that enhances its succulence. This sublime dish is accompanied by a purée of local potatoes or fragrant Peruvian fried rice sprinkled with dried meat.
Another undisputed favorite is the nigiri sushi, a bold and delicious reinterpretation. Here, the classic bite of rice is wrapped in a tender Angus beef filet, a surprising but winning choice that adds unexpected richness. The whole dish is crowned with a delicate quail egg and finished with a vibrant ponzu sauce, which adds a note of freshness and acidity. No less popular is the duck confit rice, a dish that celebrates Maido's culinary mastery. The tender and flavorful duck is combined with a velvety ankake sauce and a sprinkling of sansho, a Japanese pepper that adds an aromatic and slightly spicy touch.
Maido's menu doesn't stop there, but continues to surprise with a series of creative dishes that demonstrate Chef Tsumura's boldness and experimentation. Among these, nitrogen-infused ceviche offers a unique sensory experience, bread with pejesapo (perch) reinvents a classic in an innovative way, and to finish on a sweet note, brown sugar ice cream with loche squash is a dessert that combines traditional Peruvian flavors in a refreshing texture. The essence of Maido, as Tsumura points out, is fun and creativity, combined with a desire to “democratize delight.” The restaurant offers an experience that transcends formality, making haute cuisine accessible and joyful.
