Home to many civilizations and attracting its guests with Machu Picchu, Peru is also a country that draws attention to the gastronomy world with its delicacies. Mayta, located in the capital Lima, with the manager and chef Peruvian Jaime Pesaque, entered the “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” era in 2022. We are reviewing Mayta, which is a favorite place for many gourmets and attracts attention with its creative presentations and quality materials.

Located on the shores of South America, Peru is a country preferred by gourmets with its cuisine, as well as attracting attention with its culture and history. Headed by chef Jaime Pesaque, Peru’s newest culinary ambassador, located in the capital city Lima, Mayta attracts so much attention with its colorful dishes and cocktails that it adds awards to its list.

First in Latin America’s and then in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List

Mayta’s chef Jaime Pesaque, born and raised in Peru, graduated from Cordon Bleu Italian Culinary Institute (ICIF) with a master’s degree in cooking. He has worked with many Michelin-starred Christians, including Jaime Pesaque, who studied in Europe, and El Celler de Can Roca in Italy and Spain.

Pesaque opened Mayta in 2008 to create sophisticated and modern dishes with local produce. Entrepreneurial chef Jaime Pesaque is creating a flagship restaurant in Peru by combining traditional and contemporary culinary techniques in Mayta. Exporting Peruvian cuisine to countries such as the United States, Italy and the Netherlands, Pesaque entered Latin America’s “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list in 2019 with Mayta, and won the “The Highest Climber Award” in 2020. The award that raises Mayta’s star is realized in 2022 when it enters the “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list.

“Mayta, meaning ‘Noble Land’ in the Aymara language, is a personal and contemporary expression of Peruvian cuisine and land.” – Jaime Pesaque

Mayta, which hosts guests from many parts of the world, especially receives guests. Local Peruvian spices and sauces are also used in the kitchen, where ingredients such as quinoa, yuca, potatoes, corn and chili peppers, which are the prominent components of Peruvian cuisine, are frequently used. In Mayta, which offers a 12-course Yachay tasting menu, herbs from the Andes are used.

The restaurant, which usually serves fresh seafood, meat dishes and a variety of vegetables, also has an à la carte menu with options such as Amazonian ceviche or matcha tart with passion fruit ice cream. In the place where each plate is prepared with special presentations, there is a ‘Pisco Bar’ where national drinks are served.

Yachay project

The ‘Yachay’ project, carried out by chef Pesaque during the pandemic, is an issue he is emphasizing to restore biodiversity in Peru’s Ica ‘fertile desert’ region. Defining this subject as ‘a philosophy of discovery and learning’, the chef said, “Developing in terms of gastronomy means understanding the origins of the inputs and their environment, Yachay. That’s why we constantly imagine how we can convey the same feeling to our guests, how we can relate them to our region, traditions and culture.”

Jaime Pesaque, who serves the meals offered at Mayta to his guests with visually appealing presentations, tries to emphasize the taste and aesthetics in the dishes, as well as expressing his style and creativity. In Mayta cuisine, where carefully selected ingredients are used, high quality and delicious meals await its guests.