"Maz, the younger sibling of Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez’s flagship restaurant Central in Lima, only opened in July 2022 but has already become a destination for globe-trotting gastronomes and Japanese diners with adventurous palates. The seasonal menu explores Peru’s biodiversity through nine courses based on the country’s various altitudes. In late spring, the Peruvian coastline is represented by an elaborate dish of cuttlefish and baby eel, bathed in a sauce made from cuttlefish tentacles and covered with a crispy net made from seaweed and squid ink. The composition is crowned with grilled firefly squid and a cactus leaf. Coated with fine strands of turmeric-infused cacao butter, a frozen mousse stuffed with bittersweet hyuganatsu citrus and perfumed with lemongrass stands in for the high-altitude region between the Andes and the Amazonian jungle. Come here for a special night, or to impress a date with your knowledge of Peruvian food culture." - Melinda Joe
