Masala y Maíz
Restaurant · Tabacalera ·
Indian & Mexican fusion, corn-forward dishes, social activist project
Information
C. Artículo 123 116, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico Get directions
$1,000+
Indian & Mexican fusion, corn-forward dishes, social activist project
C. Artículo 123 116, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico Get directions
$1,000+
"With a cookbook about to drop in 2026, a Chef’s Table Netflix episode, a fresh Michelin star, and a move to a more spacious location in Centro, Masala & Maíz is maturing into a true fine-dining restaurant. The menu is mostly new, but stellar standbys remain, including shell-on prawns in ghee infused with vanilla and esquites, traditional Mexican corn kernels with fresh coconut milk, ginger, turmeric, and topped with purslane. The restaurant's captivating mix of Mexican technique and Indian touchstones has been refined, and the restaurant is all grown up in a sexy space that reflects its evolution. Look for the whole roasted kuku poussin and a vinegary mussel dish with salsa balchao, plus an exciting cocktail menu and coffee, to boot." - Scarlett Lindeman, Naomi Tomky
"East African, Italian, and Indian influences find a home in its kitchen, embodying the city’s spirit of reinvention." - Sharan Kuganesan
"“Masala y Maíz is more than just a restaurant. It’s a culinary manifesto, a place where history is told bite after bite,” say chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, whose menu explores the culinary migrations between India, East Africa, and Mexico through years of researching family recipes. The name—maíz and masala—captures a sincere, original, and refined dialogue of ingredients and techniques, expressed in dishes like corn tacos filled with spiced vegetables, masala, and paneer; slow‑cooked pork belly with mango chutney; and two giant Veracruz prawns, grilled whole and incredibly tender, served with delicately pickled beets, a squeeze of lime, and Indian ghee infused with vanilla and chile morita." - The MICHELIN Guide
"A Mexico City hotspot, Masala y Maíz is beginning to pop up in the U.S., which the article suggests might signal the next evolution of American Mexican cuisine." - Jaya Saxena
"I note that since opening in 2018 Masala y Maiz—named one of TIME’s Top 100 Greatest Places—has aimed to bridge worlds by presenting a fusion of East African, Mexican, and Indian dishes that highlights the Global South; chef-owners Saqib Keval and Norma Listman center the restaurant on cultural sustainability, community, fair wages, and workers' rights, they acknowledge benefiting from tourism while also being affected by the city’s changes, and Listman stresses “this isn’t new,” arguing that gentrification predated recent foreign arrivals and that the protests reflect frustration at being priced out of the city." - Alan Chazaro