Restaurant Mayta in Lima has been named one of world’s top 50 restaurants. Showcasing contemporary Peruvian cuisine inspired by the country’s heritage and traditional flavors, Mayta is also the location of a grand welcome dinner on the first night of our Treasures of the Incas tour.  

We couldn’t be more delighted to celebrate Mayta. 

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About the honor 

The list of the world’s top 50 restaurants is developed from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy which is made up of 1,080 international restaurant industry experts. The experts are spread across 27 regions around the world. Some regions contain more than one country and are designed to represent the global restaurant scene at the time. Each region has its own voting panel of 40 members. Members of the panel include food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and gourmets and each member is allotted 10 votes. Now that we’ve seen how his esteemed honor is granted, let’s take a look at this top restaurant in Lima. 

Related content: What to expect when dining at a Michelin starred restaurant 

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Mayta Restaurante 

Meaning ‘Noble Land’ in the native Andean Aymara language, Mayta earned a spot on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list for its unique use of local ingredients and flavors. In 2020 it won the Highest Climber Award. Now one of the best restaurants in Lima, Mayta offers a 12-course Yachay tasting menu focusing on Peruvian ingredients plated and presented as their own distinct, colorful works of art. Mayta also offers a sophisticated à la carte menu with choices from Amazonian ceviche to matcha tart with passionfruit ice cream. In short, Mayta’s chef Jaime Pesaque describes it as “a personal and contemporary expression of the Peruvian cuisine and territory.”  

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The man behind Mayta 

Pesaque is the founder of Jaime Pesaque Restaurants and has had a rich culinary career. Pesaque was born and raised in Peru. He then trained in Europe, graduating from Cordon Bleu with a Master in Cooking from the Italian Culinary Institute (ICIF). He apprenticed in Michelin-starred Restaurants in Italy and Spain, including El Celler de Can Roca, twice The World’s Best Restaurant and now in the Best of the Best hall of fame.  

When he returned to Peru, Pesaque directed his first kitchen and honed his style at Al Grano. Pesaque opened Mayta in 2008 with the aim to celebrate traceable native products combined with contemporary culinary techniques. In addition to his restaurant family, Pesaque also exports Peruvian cuisine abroad.  

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The main dishes   

Within the warm interior of Mayta, you can expect to be delighted by any number of dishes. Pesaque is famous for his smoked duck breast with fried duck egg and foie gras but your options are plenty. Enjoy his Amazonian ceviche with ginger, cilantro, charapita chile, and sweet plantains. Or, be impressed by the stunning presentation and flavors of thinly sliced ‘ham’ from the paiche fish shaped into an intricate rose. Pesaque use of this Amazonian fish that needs to be eaten to prevent the destruction of other species also supports his close ties to sustainability. Pesaque’s innovative twists on classics including osso buco, scallops and quinoa will also tempt your palate. 

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The Yachay tasting menu 

Pesaque launched his Yachay tasting menu in 2020 to focus on local vegetables and seafood. This menu offers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings. Yachay is not only the name of this menu but Pesaque’s space for culinary learning, “that awakens the spirit of curiosity and exploration for the land and sea of Peru.” In Yachay’s site in the “fertile desert” region of Ica two hours south of Lima, Pesaque capitalizes on biodiversity and takes advantage of the bounty from the land and sea.  

Yachay’s philosophy of exploration, learning and fresh products translates to the tasting menu’s grilled eggplant dish with eggplant and onion jus and a smoked eggplant shake. In short, Yachay is both an experimental space as well as a tasting menu that encapsulates Pesaque’s culinary identity. 

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The drinks  

Pair your inventive dishes with a glass from the diverse wine list or lemonade. Matya also includes a notable pisco bar serving inventive takes on the national drink offering more than 120 seasonal piscos macerated with a rotating list of fruits, herbs, vegetables, dried fruits and nuts. Or, try their chilcano, a Peruvian cocktail made of pisco, ginger ale and lemon.  

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The desserts  

On the sweeter side, Pasque works with Pastry Chef Jeisson Felipe Garzon to create innovative desserts. Finish your meal with a chocolate mousse with cocoa powder and coca nibs or white chocolate torte covered with powdered muña, a local mint-like herb. Or, embrace local fruits sampling the crispy pineapple and tumbo passion fruit dessert.    

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Beyond Mayta 

In addition to Mayta in Lima Pesaque has several other restaurants including Mad Burger, 500 Grados and Sapiens, showcasing open-flame techniques with vegetables, seafood, meat and grains. He has also expanded his passion for Peruvian cuisine abroad with SuViche in the U.S. in Miami, Pacifico in Italy and Callao in The Hague, Netherlands. Pesaque’s mission to connect diners with Peruvian territory, tradition and culture seems to know no bounds. We hope you’ll join us at Mayta in Lima. 

Explore more of Peru with us:  Victor Delfin on painting Peru

When it comes to Pinot Noir, Courtney Kingston has deep roots—or rather, vines. As the Founder of Kingston Family Vineyards in Chile’s Casablanca Valley, Courtney carries on her family’s farming, winemaking and pioneering history with passion. We talked with Courtney about her enchanting winery, how to find your favorite Pinot and what makes “the heartbreak grape” so special.    

Related Content: Wines of the world 

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The vineyards and winery 

Kingston Family Vineyards offers private, reserved tastings at their winery perched on a hillside of the stunning Chilean coastline. The location alone is part of what makes this experience feel like you’ve come across a tucked away treasure. You’ll enter the winery turning onto a dirt road lined with palm trees planted by Courtney’s aunt. Your gaze follows down the grove of trees before “the world opens in front of you,” as Courtney describes. From there you’ll spot the salón, or tasting room, nestled within the hilltop vineyard and, on a clear day, perhaps Mount Aconcagua. As you enter the glass-walled tasting room, you’re treated to an open-air experience with a view of the Andes from the sprawling deck.  

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The experience 

From a seat on the patio or cozied up near the fireplace, you’ll enjoy a tasting paired with local cheeses and chocolates. Courtney points out that Kingston is a winery offering culinary and wine experiences. They also work with a local cheesemaker for their pairings. Sample a local goat cheese with a Sauvignon Blanc. A cheese with depth paired with a Chardonnay. And chocolates paired with a Pinot Noir and a Syrah. During your tasting, your hosts will share the family legacy. “Everything is tailored to your experience,” Courtney points out. “It’s all in the bottle and in the experience.”   

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The history 

Kingston Family Vineyards is unique not only in their pioneering vintages but in their family history. Their legacy began in the early 1900s when Carl John Kingston, Courtney’s great-grandfather, set out from Michigan in search of gold in Chile. Carl didn’t strike gold, but his quest did prompt him to establish a cattle ranch on the current site of the winery, just miles from the Pacific. Five generations later, the 350-acre vineyards have yielded bounty and opportunities to harness the Kingston’s pioneering spirit that Courtney and her family still embody. Since 1998, Kingston Family Vineyards has produced organic, artisan, hand-made wines that are enjoyed around the world. 

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The “heartbreak grape” 

With a climate similar to the Mediterranean or the San Francisco Bay, when Courtney was deciding what types of grapes to grow on the family land, she asked herself, “What could we do that would speak of the farm?” Coming from an entrepreneurial family, she was looking for ways to help the farm and contribute to the community—and to do something a little different. So, she decided on Pinot Noir.  

“Pinot was new for Chile. Planting along the coast was new… Pinot is really hard to make. It’s called the heartbreak grape because it’s incredibly finicky and sensitive,” Courtney explains. “Not all grapes are created equal. Some are particular. Pinot Noir is one that always keeps you guessing and speaks of where it’s from.” Courtney compares harvesting Pinot to marathon running, another passion that runs deep in her family. “It’s not the shortest path but it’s well worth it.” Well worth it, indeed. Stanford Business School has since written two case studies on Kingston Family Winery and their entrepreneurial success. 

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Kingston Family Vineyard’s Pinot Noir

Kingston Family Vineyards bottles five different Pinots made in different ways. Courtney explains that when you taste wines from different blocks (each block is about one to two acres) side-by-side it “brings home the concept of terroir… a rare experience.” Chile is the tenth largest wine making country in the world. And for a winery to make a small amount by hand as Kingston does presents guests with a real treat. Kingston also ships to your home—so you can continue and share your discoveries with family and friends. 

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How to pick a Pinot Noir 

After your Grand South America tour, how can you find the best Pinot in your hometown? Courtney’s advice on how to choose Pinot Noir is to travel the world through Pinot. Experience the joy it brings. “When it’s made with intention and purity, that speaks to where it’s from.” Courtney suggests trying Pinots from New Zealand, France’s Burgundy region, Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the central coast of Santa Barbara. “Tasting side by side will help you taste the difference in Pinots from different regions,” she says. 

Courtney’s second tip for discovering top quality Pinot Noir is to find and get to know your local wine shop, or even your favorite restaurant. Your local sommelier will be eager to share their favorite wines and you’ll build a relationship that will serve you well as you learn which Pinots you like. 

@kingstonvineyards

Lastly, Courtney says, “Find a bottle with a story behind it.” Because Pinot is hard to make on a large scale, those unique bottles from small winemakers will showcase their labors of love. We couldn’t agree more. And with a story like Courtney and her family’s, we’ll be savoring every sip.  

Join us in Chile.

We invite you to meet master brewer Takumi Sato and discover the magic of sake. This unique drink holds a special cultural significance in Japan, entwined with many of the country’s traditions and customs.

On our Majestic Japan luxury guide tour, you have the pleasure of meeting Takumi Sato for yourself. Take a special guided tour of his brewery in Oirase, and learn the history and importance of sake to Japanese culture.

Oirase

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A simply stunning location, Oirase Gorge is a river valley that runs for 14km between Yakeyama, at the foot of Hakkoda-san, and Nenokuchi, on the shore of Towada-ko (Lake Towada), in Northern Japan. It boasts some of the most picturesque surroundings you will have the delight to ever experience. Drawing visitors from far and wide, this is one of Japan’s most-revered nature havens.

“I know how special this location is,” Takumi Sato says. “And I believe that our sake represents that in a particular way. We capture the essence of Oirase at the brewery and that’s how we share it with others. This is my personal motivation – letting others feel that magic.”

Travel with Luxury Gold and as well as visiting the sake brewery, explore the spectacular Oirase Gorge, a place of special scenic beauty. Wander along the crystal-clear Oirase Keiryu stream, admire the cascading waterfalls and marvel at the seasonal colors of the indigenous forest.

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Meet Takumi Sato

“My inspiration to become a master brewer came from the former owner of the kuromato (brewery) here in Oirase,” Takumi Sato explains. “He had a phrase that translates roughly as, ‘local sake is the crystal of local food culture’.”

“I began making sake in 1990, but I did not become a toji (master brewer) until 2004,” he continues. “Becoming a toji is not simply about passing the examination. Personally, I believe that you must understand how sacred sake is and be mindful of the traditions that have been passed down through generations. I have pursued these traditions with a particular devotion and will continue to do so every day until I die.”

A brief Japanese sake history

Sake manufacturing in Japan began sometime after the introduction of wet rice cultivation to the country in the 3rd century BC. The first reference to its manufacture dates from the 8th century. The technique to ferment rice into an alcoholic drink was originally developed in ancient China.

Sake was produced primarily by the imperial court in ancient Japan, in temples and shrines. Japanese people have continuously refined production methods throughout Japanese sake history to create this truly unique drink, with manufacture by the general population beginning from the early 12th century.

Sake is often (incorrectly) referred to as a wine. This is easily done because of its appearance and alcoholic content.  It is in fact made in a process known as multiple parallel fermentation, in which a grain (rice) is converted from starch to sugar. It is then converted to alcohol. Special strains of rice are precisely milled to remove the outer layers, a process that reduces the grain to 50-70 percent of its original size.

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A sacred beverage

“Sake is the national drink of Japan, not simply because we like drinking it, but because we see it as a blessing from the gods,” Takumi Sato explains. “It is inherent to our culture and way of life, from the religious rites of thousands of years ago to the dinner table today.”

In Japan, sake is served with special ceremony. Before being served, it is warmed in a small earthenware or porcelain bottle called a tokkuri. It is then usually sipped from a small porcelain cup called a sakazuki. Premium sake, of a delicate flavour, is served cold or on ice. Sake is best when consumed less than a year after bottling.

“We commemorate every occasion with sake, from births and weddings to New Year celebrations, Memorial Day and funerals,” Takumi Sato tells us. “Some people drink sake every day, and of course you can, but it is usually served with meals and enjoyed with others. When you drink sake with friends or family, you must not pour it for yourself. First serve others and then someone else will serve you.”

The unique flavor of Oirase

“The unique flavor of our sake is a direct result of the environment here in Oirase,” Sato affectionately explains. “Here, you’ll see we’re near the lake, and the water that flows through the Hakkoda mountain range to Oirase is some of the purest on Earth. Not only is the landscape breathtaking, but the sake produced here is at the highest level. It reveals the distinct umami in dishes.”

“When you travel through the Towada-Hachimantai National Park to Oirase, you can immerse all five senses on your journey. The Japanese culture will enrich and enthrall you. I personally look forward to welcoming you here and sharing with you our sacred drink from the gods.”

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Learn the magic of sake, revel in the beauty of Oirase and meet Takumi Sato for yourself on our Majestic Japan luxury guided tour. Be captivated by the beauty and traditions of Japan over 11-days. Travel to Kyoto, bask in the serenity surrounding the iconic Golden Pavilion and see the Giouji Temple. Visit Hiroshima and Mount Fuji. In Tokyo, learn how to make sushi rolls during a private cooking class. Stay in exquisite hotels, travel on the bullet train and enjoy exclusive experiences along the way.