While my last post raves about Fonda Lo Que Hay in Casca Viejo, Panama City, Panama, the very best restaurant that I ate at in Panama City was Mai Mai! Mai Mai is short for Maido – Maito, or a combination of two world famous restaurants – Maido in Lima, Peru and Maito in Panama City, Panama. Both Maido and Maito are frequently on the Best 50 lists. And the combo, Mai Mai, is really fantastic.

Mai Mai’s menu is described as a combination of “Peruvian-Nikkei appetizers, Asian-inspired dumplings, creative sushi rolls, premium nigiri, sashimi, and a wide range of main courses.” The chefs apparently want you to select dishes from each section to get the full Mai Mai experience. And, that is just what we did at Mai Mai. We tried a wide variety of dishes!

Before jumping into our food, however, it bears mentioning Mai Mai’s location, which is not completely convenient for most tourists. While many of Pamana City’s best restaurants, or at least those most popular with tourists, are located in old Panama City, Mai Mai is located pretty far outside of the touristy areas, in a modern strip mall far from Casco Viejo. Mai Mai is located on the top floor of the strip mall, and diners must take an elevator to reach the restaurant. We passed numerous Panamanians going about their regular Monday night en route to our dinner through the strip mall, including a yoga class. In any case, don’t let the strip mall facade fool you. Once you reach Mai Mai, you are in for a treat.

Mai Mai is decorated in a modern, chic style. The restaurant would fit right in in New York or Singapore. The centerpiece of Mai Mai is a gorgeous bar, which is paired opposite its somewhat open air kitchen.

For food, we split numerous things, as recommended and because there was just so much that I wanted to try from the menu. The first thing I ordered was tuna sushi, to which Dan exclaimed, why are you ordering sushi in Panama? I guess fair question, but I figured Mai Mai would do an excellent job, and excellent job it did! And if you want sushi in Panama, Mai Mai has a pretty robust sushi selection.

My number one selection from the menu, which I think is usually on the menu, was the Chicken Katsu Sandwich. This sandwich is certain Japanese inspired, with fried chicken, i.e. katsu, served on plain white bread – no crusts – with a mix of micro greens and a berry-esque sauce. As I expected, this sandwich was very excellent. Would absolutely order again.

Following the Chicken Katsu Sandwich, we opted for the Pork Belly Bao Bun.  This boa was made with Kimchi mayonnaise and “hibiscus.” The bao arrived in a pair, and it tasted pretty good.

We also tried the Pumpkin Robata, which was super interested and quite good. The pumpkin robata was served with green curry and coconut milk.

Finally, we split the Pork Belly Rice, which was an Asian rice with vegetables topped with pork belly. This dish was quite good, but we were a bit too full for this large dish.

And I cannot finish this review without posting about my fantastic cocktail! I ordered the Miso Maiz, which was pisco (the national drink of both Peru and Chile), miso, maiz, and lemon. And, it was served with a chunk of maiz. I really loved the cocktail and presentation!

All in, I loooooved Mai Mai. I would absolutely return here for dinner and recommend it to all my friends. The only downside is that it is outside of the tourist center, but the strip mall is well lit and safe, and we easily got an Uber after dinner.

STEAL OUR TRIP

Mai Mai: Panamá Design Center (PDC, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama. Open Monday – Saturday 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM. Closed Sunday. Reservation highly recommended and can be made here.