Mai Mai Panama

Mai Mai – The Best Restaurant In Panama City, Panama (2025)

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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.

Entering Mai Mai.

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!

Mai Mai’s menu.

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5 Days in Panama City, Panama – An Itinerary

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This year’s spring vacation took us to Panama for a week, spending the majority of our time in the capital, Panama City, with a day trip to the San Blas Islands, and a few days in Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast. Panama was beautiful and we had a relaxing time, but Panama was more expensive and more Americanized than other Central American countries that we have visited. We definitely need to return and spend time in other parts of Panama to get a better feel for it. Panama City, however, makes a wonderful winter/early spring getaway for those coming from the NYC area and looking for something different yet not too “foreign.”  This post details what we did during our time in Panama City over 5 days and how you can recreate this trip for yourself!

Panama City at sunset. The rooftop sunsets were fantastic.

OUR 5-DAY ITINERARY IN PANAMA CITY

DAY 1: THE PANAMA CANAL & A DELICIOUS MEAL IN CASCO VIEJO

United flies direct from Newark to Panama City overnight, so we took that flight, leaving around midnight NYC time and arriving around 4:00 AM the following morning in Panama. We booked our hotel, the JW Marriott Panama City, for the night prior, so we were able to checkin immediately on arrival despite the early hour (you should absolutely do this if you can swing it; well worth the money). We slept for a couple hours before having breakfast in the JW Marriott’s Lounge and using its stunning pool area (featuring TWO infinity pools and a separate heated pool – it is rumored to be one of the nicest in the area!).

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