Okay back to back CDMX posts. Really wanted to add this as a lot of folks talk about Maximo here but I haven’t seen a detailed review. I was going to go with my brother, but he ended up sick with taco-itis, so I went solo and opted for the tasting.
First things first, Maximo is not an experience, idea, or an art piece. It is a Great Restaurant. You don’t see much by way of fusion in the cooking. There’s Mexican dishes, French inspired dishes, and plenty of ingredients cooked over the live fire. There are, foams and sous vide and the like, but all these touches specifically serve to enhance the flavors. The common thread in the cooking is the impeccable sourcing of local Mexican ingredients.
Starting off with an oyster. Poached and perched back in its shell and swimming in a warm, rich, and classic vichysoisse. Obviously delicious. I do prefer the approach of starting a tasting menu off with more punchy/salty/acidic bites. Some brunoise pickled celery or something would’ve done a lot. But this was yummy.
They sent out a complementary hamachi tostada. In addition to garnering pity and/or respect from the staff as a solo diner, sometimes you get some perks. A chili emulsion was smeared on the bottom. Then was the kampachi, dense, buttery and savory. It was either dry aged or lightly cured, but was definitely high quality. Brushed then with a strained salsa macha cut with brown butter. Atop was an avocado/serrano puree and an arrangement of shaved radishes that were very thoughtfully seasoned. Loved this set. Simple, ingredient forward, bright, and fresh.
It was my first time having pen shell scallop. They’re as sweet as their namesake, but are notable more firm. They have a very slight geoduck esque crunch but still maintain their buttery finish. Served in an acidic lime dressing with marinated onions and fennel, then topped with nicoise olives. Classic flavors. Side car of olive oil grilled baguette were a necessary addition, adding fat and texture. Again noting the intentionality of the cooking here.
This was my first time having the now eponymous banana and caviar pairing. Do any of you nerds know who did it first? Incredibly successful. The “bread” reminded me more of a Johnny cake. Incredibly light, fluffy, rich with overripe plantain, nutty from high quality corn meal, and cooked in a lot of butter. The sweetness from the plantain make for a perfect foil for the caviar. The other dip was a burnt eggplant puree which was alright but paled in comparison. I don’t want to compare too much to my Quintonil dinner last night, but the caviar at Maximo is of significantly higher quality. This dish really sold me on the meal.
To go from such a posh bite to a full unfussed quesabirria taco was so cool. Loaded with about 4oz picked lamb shank and cheese, this was a hefty midcourse. Came with a fruit forward mole emulsified with a healthy amount of butter (which I guess is the sort of fusion chef does go for) baby onions pickled with oregano, and a salsa verde. No hiding, no tricks. Good cooking and hot food!
Chef was really showing off his pedigree with the lobster course. It may have been the best cooked lobster I’ve had. Lobster jus, frothed smoked tomato butter, and a single tortelloni filled with (just) crab. Tortelloni filling was dry, would’ve benefited by being folded with some ricotta or something. The lobster was cooked so well I cared about little else.
Steak straight up. It was said it was aged 1 month but I didn’t taste the age at all. It was cooked well enough for the thickness, though a thicker cut really would’ve helped with the Cuisson. But it wasn’t overcooked. Textbook potato purée and veal jus. Button mushrooms that tasted like button mushrooms. Cognac foam was a nice touch. This set was boring but as good as you’d expect. Something I deeply appreciated here was that the greens on top of the mushrooms were dressed In a vinaigrette prior to being doused in butter. So thoughtful.
At this point I was pretty full and I wished that the cheese course was supplemental. Morbier, and 2 others the names of which I don’t recall. They were tempered properly. The apple butter with honey and crispy pan d’epice complimented the cheeses well.
Popsicle of lychee, yogurt, and sake was a refreshing palette cleanser. The dusting of black lime brought another layer of acidity. While I normally don’t like lychee too much, this was balanced and subtle.
Always happy to have more caviar. Vanilla flan with a small bit of caviar was as you’d expect. Perfectly cooked flan with a strong vanilla flavor. The caviar portion here is smaller I presume so it doesn’t lean too hard into savory world. This was a large slice of flan that I was too full to finish at this point.
One word that I would not use to describe Maximo is interesting. And I mean that in a good way. Despite the prices and press, it is through and through a bistro. Everything makes sense, and comes as it is. Honest cooking with a distinctive and defined point of view. The ingredients do the talking here. Service was minimal and efficient. Order of the menu was a bit odd though. Notably the lobster ought to have come before the lamb, and the scallop (higher acid) before the kampachi. As far as value proposition goes (I cannot speak to the a la carte selection, which a lot of folks note to be very expensive) I feel the set menu was a great value. An oyster, kampachi, .5oz caviar, lamb, 1/2 lobster, 4oz aged ribeye, cheese, and more at 3300 pesos ($182 US). I’d say it’s a great value considering the luxury ingredients and impeccable sourcing. I’ll certainly be back to try a la carte.
by damastermon