My My Mai Mai 2/2 in Panama

On a recent stopover in Panama City, I choose to have dinner at Mai Mai, which is from the same group as Maito, which I previously dined at on my first trip to Panama; and loved. I learned about Mai Mai from the inflight magazine of all places. On their IG page, they describe themselves as an Izakaya. I would describe it as Japanese Peruvian. As I mentioned in previous posts, Panama is an incredible place to eat. Mai Mai has a modern vibe and we sat at the “sushi” bar with a view of the open kitchen.

Here was the menu that evening:

We started with a ceviche which was pretty good:

Then had some VERY delicious nigiris including the wagyu, unagi, tuna with quail egg and toro. Everything was on point including the rice, and I was very impressed.

Next, we had the siu mai.

…and then the baby ramen which impressed me again. When I have ramen at places that don’t specialize in ramen, I am always prepared for disappointment. This one did NOT disappoint. The broth was deep and well developed. Very delicious.

Next, the lomo saltado, a classic Peruvian dish. It was good, but not the best I’ve had.

Finally, some robata (beef) which were very good also.

Overall, even though the servers did not speak a lot of English, the service was very good. The food and atmosphere were equally good, and I would definitely return here. If you decide to check it out, make sure you book in advance or get your hotel to book for you. We weren’t able to get a table online and our hotel was able to book us at the counter. Panama delivers a fantastic food experience yet again! This is even more impressive considering they are a Latin country, but executed Asian dishes very very well.