Maita

It is a pleasure to dine at restaurant Maita by Zoë Giroldi and chef Michalis Hatzidiakos. We are warmly welcomed and shown to our table. The interior is stylish and inviting, featuring an open kitchen, a large bar, wooden tables paired with comfortable tub chairs, and a plank floor. Here, Nikkei cuisine is served—a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese culinary traditions. The service, led by manager, hostess, and sommelier Ivy de Wit, is professional and thoroughly knowledgeable about the menu. We order several small dishes to share, including chicken gyoza marinated in a ponzu and XO mushroom sauce topped with sesame, as well as an anticuchero roll with salmon, fried shrimp, avocado, and anticuchero sauce (Peruvian marinade), which is excellent in flavor. Special mention goes to the guacamole prepared tableside; the crispy tortilla chips used to scoop it up disappear in no time. In the glass, a beautifully complementary Les Clichés Chardonnay from France accompanies the meal. For the main course, we have miso eggplant and ponzu topped with crispy leek and pickled onion. The standout dish is the Arroz con Pollo: tender chicken with an authentic grilled flavor, served alongside Peruvian rice, cilantro, salsa criolla, and ocopa sauce (a Peruvian sauce made with jalapeño, garlic, and Peruvian chili paste). All dishes are meticulously prepared and visually stunning. To finish, there is a homemade chocolate tart with chocolate sauce, dulce de leche ice cream, and crumble. Delicious, though quite rich. In summary: excellent food, well-paired wines, a cozy atmosphere, and friendly, attentive service. Maita is definitely a place to return to!

Owners Zoë Giroldi and Michalis Hatzidiakos are steadily expanding their Haarlem-based hospitality empire. Featuring a warm interior, an open kitchen, and great lounge music, Nikkei cuisine—a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavors—takes center stage here. This means you can order traditional ceviche and handmade sushi, as well as impressive blends of these two culinary worlds. Manager and sommelier Ivy de Wit serves a variety of mouthwatering dishes, such as ceviche classico with the day’s catch (sea bass this time), leche de tigre, cilantro, crispy corn, red onion, sweet potato, and chili. Crispy fried rice balls topped with fresh tuna tartare and drizzled with a combination of spicy and sweet huancaina and unagi sauces also earn their share of applause. Served alongside a refreshing Albariño 2021 from Rías Baixas, offering bright notes and crisp green apple, the meal continues with generously filled empanadas containing seasoned ground beef and aji amarillo sauce. The dough could be slightly thinner, but that is the only critique. The wine list boasts a wide selection of reasonably priced bottles, with single glasses poured generously. After a brief pause, we move on to chicken gyoza and acevichado rolls featuring tuna, fried shrimp, and acevichado sauce (a blend of mayonnaise and leche de tigre). Be sure to save room for the house-made desserts, like the Basque cheesecake: creamy with a refined touch of tonka bean. Welcome to Lekker!