Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria – Upper East Side Class with South-of-the-Border Spice
By Susan Douglin
Taking a stroll through New York City’s Upper East Side is like walking by a display of the best Manhattan has to offer—the city’s most elite stores and classiest eateries. Whether you’re in the area to buy a new pair of Christian Louboutin’s on Madison Avenue or sampling imported gourmet treats from Agata & Valentina on First, this part of town showcases the finest money can buy. So with all of its luxury pricing, it was a nice surprise to discover top-quality Mexican cuisine at a fair fee nestled right into the center of all the glamour. Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria, situated on First Avenue between 64th & 65th is the epitome of fancy meeting family style—a gorgeous blend of elegance and delicious food.
Planning my visit for Happy Hour was a fantastic choice because the vibrant atmosphere and buzzing crowd was something else. Whether it was the after-work crowd drinking and laughing their time away at the bar or the corporate corner where the suits were having a casual meeting over appetizers and margaritas, Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen had amazing food and drink displayed in every direction.
There is no doubt that Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen is also an excellent venue for a date night—or a great place to drown your sorrows after romance gone wrong. The bar is stocked with top shelf liquor and incredible creative cocktails, ready to fuel a celebration or soothe your sorrows, whatever you may need at that moment.
Once I was done gazing around the room and minding everyone else’s business, it was time to take care of the business I’d really come for—FOOD! I started with what everyone who is in the mood for Mexican food should have first—some Grasshopper Ash. Or, that is, Guacamole sprinkled with Grasshopper Ash and served with Tortilla Chips. This is some of the best guac I’ve had in the city. It was filled with fresh flavors, superb seasonings, a hint of cotija cheese, and a bit of a spicy bite. Be careful as you nibble, because it can fill you up quickly, and Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen requires some pacing. You need to leave room for the rest of the decadent dishes awaiting you.
After the guac and chips, I was desperate to try the next course. As if she read my mind, the super friendly waitress appeared with a platter of what looked like an average taco, but turned out to be so much more—a perfect example of the inventive and modern food Maya so proudly boasts.
Tacos generally mean lettuce, tomato, cheese, and some sort of protein—something standard like chicken or beef. But at Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen, nothing is standard. These Smoked Octopus Tacos were sprinkled with Spiced Garbanzo Beans and smothered in Pipian Sauce, a classic Mexican sauce made with pumpkin seeds, before being beautifully displayed on a light and crisp tortilla. It was the perfect combination of flavors and consistency with just a pop of spicy heat. As I washed the glorious mix of flavors down with a sweet, sour, and minty Mojito, my heart smiled.
How could Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen beat smoked octopus tacos? In a variety of delicious ways. The first was by bringing out Crispy Potatoes and Chorizo. This unctious dish of Potato Confit was filled with aromatic Chorizo and dolloped with Sour Cream. Not every restaurant knows how to pull off a good chorizo dish that will be flavorful without being overwhelming, but Maya certainly did it with aplomb.
Next, came the Shrimp Tamal. As a seafood lover, I was excited to see how this restaurant would present a shrimp dish, and I wasn’t disappointed. Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen perfectly mixed the flavors of a sweet corn tamal with a savory shrimp that was dipped in a delicious garlic sauce, before topping it with mole and cotija cheese. Yum! Even the presentation of the plate left me awed and satisfied.
The extraordinary shrimp dish was followed up by an exceptional meat entree. The Pork Belly Estofado was perfectly charred, crunchy on the outside, redolent with the meat’s natural flavors, accented with Mexican seasoning, and topped with flavorful Pipian Sauce and acidic Pickled Vegetables. This dish had a hint of Southern comfort food with an intriguing Latin twist—an absolute must-try! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
After such a delicious pork belly dish, I was very ready for the first item that had caught my eye, which was the Braised Short Ribs in Mezcal Mole. The ribs were so soft and slow-cooked that they almost melted in my mouth and, as soon as I took a bite, the umami-filled juice and smokey seasoning poured right on out. The mescal mole sauce, while incredibly flavorful, was not overwhelming and contrasted beautifully the smoked lime salt sprinkled on the top of the dish.
Some restaurants save the best for last, and Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen definitely did exactly that. While their offering of Mole Con Calabaza, Roasted Pumpkin smothered in Mole Poblano, was a first for me, but it will be a repeat for sure. Pumpkin is one of my favorite ingredients for fall and winter dishes, so there was no doubt that this would be a hit. Still, it was even better than my high expectations. Put together with mole, pumpkin seeds, and cotija cheese, this was an absolute bang of flavors.
After all of the incredible food, I could barely breathe, so while my colleagues sampled and raved about the Tuna Aguachile, a Carrot Broth with Tuna and Charred Cashews, I opted to give my happy but full stomach a rest. However, I figure I now have a perfect excuse to make another trip to Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen very soon—an excuse I hardly need as Maya is officially on my radar as one of the best Mexican eateries in NYC.
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