Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura

The Path

Japan set the base of the work: the discipline of cooking took shape there, and the line of the craft is visible in Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura’s precision, restraint, and timing. That formation still reads in Maido, the Lima restaurant where Mitsuharu has been chef and restaurateur since 2009, and where his name has become tied to a cooking language built from control rather than display.

The Work Today

At Maido, the food is marked by sauces pushed with citrus and depth, with a kitchen that stays responsive to the day’s produce. Mitsuharu’s cooking keeps that balance between exacting construction and immediacy at the table, using seasonality as a working tool rather than a slogan. The named dishes show how the method is applied: specific ingredients, clear structure, and combinations that are deliberate without becoming heavy. The Triple sets avocado, eggs, tomato, and chashu into one plate, with the braised pork belly bringing a Japanese note into a Peruvian frame. Caracoles al sillao brings sea snails together with yellow chilli foam and Nikkei sauce, holding saline brightness against layered depth. Squid ramen with Amazonian chorizo makes the reference points plain: ramen structure, Peruvian ingredient, and the heat and weight of Amazonian sausage. This is not fusion used as a label. It is a practice shaped by Japanese technique and worked through Peruvian ingredients, with citrus, depth, seasonality, and celebration each carrying part of the load. The result is cooking that stays disciplined while still giving the plate room to speak.

Signature

Mitsuharu's signature dishes include The Triple, caracoles al sillao, and squid ramen with Amazonian chorizo. Each reflects a different facet of his approach: the careful balance of textures, the dialogue between sea and spice, and the way a familiar format can open itself to new expression.

In Their Words “I think communication is very important, to be able to share knowledge and become friends.”

Acclaim

Maido was named The World's Best Restaurant (2025); Mitsuharu Tsumura is the chef-owner of Maido. Mitsuharu's honors include World's 50 Best Restaurants No. 1 (2025) and The Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award (2024).