The cuisine at Maya is a blend of the earthy flavors of Mexico, ingredients from around the world and the creative cooking techniques of chef Richard Sandoval. I was invited there recently to sample Maya’s modern Mexican fare.
We started with theor bold-flavored margaritas ($13) made with house-infused tequilas and served in a glass with the rim dipped in a blend of sugar, salt and chile pasilla powder. I ordered the Yucatán, with blood orange juice and — with the server’s advice — Don Julio blanco infused with jalapeño instead of the menu-listed habañero and was glad I did. The drink had just the right kick for spiciness-lover me. The Maya that my dining partner tried was a bit sweet for me, made with Agavales blanco tequila, citrus and tamarind puree.
One of the evening’s disappointment was the spicy crab guacamole ($16), as the guacamole wasn’t fresh, the crab wasn’t spicy. Instead we nibbled on the chips dipped in the three Mexican sauces, each with lots of character: tomatillo, tomato and very spicy habañero. For the freshest guacamole, I recommend the tableside prep.
The not-to-be missed appetizer is the odd sounding, but delicious amalgam of wild mushroom and goat cheese on a oblong, fried masa (huarache) flatbread ($10). Also tasty — albeit with a runny filling — is the poblano chile relleno ($16) atop a black bean purée, drizzled crema fresca and filled with small shrimp, calamari pieces and bay scallops.
The huitlacoche (a corn fungus – yes fungus —delicacy) wild mushroom and ricotta enchiladas ($20) with roasted garlic in a fire-roasted poblano chile sauce was void of the unique musty, earthy 
flavor of the huitlacoche. Skip it.
I highly recommend the ordinary sounding, but incredibly delicious Atlantic cod taco with three soft tortillas filled with ($15) crispy cod topped with crunchy cabbage and pickled cucumbers, served with a poblano tartar sauce. An interesting blend of flavors and textures.
Also quite tasty is the poached-in-butter shelled lobster — traditionally harvested from the Yucatán, a southern part of Mexico — and shrimp served over corn puree, topped with piles of fresh watercress, diced avocado and tomatoes with both a chile de árbol sauce and a habañero rouille. Also recommendable are the pork carnitas — layers of tender slow-roasted pork shoulder ($25) and tenderloin piled high with creamed avocado, black beans and a red onion-mandarin salsa, topped with citrus sections. Unless it’s corn season, skip the Mexican corn spread with chipotle mayo and sprinkled with casa fresco, chili powder!
Desserts ($9) included the Flan de Coco flavored with rose petal, served with pistachio gelato and garnished with fresh mandarin oranges; and — my preferred — the molten Abuelita chocolate cake in a puddle of crème anglaise, topped with gelato and drizzled with hibiscus sauce.
My perfect ending was one of Maya’s aged tequilas served in a snifter — specifically, the Riazul Añejo ($15) with a subtle hint of honey, butterscotch, vanilla, dried fruits and spices.
– bonnie
Maya Modern Mexican Cuisine & Tequila Bar
Upper East Side
1191 1st Ave
New York, NY 10021
(212) 585-1818
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