A delectable mix of South Asian, East African and Mexican cuisines are served up with natural wines at a chic spot in CDMX’s hottest hood.

There are places that can be epitomized by the creative energy behind them or the emotions they stir. Masala y Maíz is one of those places. Even before Wally and I ate there, I highly suspected it was going to be a place we’d love. I first read about the restaurant in the Monocle Travel Guide to Mexico City and found myself swiping through their feed on Instagram not long after. 

Masala y Maíz: Where South Asian and East African Cuisine Meet Mexico

Norma Listman and Saqib Keval are the husband-and-wife team behind Masala y Maíz. While the restaurant has now established itself, opening was no small feat. 

In September 2017, the couple set up shop in San Miguel Chapultepec, but an earthquake epicentered in nearby Puebla had other plans. A 7.5-magnitude quake shook Mexico City and postponed the opening. Six months later, the restaurant was shut down after Listman and Keval refused to pay a mórbida, a bribe to support corrupt government officials. Undeterred, the resourceful duo spent months drifting from one venue to another as a pop-up, while obtaining the necessary licenses and paperwork before being allowed to reopen. 

The “masala” part of the name refers to the variety of South Asian spice blends and relates to Keval, the American-born son of East African immigrants who trace their ancestry to Kutch, India. 

Listman was born in Texcoco, Mexico, and her interest in cooking started when she was young, growing up surrounded by food and home cooks. This is where “maíz” comes in. Spanish for corn, maíz is one of the building blocks of Mexican cuisine and a source of constant culinary inspiration for Listman — it’s a key component in many of her dishes. 

The pair met in San Francisco while honing their skills in the Bay Area and share a passion for their respective ancestors’ culinary legacy — specifically the histories, traditions and interconnections between South Asia, East Africa and Mexico. Just don’t call it “fusion” — for some reason, they hate that word.

Listman and Keval take cues from the mestizaje, the diaspora and gradual mixing of cultural groups in Mexican history due to colonization. This mélange is part of what makes Masala y Maíz so special. 

The restaurant is located in the Colonia Juárez neighborhood of Mexico City, which a local at a coffeeshop described to us as “the new Roma.”

After we had arrived for our lunch reservation (note that they’re only open from noon to 6 p.m.), we struck up a conversation with our server, Ariel, who asked whose birthday it was and where we were visiting from. (I had pre-booked a reservation and was able to let them know there was indeed a special occasion: my birthday.) When we told Ariel we live in Chicago, he told us that he was familiar with the city, having gone to college there and survived the brutal winter. Wally and I laughed in understanding — we often need to escape the months-long bitingly cold weather. 

On to the Main Course(s)

First up were the encruditos, which perfectly highlight Listman and Keval’s culinary philosophy: These thick rounds of pickled corn and cassava chips are served with a wedge of chili-dusted lime whose brightness complemented the dish. 

This was followed by the samosas de suadero. Two were filled with mouthwatering slow-cooked brisket, the other potato, and dressed generously with cilantro. Wally and I can never say no to savory little golden pockets, and these were served with a chutney verde, which added a welcome kick. 

Next, was the infladita chaat, served on a banana leaf. The flaky puffed chaat was almost too pretty to smash. But that’s exactly what we did, following Ariel’s direction. Made with masa, it was garnished with fennel fronds and mint. The pocket was packed with bold pops of flavor and texture: carrots, jicama, pepitas, beets and minced pickled green mango. 

Then came the camarones pa’pelar: seared chile-rubbed peel-and-eat jumbo shrimp sitting atop a contrasting bed of cool, thinly sliced beets. These were accompanied by a maroon-colored dipping sauce that yielded a complex and unusual flavor, which I can only describe as something Alice might have eaten in Wonderland. Vanilla and ghee are your first taste, which gives way to a spicy finish of smoky dried morita chiles. 

Next up: matoke mixiote, banana-stuffed clams steamed in parchment-like maguey leaf membrane and simmered in a flavorful broth of turmeric, coconut milk and tomato masala served with freshly baked paratha, a type of Indian flatbread. 

Wally ordered a Parasol, a subtly flavored sparkling water — but didn’t like it and ended up stealing my housemade tepache, a spiced beverage made from the fermented peel and rind of pineapples, sweetened with piloncillo, unrefined pure cane sugar. 

The restaurant also offers a selection of natural wines by some of Mexico’s finest vintners. We ended our meal with a celebratory glass of Radical, a funky organic red. Ariel shared the interesting story of its vintner, Silvana Pijoan. Her vineyard is located in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja, California. Pijoan was a trained professional dancer, but in 2017 decided to pursue her winemaking passion. 

Masala y Maíz’s interior is intimate and refined and features barrel-vaulted ceilings. I was obsessed with the display of cookbooks lined up neatly on a shelf and the candy-colored glazed terracotta plates and cazuelas our food was served in.

Shaking Up the System

A bit of a revolution is happening at Masala y Maíz. Listman and Keval are fostering a vibrant community, dismantling the brutal culture of abuse and sexism that exists in the food industry. I have nothing but admiration for their mantra, “A construir la comunidad en la que queremos vivir” — to build the community we want to live in. This core belief ensures that all parts of their restaurant meet fair and equitable work conditions. From the local farmers they source from to the team employed at the restaurant, everyone involved is treated fairly, with the dignity and respect they deserve. 

Wally and I are always drawn to chefs who offer surprises for the palette. Masala y Maíz checked every box: delicious food full of unexpected, utterly unique flavors, great service, a pleasing atmosphere and a business philosophy we can get behind. –Duke

Masala y Maíz

Calle Marsella 72
Juárez
Cuauhtémoc
06600 Juárez
CDMX
Mexico