Paying homage to the purity of fresh ingredients from local producers through an elevated concept of global cuisine with a Panamanian accent is the motivation of Masi restaurant, which opens its doors this April 15 at the JW Marriott Panama, in Punta Pacifica.
Inspired by a love affair between fire and the sea, highlighting as protagonists ingredients produced in national land, in Masi diners will be able to enjoy more than 10 varieties of ceviches prepared at the moment, the most representative of them is the Rompe Colchón, a combination of shrimp, squid, fish, octopus, passion fruit and the typical “icing glass” from Colón. You can also find an exquisite selection of elaborations with nomadic cooking techniques using different products from the sea and the garden, reinterpreted towards Panamanian flavors.
In addition, the public will be able to delight in a series of dishes served over hot coals, which pay tribute to fire, one of the most important evolutionary discoveries of humanity, focused on highlighting the primary flavors of cuts of meat and seafood.
The menu was designed by Andrés Dávila, the hotel's executive chef. Originally from Ecuador, chef Dávila has extensive experience in international cuisine, which has been enriched with his arrival in Panama two years ago, where he has learned about the indigenous seasonings of Panamanian communities.
Precisely when delving into the gastronomic wealth of Panama, Masi gives way, whose meaning is food in the Guna dialect.
“En un viaje hacia el caribe panameño tuvimos una epifanía de la cocina en su esencia más pura: los productos y técnicas deben conectarse perfectamente para resaltar los sabores en su estado originario y de esta manera honrarlos. A partir de ese viaje, creamos una experiencia no solo gastronómica sino también sensorial, donde los actores principales de nuestros platillos son los ingredientes y su amorío con el mar y el fuego”, contó Dávila.
Masi's proposal continues with a series of signature cocktails whose names are in the Guna dialect, such is the case of Wagar ue Mommor –butterfly kiss– with a refreshing combination of passion fruit, lemon, grenadine and soda, and Uka Naibe –skin. snake–, as well as three desserts that seek to take diners on a tour of Panama's landscapes based on their main ingredient: the first, as a postcard of coffee cherries at harvest; the second, when the sugar cane is entering the mill and finally, the image of the rice in the field when the seed is still in the plant and the breeze blows over the rice fields.
On the other hand, in honor of the oceans that bathe the Panamanian coasts, the restaurant has a piece by the artist Pascual Rudas, whose main inspiration, like that of Chef Dávila, is mine. The work called MASI represents on canvas the revelation lived by Chef Andrés during his visit and the connection between the sea and the fire, taking them as the main elements of this epiphany.
Masi, located on the 14th floor of the JW Marriott Panama, has indoor spaces and a fresh and spacious terrace, and will operate under the protocols dictated by the Ministry of Health and in accordance with the Commitment to Cleanliness of Marriott International. It will be open to both guests and the general public from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm from Monday to Sunday.
"This new restaurant is a commitment to the country's tourist reactivation through gastronomy," added Demetrio Maduro, general manager of JW Marriott Panama.