Maya Restaurant is located at 303 2nd Street in San Francisco and is worth a visit if you find yourself in the City for a night out and craving some fabulously creative and modern Mexican cuisine. Their recently launched new menu includes some wonderfully contemporary takes on traditional classics that should not be missed. And let's not forget the beverages -- Maya offers the services of a full bar with excellent happy hour deals, creative margaritas and proclamations of one of the most extensive tequila selections in San Francisco.
The decor is sophisticated and chic with dim lighting, dark wood chairs and simple yet beautiful South American-themed wall hangings. The entrance opens into an expansive bar area that could likely accommodate a couple dozen people with ease, which is fortunate as their happy hour deals no doubt attract a crowd. Happy hour currently runs all night, every night (7 days) starting at 4.30pm and includes $5 drinks and wines (think traditional margaritas, specialty margaritas and fresh fruit mojitos) and $3 draft beers (choice of 4 beers) along with $2 tacos (minimum of two tacos of the same kind per order) and $3.50 sides (corn puree, rice, beans, plantains).
After happy hour, grab a table for dinner where your choices become difficult as you peruse their new menu offerings. Starters include three types of guacamoles (tradicional; chipotle with mango and jicama; and chiles toreados with toasted pepitas) which you can mix and match on a combo platter ($11.50 for two types, $14 for all three). Other interesting appetizers include ceviches that similarly come in a mix and match situation -- pay $15 for two types or $18 for a combo of all three (salmon; alcapulco mahi mahi; and camaron [shrimp]).
Main entrees include a list of items that feature "traditional" Mexican ingredients but utilize creative combinations and presentations that surely deviate from your local taqueria. Mole poblano is a dish of grilled chicken breast, cilantro rice, plantains and Maya's homemade mole poblano sauce (full $17/half $14); Torre de huachinango is pan roasted red snapper with chipotle goat cheese stuffed tomato and spinach salad with avocado Serrano sauce, balsamic reduction and crispy onions all piled on top of each other like a graceful sandwich ($20). Daily specials include whatever's fresh such as halibut totec which is a beautiful slab of sesame seed-sprinkled halibut over purple mashed potatoes in a spicy lobster broth with scallops.
Maya also offers an extensive selection of tacos made with handmade corn tortillas. Choices are slightly more grandiose than on the happy hour menu and the tacos themselves are larger (four tacos for $14). Carne asada, carnitas, pork belly, pescado (fish) and langosta (lobster) are featured along with a veggie option of nopalitos (cactus leaf, poblano chiles, onion, avocado, queso fresco, spices).
And don't forget dessert -- Maya follows through with its promise to fill your belly and send you on your way with a smile: crepas de cajeta (warm crepes with vanilla ice cream), chocolate tres leches (succulently moist dark chocolate cake), empanadas de platano (turnovers filled with bananas and walnuts) are on the list along with a pleasing variety of dessert beverages and coffees.
Maya Restaurant: 303 2nd Street, San Francisco, between Harrison and Folsom; (415) 543-2928; www.mayasf.com; see website for hours.
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