Romanians know few things about the Japanese cuisine, but want to taste new dishes, spices and drinks, such as sushi, octopus, sake or wassabi. “The Europeans and the Americans, who eat a lot of healthy Japanese food, including many vegetables and soya have a Japanese restaurant at every street corner. In Bucharest there are only three restaurants with this cuisine, although Romanians are very attracted by this cuisine and come to Maiko to try new tastes and flavours .” Alina Suruceanu, the general manager of Maiko restaurant, opened in September 2008 stated for Bucharest Herald.

BH: What does “Maiko” mean in Japanese?

Alina Suruceanu: Maiko means first of all elegance, refinement, delicacy and it sometimes describes the femininity of an intelligent growing young woman, with her walk and her gracious moves that make her irresistible. Maiko also means butterfly or the innocence of the beautiful things. Our restaurant started from a philosophical concept before turning into a business. We support the Japanese concept, according to which the food does not only feed the body, but also the soul.

BH: Does the menu include only Japanese dishes or also international dishes?  

Alina Suruceanu: First of all there are fundamental difference between the manner in which the Japanese perceive food and the way in which the Europeans eat. The Japanese pay a lot of attention to details, they have certain traditions they respect at each meal. The meal is first of all a spiritual experience that is why there must be a perfect harmony between the dishes, the tableware and the design. The Japanese obviously use other ingredients than the Europeans and the way of cooking is also different, but in the past years the Japanese cuisine has been integrated all over the world with all the other cuisines.

BH: How similar are the Japanese and the Chinese cuisines?

Alina Suruceanu: They are both healthy cuisines, but there are important differences between them. The Chinese cuisine uses starch and most of the dishes are either boiled or fried. In the Japanese cuisine the manner of cooking allows the dishes to remain rich in nutritive substances. Most of the dishes are served fresh, to keep their nutritive value this is why the Japanese live longer and the women have a perfect complexion even when they are 50.

BH: What are the main ingredients used by each of the two cuisines?

Alina Suruceanu: The Japanese eat a lot of algae that contain iron, iodine and other minerals. Various types of sushi are served with ginger and wassabi. The Chinese generally prefer pork and chicken, while the Japanese eat more fish and sea fruits. The Japanese cuisine uses a lot of vegetables and very healthy soya products.


BH: What sort of deserts do the Japanese eat?

Alina Suruceanu: The desert assortment is limited. They prefer to eat fruits, green tea ice- cream and deserts made of rice. We serve at Maiko adapted deserts, such as tiramisu with green tea and plum wine. They drink sake, a drink made of rice which can be drunk either cold or warm, beer and wine, especially plum wine, which is flavored.

BH: How perceptive are the foreigners and the Romanians to Japanese food?

Romanii stiu inca putine lucruri despre bucataria japoneza, dar isi doresc sa incerce feluri de mancare, condimente si bauturi noi, precum sushi, caracatita, sake sau wassabi. “Europenii si americanii, mari amatori de mancare japoneza sanatoasa, cu multe legume si produse din soia au cate un restaurant japonez la fiecare colt de strada. In Bucuresti exista doar trei restaurante cu acest specific deocamdata, cu toate ca romani sunt foarte atrasi de aceasta bucatarie si vin la Maiko sa incerce gusturi si arome noi.” a declarat pentru Bucharest Herald Alina Suruceanu, managerul general al restaurantului Maiko, deschis in septembrie 2008.

BH: Ce inseamna “Maiko” in limba japoneza?

Alina Suruceanu: Maiko simbolizeaza in primul rand eleganta, rafinament, delicatete si descrie uneori si  feminitatea unei tinere, in curs de maturizare, cu mersul si miscarile ei gratioase, inteligenta si farmecul care o fac irezistibila. Maiko mai inseamna si fluture sau inocenta lucrurilor frumoase. Restaurantul nostrua pornit de la un concept filosofic, inainte de a deveni o afacere. Noi sustinem conceptul  nipon, potrivit caruia masa nu este doar hrana pentru trup ci si pentru suflet.

BH: Meniul cuprinde doar preparate japoneze sau si produse cu specific international ?

Alina Suruceanu: In primul rand exista diferente fundamentale intre modul in care privesc japonezii mancarea si modul in care mananca europenii. Japonezii sunt foarte atenti la detalii, au anumite traditii pe care le respecta la fiecare masa. Masa este in primul rand o experienta spirituala, de aceea trebuie sa fie o armonie perfecta intre felurile de mancare, vesela, decor. Japonezii evident folosesc alte ingredietnet si difera si modul de preparare, insa in ultimii ani s-a ajuns la integrarea bucatariei japoneze in toata lumea, in aceeasi masura cu celelalte bucatarii.

BH: Cat de asemanatoare sunt bucataria japoneza si bucataria chinezeasca?

Alina Suruceanu: Ambele sunt bucatarii sanatoase, dar exista diferente importante intre ele. Bucataria chinezeasca foloseste amidon si majoritatea produselor sunt tratate termice. In bucataria japoneza totul este preparat in asa fel incat produsele sa  ramana bogate in substante nutritive. Majoritatea produselor sunt servite proaspete, pentru a nu-si pierde proprietatile nutritive, de aceea japonezii au o longevitate foarte mare, iar femeile au un ten impecabil si la 50 de ani.

BH: Care sunt principalele ingrediente folosite in fiecare dintre cele doua bucatarii?

Alina Suruceanu: Japonezii mananca foarte multe alge care contin fier, iod si alte minerale. Diferitele tipuri de sushi sunt servite cu ghimbir  si wassabi. Chinezii prefera in general carnea de porc si de pui, in timp ce japonezii mananca mai mult peste si fructe de mare. Bucataria japoneza foloseste foarte multe legume si produse din soia, foarte sanatoase.

BH: Ce fel de deserturi mananca japonezii?

Alina Suruceanu: In ceea ce priveste deserturile, sortimentele sunt limitate. Prefera sa manance fructe, inghetata din ceai verde si deserturi din orez. Noi servim la Maiko deserturi adaptate, spre exemplu tiramisu cu ceai verde si vin de prune. Ca bauturi servesc sake, o bautura din orez care se bea si rece si fierbinte, bere si vinuri, in special vinul de prune, care este foarte aromat.


BH: Cat de receptivi sunt strainii si romanii la mancarea japoneza?

Alina Suruceanu: Mancarea japoneza este in primul rand un element de noutate pentru Romania. Strainii sunt mult mai deschisi la aceast meniu, deoarce in Europa si SUA este o bucatarie care are mare succes de multi ani. In Bucuresti, cand am deschis restaurantul anul trecut, mai existau doar doua sau trei restaurante cu specific japonez.