This January, Decimo at The Standard, London will host the fifth edition of La Mesa, its collaborative dinner series spotlighting global food cultures. For this latest instalment, Decimo welcomes the Michelin-starred Mexico City collective Masala y Maíz, led by chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, for a multi-day residency taking place on Friday January 16 and Saturday January 17.
The collaboration follows a research-led trip to Mexico City, where the Decimo team spent time cooking, tasting and exchanging ideas with Listman and Keval at Masala y Maíz. The resulting residency explores shared themes of migration, maize, memory and diasporic identity, drawing connections between Mexico City and London through food.
Masala y Maíz is internationally recognised for its genre-defying cooking, blending the culinary traditions of India, East Africa and Mexico, reflecting the backgrounds of its founders. The restaurant has been widely acclaimed by TIME’s World’s Greatest Places, Netflix’s Chef’s Table (2025), The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Eater and Condé Nast Traveler.
At Decimo, the collaborative menu will bring together both teams’ techniques and ingredient legacies. Expect dishes shaped by Mexico City’s markets, Listman’s work with native maize and traditional methods, alongside Keval’s diasporic influences spanning Kenya, Ethiopia, India and California. The result promises a menu rooted as much in storytelling as in flavour, with memory and migration guiding each plate.
Paola, head chef of Decimo and a Mexico City native, said: “London is a city shaped by migration, we feel that every day at Decimo, especially for myself as someone who has migrated from Mexico City. What drew us to Masala y Maíz is the way Norma and Saqib trace their own histories through food, India, East Africa, Mexico, all carried through memory and ingredients. That story resonates deeply here. This collaboration is not just about cooking together, it’s about the migration routes that define both Mexico City and London.”
Event details
La Mesa x Masala y Maíz at Decimo, The Standard, London
Friday January 16, dinner
Saturday January 17, lunch and dinner
Format: à la carte menu