Cheap Eats - Peruvian delights

I’m at Inka’s Grill, a new Peruvian restaurant on Buford Highway, waiting for takeout. It’s a Sunday afternoon, the height of the World Cup, England and Ecuador are playing, and the handful of occupied tables are all watching the game with rapt attention. A couple at a table in the corner forsake conversation, eyes glued to the TV as they munch on toasted kernels of oversized Peruvian corn (an excellent TV-watching snack, by the way — it’s sort of like a cross between corn nuts and popcorn). A mother and teenage son at the table next to me barely glance away from the screen when their food arrives. Even when the unmistakable, drawn-out “Gooooaaal!” is shouted from the TV — England scoring what would be the game’s winning goal — no one seems too despondent. Still just eating and watching. Perhaps there’s no love lost between South American neighbors Peru and Ecuador.

Inka’s is a tidy but unassuming little storefront, with just a handful of tables and chairs, a takeout counter and a TV in the corner. There is quite a bit of excitement behind the half-wall that conceals the kitchen, and more than once I hear copious sizzling and see flames shoot up nearly to the ceiling while I’m waiting for my food. The host is friendly as can be, explaining various menu items to me and consulting me on my level of heat tolerance. I figure I’d better go for medium, just to be safe.

Peru-sing the Menu: There was nothing that I tried on Inka’s menu that I wouldn’t recommend. The flavors of garlic, citrus and chilies are unmistakable in many dishes. It’s sort of like a Peruvian mirepoix, and nearly everything contains those three seasonings in some form or another. Pollo a la brasa, chicken that’s been marinated and spit-roasted, is deliciously juicy. The bird’s savory brown skin mellows the citrus punch of the marinade. French fries and a simple iceberg salad are standard accompaniments to most dishes.

Fry Me Up, Fry Me Down: French fries don’t come on the side with lomo saltado, but are rather incorporated into a stir-fry along with strips of steak, sliced onion and tomato. Garlic and citrus are dialed up to a 10 in this dish, and each bite just about explodes with flavor. I’d had papas rellenas before, but none so handsomely stuffed as the ones at Inka’s. Mashed potatoes are shaped into a ball around a filling of ground beef, raisins and bits of hard-boiled egg. The balls are then fried until golden and slightly crisp on the outside. Also worth a try are papas a la Huancaina, chunks of boiled potato topped with a blanket of spicy cheese sauce.

Catch of the Day: There were several different ceviches on the menu, but I opted instead for jalea, a platter of fried seafood that offered a little bit of everything, from calamari and chunks of fish to mussels and clams still in their shells. The dish came with fried yucca, salsa criolla (a tart mix of sliced red onions, fresh herbs and lime juice) and a bright green, intensely spicy pepper puree for dipping.

All that for around $40. Not bad, huh? If you’re looking for a new takeout option, Inka’s is seriously worth a try. This is summer food at its best. It also transports well, making it ideal for a picnic or a summer dinner party. Need I say more?