Inca's Restaurant Cafe & Bar | Darlinghurst

 

This is our first time trying Peruvian cuisine. The closest we've come to Peruvian food was on our honeymoon in Miami. Before we comment on the food, we wanted to share what we learnt about Peruvian food and culture. Peruvian cuisine has many influences from all over the world including Inca (Indigenous peoples of South America), Europe (Spanish, Italian and German cuisine), Asia (Chinese and Japanese) as well as West Africa.  Similar to Italy, there are different specialties in different regions in Peru. If you are a seafood lover and appreciate fresh seafood then you have to visit the North Coast of Peru as it has the best climate for seafood. 

 Ceviche Clasico 
Let us start by saying we polished the entire dish (and yes, even dipped some bread into the juice) because it was amazing. We have never finished ceviche and actually prepare ourselves for a cringe worthy moment before we take the first bite. Why? Because we've had terrible experience with extremely 'fishy' taste....we're glad to say that the Ceviche from Inca's was absolutely divine. The sauce/marinate is a combination of the Peruvian imported yellow chilli, garlic, lime juice and coriander. The crunchy texture from the Cancha (Peruvian dry corn) and red onion was much needed. You also have sweetness from the sweet potato which compliments the dish so well.

 

 Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado is a popular traditional Peruvian dish, a stir fry that combines marinated strips of beef steak with onions, tomatoes, potato fries served with rice. The beef strips were full of flavour and it was interesting to have chips and rice on the same plate. Peruvian food is all about the journey through history and explosion of flavour in your mouth. The Lomo Saltado definitely did this for us. We couldn't wait to dig in to our other main!

 

 Seco a la Nortena

Lamb fillets cooked in coriander and mild Peruvian yellow chilli sauce, accompanied with creamy beans, cassava chips and creamy cheese sauce. Our first time having cassava chips was in Miami at a very reputable restaurant however, we weren't too impressed. It was quite dry and bland. But we know we can't let one bad experience affect our decisions. We tried the cassava chips from Inca's and it changed our perspective on cassava chips! It was well seasoned and super crunchy. Loved every bite! The lamb fillet were again, jampacked with flavour

Pisco Sour

Pisco Sour could be inspired by earlier cocktails such as Whiskey Sour or Silver Sour according to Pisco historians. The Pisco Sour is made with Peruvian brandy, fresh lime juice, ice and angostura topped with egg white which gives it that subtle sweetness.
 

 

Tempted to try Inca's? It's located in Darlinghurst on Stanley Street, just a short walk from Kings Cross Station. If you sit by the window on a weeknight, you will see many locals walking their dogs!

Snapshots of Food dined as guests of Ompty Media and Inca's