Dining Reviews



The idea is to determine whether the experience is consistently positive and therefore worth the time and money. 



Which is why it’s a pleasure to go back to Inka Mama’s in Aliso Viejo. Sisters Angela Kishijara and Martha White continue to dish up fine, satisfying and affordable Peruvian food there and at a second location in Foothill Ranch. Inspired by recipes handed down by their mother, the pair have taken a generous handful of techniques and ingredient combinations and worked them into an appealing menu of beef, lamb, chicken, seafood and vegetarian dishes that seem never to be out of season. 



In the heat of summer, one can dine on the lighter fare, and during the coming weeks of winter, it’s no problem to find an abundance of heartier dishes on the menu. The aguadito de pollo, for example, is chicken soup raised from the simple curative that your mom ladled out to a level that re-tains its native simplicity, but causes it to linger in the taste memory like a pleasant dream. Along with the chicken and broth, it contains finely diced vegetables, rice and cilantro juice. It’s that last one that gives it a characteristic zing. In fact, delightfully tangy cilantro figures in many of the dishes at Inka Mama’s. 


The col de pollo is what might be called a double-duty dish. It’s seasoned chicken pieces sautéed with cabbage, onions, cilantro and red pepper, served with a side of white rice. It’s lightly spiced and mildly piquant, and with the leafy vegetables, it be-comes a fine lightweight dish for the dieter or diner who wants to open with an appetizer. 



The cabrito norteno, on the other hand, tur-ned out to be the perfect cold weather entrée, and if you decide on this one, come to the table hungry. It consists of stewed lamb (bone-in) cooked with cilantro, garlic and Inka wine and served with rice, white beans and sarza criolla (red onions marinated in lime). The lamb, very much the centerpiece, is a stout cut, but it is stewed lean and can be eaten with a fork – the meat almost falls off the bone. 

And the richness of the wine and other ingredients thoroughly infuse the meat. This is lamb with a touch of lion. The white beans are an able supporting act: flavorful, substantial and satisfying. 



What to drink? There’s an accommodating little bar in the back of the room that contains the requisite fuel to make what appears to be quite an array of Peruvian-inspired cocktails, including the famous pisco sour. The emphasis is on tropical drinks adapted to the menu through the use of Peruvian spirits or combinations of fruit flavors.

This can make them juicy enough for summer, while retaining enough octane for winter. 



Oh, yes, and the sauce…shortly after being seated, you’ll be brought a basket of baguette slices and a plastic squeeze bottle of a sauce that is joyously green. It’s a house creation made of, among other things, garlic, peppers and cilantro, and it’s addictive. Fortunately, it’s for sale by the bottle as a take-away item. I think I have just enough to last until my next visit… OCM 



Inka Mama’s, 
26741 Aliso Creek Road, Suite E, Aliso Viejo. 
949.360.6263