Dining Reviews



In fine Peruvian food, Orange County is almost guilty of an embarrassment of riches, thanks to members of a single family. Two Inka Grill locations (in Costa Mesa and Lake Forest) are owned by Ana Maria Montoya-Ives and her husband, Kevin Ives. Ana Maria’s sister runs two Inka Mama restaurants in Foothill Ranch and Aliso Viejo. The family may not have cornered the OC market on Peruvian food, but they offer some of the most remarkable examples of this fascinating cuisine.



Inka Grill’s Lake Forest location is immediately easy to like, the sort of place you’ll want to place firmly in your mental Rolodex and flip to happily whenever you’re breezing around near the El Toro “Y” and you get to feeling hungry for something that’s off the usual page.



First – and let’s not minimize this – Inka Grill is just a quick couple of twists of the steering wheel off the I-5, off Lake Forest Dr. and Rockfield Boulevard. This makes the great decision – burger and fries or something a lot more memorable – easy to arrive at in a hurry while you’re cruising at 65. 



Second, the servers are cheerful and helpful if you’re new to the wonders of Peruvian cuisine. They’ll explain, for example, what that squeeze bottle of bright green stuff that’s sitting on your table is...OK, I’ll spoil it for them: It’s a thick sauce made from green jalapeños, garlic, lettuce and other ingredients that is delightfully sneaky-hot, and that after one taste you’ll want to put it on everything. You can also buy it to go.



Third, there’s a lot of intriguing Peruvian art, crockery and other objects on the walls of the little restaurant to beckon the eye. Unremarkable from the outside (it’s one of a handful of storefront eateries in the center) the interior has the casual embrace of a comfortably run bistro. It’s very easy to settle in. 



Finally, the food is going to turn up the corners of your mouth, particularly if you’re a rookie. The almost-familiar sound of several of the dishes make the menu a fun read, and the truly unique offerings can make your final decision a difficult one. (Solution: bring lots of friends and share.) And if the dish names don’t get to you, the ingredient list will. 



There are tastes that will be familiar to Mexican and Central American food lovers, but because of the substantial Japanese immigration to Peru, there are Eastern influences as well: soy and ginger in there with the cilantro and limes. There even are taste contributions from China, Spain and Africa. 



Also, this food is quite discernibly fresh, and the homemade touch is evident. The flavors are brilliant, bordering on the aggressive, as are the colors and textures. This is sensual food.

 

I began with what must be the slam-dunk of the appetizer menu: the empanadas. They’re three handmade pastries filed with a choice of chicken, beef or ricotta cheese and spinach, and they’re served with a little pot of spicy lime-juice dipping sauce. Think of little Cornish pasties with deep flavors and a bit of fire that can be fanned with the excellent dipping sauce. These can easily – and gratefully – be shared. 



The menu description of my entrée choice, chicken chimbotano, doesn’t truly cover it. (It can also be served with pork chops or in a vegetarian incarnation.) The chicken is listed as “pan fried to a golden brown and set atop papa seca (stewed Andean organic potatoes) in a red garlic-chile sauce.” 



The skinless chicken breast was evenly pounded and very lean, the papa seca were lovely little beads of tender potatoes and the whole was wonderfully complemented by a sturdy and spicy sauce that will make you agreeably crazy trying to sort out the complex flavors. OCM 

Inka Grill 
23600 Rockfield Blvd. 
Lake Forest; 949.587.9008