The diverse menu and foreign décor of Inka Heritage, 602 S. Park St., may create a feeling of uniqueness, but its closed seating and simple tastes are much like any other restaurant. The Peruvian restaurant includes many seafood specialties and is moderately priced, but nothing from this restaurant makes it worthy of a second visit.
The dining experience at Inka Heritage started with a complimentary cancha corn, crunchy kernels that are heavily salted with a jalapeno dipping sauce. The Aguacate Macchueppichu ($11.95) appetizer is a dish consisting of several avocados served with carrots, potatoes, crabmeat, shrimp and cheese. The plate disappointingly included only one shrimp and very little crabmeat. The large amount of avocados were pleasant, but unfortunately, the Parmesan cheese was the best part of this appetizer.
The Pescado a la Chorrillana ($12.95) consisted of a fried sea bass dish and white rice that was bland, at best. The breaded fish tasted exactly the same as a McDonald's Fish Fillet - rubbery and with little flavor. The plate included grilled onions and peppers coated with a spicy tomato sauce. The best part of this dish was the Peruvian spices, which added an interesting flavor to the onions and peppers.
The Aji de Pollo ($8.95) entrée contains shredded chicken, white rice, boiled potatoes and one egg with a cream of cheese sauce and a milk, mustard and egg sauce. The meat was moist and was easily the best part of the dining experience. At the same time, however, it never really stood out. The limited amount of chicken was shredded far too much and the large potatoes dominated the plate, when there should have been more chicken. The plate, dominated by a salty cream taste, needed more of a defined flavor.
All the portions were large and contained several ingredients, yet nothing stood out as worth recommending.
Ethnic restaurants provide delightful combinations of flavors rarely consumed in an average American diet. However, the two-person meal at Inka Heritage cost around $30 for a fairly bland meal.
