A stroll down Ráday Street is like a culinary tour of the world, with Belgian, Syrian, Italian, Spanish, Serbian and Persian cuisines. Recently, a new flag was planted along this restaurant-lined throughfare. The multicultural dining scene has just become that much more colorful thanks to the exotic Latino touch of the newly opened Inka Grill Bistro. The owner couple has been living in Budapest for 20 years, and finally decided to open the city’s first Peruvian eatery.
The owner couple, Carlos and Milagros, hadn’t seen a Peruvian restaurant in Budapest – so they decided to open the first one and bring South American delicacies to the table. Carlos got on a plane, traveled home and returned a month later with a chef and a special oven, originally intended solely for grilling chicken. As the Inka Grill Bistro opened, various other delights have made their way into the large machine.
The menu lists the dishes in Spanish and Hungarian, so understanding either is recommended when coming here. The skewered beef heart, anticucho (1890 HUF) and the dessert-like picarones, a type of doughnut made from squash and sweet potato (1190 HUF), are prepared by Milagros, based on recipes passed down in her family. As you order, you might want to try a chicha morada (450 HUF), a burgundy-colored, lemonade-like drink made from Peruvian purple corn, quince, pineapple skin, apple and lime, as well as various spices.
While tasting the unique dishes and listening to Carlos, we learned that Peruvian cuisine is fresh, spicy and fuses with the culinary specialties of several other cultures, including African and Chinese. It uses many local ingredients, such as various types of corn, colorful peppers, fish and about 2,500 types of potato. Many of these ingredients are imported from Peru, some of which you can purchase as well: the shelves at the bistro function as a delicatessen.
You can taste the Chinese influence on the dish lomo saltado, for example, where the sirloin strips are marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and spices before stir-frying. The deep-fried wolf trout, jalea de pescado and the Peruvian potato casserole are worth trying, too, as well as the ceviche (2590 HUF), which is fish cured in citrus juiced and served with sweet potato and salad. Inka Grill Bistro also offers a daily lunch menu and occasional live music evenings, featuring a Peruvian guitarist.
