Midtown Lunch

Inka Wall, a Peruvian restaurant, is one of the newer occupants of the “HMart Plaza” in Upper Darby. We don’t have a ton of Peruvian food in Philadelphia,  that’s enough of a reason to make the trip west to the end of the Market/Frankford line.

The decor is super South American kitsch. Our server was very sweet and willing to ask the kitchen our questions about ingredients when she didn’t know the answer.   We were gifted a few plates to try, maybe because we were the only guests in the restaurant? The first was a plate of crispy yucca fries.

Next, a small plate of very simple fish ceviche with red onion and boiled hominy. I enjoyed the sample but might not want a full sized order, I prefer ceviche with a firmer texture and the fish here was pretty soft.

Inka Wall does nice and not too sweet versions of Chicha Morada, the Peruvian purple corn drink and a strawberry shake, that tasted like they used real, rather than powdered strawberries.

They were out of the papas rellenas we wanted as an appetizer, and instead picked the beef empanadas which are baked and filled with a juicy beef chunk mixture and some surprise raisins.

Sauces are important in Peruvian dining. At Inka Wall they prefer the huancaina sauce- a yellow sauce that uses a Peruvian yellow pepper and cheese. We dipped our yucca fries into some hauncaina sauce and it smothered the shredded chicken in our  Aji de Gallini entree. The cheese and milk in the sauce are subtle, making it a creamy, not cheesy consistency.  Its a simple and hearty meal that I would enjoy a lot less in the summer. I added a little hot sauce to enhance the heat.

Besides Polla a la Brasa (we had enough chicken for the day but you can get a quarter bird plus fries and a salad for $9), there are some menu items I’d want to come back for, like the fried skirt steak, duck over rice,  and all of the rich looking desserts.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Hearty, Peruvian food
• Small, but diverse menu (there are even tofu, fish, and veggie options)

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• I like a bite to my ceviche

Inka Wall, 57 Garrett Rd, Upper Darby 19082, 610 713-9001