Inka's South American Cuisine   12225 Westheimer Rd Suite B Houston TX 77077 832.379.1717 You might also be interested in these:     South American    ZIP 77077   Add Review       MY REVIEW: A couple of friends and I tried this place for lunch on a Saturday. Very pleasant, attentive staff and management. Pretty noisy, considering that it was not very busy at the time. The patio would have been an excellent seating choice were it not the dead of summer. Appetizer combo platter was quite good -- shrimp, crawfish, chicken empanada and more -- worth the price. The ceviches were also tasty. My snapper entree sounded good on the menu, but "served on a bed of greens" means "served on a mound of chopped iceberg lettuce"; a little deceptive and fairly bland, though the fillet itself was nice enough. We'll probably go back again, and I think the experience will be better now that we know what to expect. NAME: tinman856 SUBMITTED: 8/4/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/02/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I have been waiting since October 2007 for this restaurant to open. I love Peruvian food and am a big supporter of the cuisine as one of the best and most original. I have met the owner/chef David Sanchez, and, despite the fact that he is neither Peruvian nor has he ever been to Peru, he said that this was the food closest to his heart. For the record, I am not Peruvian, nor am I a Latin. We went to dinner there on Tuesday evening. A plate of banana chips with Chimichurri Sauce and a second red sauce were placed on the table when we arrived. They were excellent, but I have never seen a banana chip in Peru, much less chimichurri sauce. Rather, a bowl of Canchitas (fried corn, rather like homemade corn nuts) is provided at all meals - even breakfast. We split an order of the Anticuchos (Skewered Beef Hearts with Aji Rocota) and Corn Fritters with Crawfish. The Beef Hearts were delicious, though oddly skewered with sugarcane, a uniquely Southeast Asian touch. They were tender, flavored from the grill and delicious. The fritters, alas, were a different story. They were two small 3" pancakes made with a sweetened cornmeal topped with a piece of melted cheese and three crawfish tails with a sauce that was non-descript. It was a very odd pairing of sweet and fishy and salty. I would definitely not order these again. Two of us decided to split two ceviches and a warm bowl of mussels and clams. The first ceviche - tiradito - was a classic Mexican style ceviche, cured in lemon juice, with fish, bay (small) scallops and shrimp. It had been cured in the lemon juice so long that the meat proteins had coagulated into a solid mass and straight from the refrigerator cold. Acidic and hard, this was virtually inediable. The second was a ceviche of snapper with an accompaniment of pineapple-habañera relish. Good, but hardly exciting, and, in a land famous for their unique varieties of chilis, why use one that is actually not even grown in Peru? Last, we had a bowl of Clams and Mussels steamed over an aji amarillo broth with garlic. This was delicious. The best plate of the evening. It was very much like Moules from Belgian, but with an electric yellow broth that packed a garlic punch with a bit of the chili in the background. Authentic? Absolutely not. Delicious? You bet. Our waiter was Peruvian. When I asked about getting Canchitas or why the most famous of all Peruvian ceviches - Leche de Tigre - the waiter responded that the dishes were an idealized version of Peruvian food, but were really much closer to Mexican food. Overall, I thought that it was ok. Not great and certainly not authentic. I am not worried that there is no liquor license as yet, but hope that the food finds its proper balance and its true voice. Right now, despite the promise of something unique, it remains something that offers a bit more of the same. NAME: nomadsheart SUBMITTED: 7/25/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Friendly service, a diverse and somewhat adventurous menu at a reasonable price. We'll be back. The coffee from next door is equally good. The only thing they're lacking is a top-quality cheesecake. (Note to the owners: We know where you can get one!) NAME: Jay SUBMITTED: 7/4/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I have been there for lunch and dinner and loved both. Can't wait to try the Sunday Brunch, served a-la-carte, which I prefer to buffets any day. Everything we had was phenomenal, and surprisingly light! The empanadas de puerco were very tasty, tempered just right. I had a dish that, while I can't remember the name, I'll never forget the incredible taste. Large shrimp skewered along side sausage over a bed of this amazing corn dish (and here's the kicker... I am not a big fan of corn, except for this.) Some sauteed veggies with a potato aioli. These folks can cook. I should say, create. The food presentation is impecable. Which reminds me of dessert -- if you love tres leches, you have to try Inka's chocolate tes leches. Best sangria we have ever tasted. The service was fantastic both times we were there. All this for a moderate price. If you're looking for a new place to add to your favorites, try this one. NAME: Lui SUBMITTED: 6/26/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: BEST BRUNCH!! They have a wonderful brunch menu, courteous waitstaff, friendly employees, nice breezy patio, and beautiful decor. I highly recommend this restaurant! Excellent food any timne of the day! NAME: foodlover1999 SUBMITTED: 6/23/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Overall Impression: Average with room for improvement 3 1/2 out of 5 They did not have a lunch menu yet but said they were working on it. Until then, if you're looking for a moderately priced place for lunch, try something else. For now, it seems to be the dinner menu. Service: Good, but didn’t hear about any specials if there were any on the menu. Just going to have to assume there were not specials. The dish ordered was duck and the starters were dips of chimichuri and plantains the strong points were the Plantains, however the chimichurri was too vinegary. If the vinegar was toned down it would be tasty. The Duck dish was served with a corn pancake, sautéed or onions and sweet potatoes. The duck was served bone in and appeared to be slightly overcooked. In addition the skin was not as crispy as one would expect. The accompaniment of grilled onions and sweet potatoes were simply greasy. The natural fat from the duck skin combined with the oil of the sautéed onions and soaked into the sweet potatoes for less then desirable consistency. There was also a corn pancake accompaniment, although it might as well have been a coaster for the duck. The corn pancake was mostly hidden with a sad slice of the “featured” cheese melted in between. It was light on the corn flavor and the corn kernels appeared deflated and dried out. Fresh or canned kernels would appear plump and flavorful. Finally the, plate was garnished with parsley... much more consistent of plating at Bennigan's or Chilis. Individually, each of the plate items may have been able to stand on their own, but I can’t understand pairing starchy potatoes with a starchy pancake and a protein. I liked the portion; just wish a little more though went into the dish @ $22 a plate. May visit this place again if C*hurrasco’s is too crowded. I also can’t write this place because of one bad dish, so I’ll be back at least one more time. NAME: sherv SUBMITTED: 6/6/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/6/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My nephew and his wife had been wanting to try this restaurant so suggested we all meet there for dinner. (My wife and I love South American cuisine.) The place was fairly empty when we walked in. The wait staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. The owner, David Sanchaez (?), introduced himself and we talked about the restaurant, the decor (his mother did the paintings) and he made some suggestions for our dinners. The food was great! The Empanadas de Puerco were very light and flavorful. They were served with fried yucca (yum!) and plantains (double yumm!) I can't wait to go back. NAME: Mark P. SUBMITTED: 5/17/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The wait staff and chef were very friendly and helpful with interpreting the extensive menu. I loved the outdoor patio and enjoyed my meal there. Bring a large appetite because the portions are enormous! NAME: Nicole SUBMITTED: 5/16/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: May/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Try the Quail... you will not regret it! Husband got the lamb, it was juicy and amazing. This is one of the best new restaurants in Houston, and a great addition to Royal Oaks. NAME: Sarah SUBMITTED: 5/15/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I brought my family here for Mothers Day after reading a good review in the Press. Went in with pretty high expectations and they were met. The food was tasty and the ambiance and decor was exciting and fun. The meat was cooked to perfection as we desired. The host was sweet and gave my mother a rose, he may have possibly been a manager. I will definately return sometime soon with my wife. NAME: Kevin SUBMITTED: 5/14/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Visited restaurant on Mother's day.Decor & ambience is nice but had a Horrible experience. a few minutes after seated a second waiter arrived and started fighting with the first about the table. final waiter had poor knowledge of plates plus, Mother's day brunch was anything but a real brunch. Had to choose one plate as if ordering from menu. Churrasco steak had good flavor but not quality or tendernes of C*hurrasco's steaks. Plantains were salty & chimichurri's sauce of small portion. Asked waiter for more & got it 15 minutes later afrter complaining. No stuffed figs available for dessert.bad experince will not come back & will not recommend it at all.will stick w/c*hurrascos. NAME: leonnica SUBMITTED: 5/12/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Outstanding food, awsome decoration, service supergreat. There's so much to choose on the menu.. a great variety of south american plates. They served you toasted plaintains chips with chimichurri and some sweet and sour sauce. I love the chimichurri.. yumm!! My husband and I had to wait a little longer for our plates, but they were so tasty and they really cooked the meat the way we liked it that we forgot about the waiting time. We ordered the chocolate tres leches and it was out of this world. We'll recommend this place. NAME: chinesetoyita SUBMITTED: 5/8/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/07/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Very TASTY food. There is so much selection on the menu it was difficult picking...I had the ceviche (coconut) which was excellent. The sangria was a delight. The decor is AWESOME, the tables are beautiful, the walls are colorful, and the air is chill like Mexico. The ambiance is very relaxing, tropical, and chill (Mexico-like). I forgot I was in Houston, yet I felt the restaurant captured Houston's ethnic diversity. The desserts were so yummy...mmm :) I def recommend this place and will go back their again! NAME: pc SUBMITTED: 4/28/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: April/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I've been going to the Inka coffee shop next door for a while and decided to try their new restarant. It was great...cool space, an open kitchen that looks out into the restaurant, and great service. We had the Ecaudoran potato soup & coconut ceviche to start. For dinner we had the duck and the pork ribs in mole. Everything was outstanding....and until they get their liqour license, the sangria is complimentary....sweet. Try this place if you like C*hurascos or R*ed Onion. This has a different and unique twist though...and the ingredients were very fresh and tasty. NAME: themonkey SUBMITTED: 4/25/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 4-25-08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Staff and manager are sweet, polite and knowledgeable. Manager suggested L..something al paso with the "tow" eggs and it was delicious. Ambiance is beautiful with handpainted artwork on tables by the chef's mother and prices are manageable. Complimentary mimosas and sangrias for sunday brunch kept flowing which is great. But it won't last long (They're waiting for their liquor license)! For dessert try he sweet potatoe cheesecake- it's fresh and unbelieveable! I will DEFINATELY be back. Next time I'll go next door to the coffee shop and try something. I've heard nothing but great things about Inka. NAME: butterfly SUBMITTED: 4/14/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/13/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This place has awesome food! I went on the second day it opened and it looks like they resolved any tweaks or issues by that time as everything went smoothly. I recommend the tilapia torta... it's very yummy. Atmosphere is also very lively and the restaurant is really beautiful inside. They were also serving complimentary wine and beer for their grand opening. I'm excited to go back! NAME: I love to eat SUBMITTED: 4/6/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: April/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY