Would Gastón Acurio or Virgilio Martinez’s Approve?
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cuisine Style: Peruvian
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 2/5
Dined in: March 2018
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Christian Motte
The Inca Empire, also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America and was the largest empire in the world in the early 16th century. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco (modern-day Peru). The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century. Its last stronghold was conquered by the Spanish in 1572. The effects of the conquering plus diseases such as smallpox, typhus, influenza, diphtheria, and measles by 1618 had ravaged the Inca people.
Inka Restaurant part of the Elements Global Restaurant Management LLC is located on the 31st floor of the Sofitel, in downtown Dubai, with the dining room and bar facing the mall and Burj Khalifa Tower while the lounge faces the city. They advertise a journey through Peru’s culinary heritage in an Art Deco setting. I do have to say that the art plus placement along with the furniture style and light fixtures add to the ambiance for higher ratings overall. However, would two of the top Peruvian Chef’s in the world
Gastón Acurio or
Virgilio Martinez’s approve of the cuisine style? Let's explore that to find out. Chef Christian Motte draws from his experiences growing up in Lima and infuses them into his dishes that marry the past with the present. He has transformed the traditional concepts of Peruvian Cuisine and adapts it to a modern market. The menu incorporates a multitude of flavors, styles, and ingredients while trying to stay true to his Peruvian roots. The Sous chef that evening was from Myanmar, I did not catch his name.
Menu:
- Cold Starters
- Salads
- Makis
- Hot Starters
- Main Courses
- Desserts
- Inka Set Menu
Before discussing the food, it is important to look at the overall picture, where the art deco gets high points towards the ambiance, but one thing that greatly lowered that rating was the fact that you could smoke in the restaurant, and there were no designated areas to separate the two. From where I sat in the dining room, the bar was maybe twenty feet away, to where there were two men smoking. One walked through the dining room with a cigarette in hand, leaving that lingering nasty odor. When you come to a nice restaurant for the culinary experience, one major bonus is the wonderful smells of the food, which is hard when you have burnt nicotine around you. As I was escorted to my table I heard a Snoop Dog song playing, followed by 5-6 more R&B songs, wondering if I was in a Peruvian restaurant or a nightclub. Finally, the music switched to Latin.
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| Dining room |
Behind me and down the hall led to the lounge and a second bar, which was also a smoking area. This is where the only restrooms in the restaurant were located. So when you need to go and you're a non-smoker, you have to walk through the smoky lounge to get there. It is funny how sophisticated Dubai is trying to become, and how so many restaurants and cafes are way behind the times, given the number of tourists that visit. As I walked towards the restroom several servers were sitting on the couches with stacks of glass racks rolled out next to them, polishing, and partially blocking the route. When I arrived at the restroom the door was broken (see the picture at the end of this article), and after washing my hands as best as I could from the broken sink, they were very low on towels, without a waste bin next to the door to discard the towel after opening to avoid germs.
You would think that it was busy and hard to keep up, but not so. The servers doing the polishing were not, and in the dining room besides myself, there were three other tables of customers. My server did a good job and was very attentive plus anticipated my needs throughout the menu and finally gave great recommendations, which helped the customer service score go up. Starting off my evening the server recommended a Pisco Sour cocktail with sugar syrup, lemon juice, and egg whites, one of three cocktails with Pisco liqueur cocktails on their list. Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru or Chile and made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers.
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| Pisco sour |
Now we can move onto the food, and though I have not yet been to Peru to meet chefs like Gastón Acurio or Virgilio Martinez’s or enjoy the foods they prepare, I have been to a few Peruvian restaurants elsewhere, and work in food service where some of my clients are from Peru and have introduced me to street foods and other styles. Overall from my visit to Inka with the negative strikes so far, I can say that the food was very good. The plate presentations were well thought out, ingredients and flavors excited my taste buds, and the aromas made we want more, that is when I didn’t smell cigarette smoke. Chef Christian Motte did send my palate on a nice little adventure. In regard to the Inka menu, they do need to make some updates to their webpage. On the website, the menu is vast with many wonderful options. I read them over before visiting and earmarked a few items of interest to try, only to find out after arriving that the restaurant had drastically drawn down the menu, and the items I wanted, were no longer available.
I began with a classic ceviche starter dish, presented beautifully in a nice glass dish made with sea-bass, traditional tigers milk, avocado, and coriander cress. The dish was then topped with a shaved piece of giant corn shaped in a crescent moon for a garnish. There was a heavy lemon flavor with some liter aromas and spice. The avocado was perfectly ripened and paired perfectly with the sea-bass and fresh coriander. Originally I was interested in the salmon tiradito, but it had been removed from the menu.
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| Ceviche |
For the salad section the beetroot and coriander which had my eye had been replaced by an avocado salad, so I moved down to order a maki which on my menu copy had tens elections, but the restaurant menu had only four or five. I chose the acevichado which was a sushi roll and a quintessential Peruvian Nikkei dish composed of avocado and shrimp (wait for my menu copy again), they replaced it with tuna and acevichada sauce. There was a good combination of flavors, where the roll was like any other typical sushi, the sauce made the dish. Acevichada translates as “a sauce in the style of ceviche,” which contains a mix of mayonnaise with a touch of Ajinomoto, lemon, and onion. The spicy element is given by the togarashi (a mixture of ichimi with Japanese spices) and is liquefied until it is uniform and is placed on the roll to taste.
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| Acevichada maki |
Several of the main courses had also been removed but thankfully the one I had my eye was still there. The lomo and tacu tacu dish, a smoked beef tenderloin sautéed in a Nikkie sauce, normally served well done, though I did a request for it to be cooked more on the rare side. The dish had wonderful smoke flavors, though not overpowering like some dishes can be. The tacu tacu which is a Peruvian rice and lentil combination was moist and filled with wonderful aromatics. It was, however, missing the pork which is common in many taco taco recipes. Being that I was dining in the Middle East, it is understandable to not see pork that often. The sauce flavor was very bold packing a large punch that made the dish for me. With this dish, I had a Malbec from Catena Winery, Argentina. The Catena wines are a special assemblage of High Mountain Estate Vineyards made by fourth generation vintner, Laura Catena and chief winemaker, Alejandro Vigil. From my tasting notes on the nose, I got licorice, granite, plum, and blackberry aroma. On the palate, it was medium to heavy tannin with tobacco, berries, spice, hibiscus, and mild cherry with a moderate finish. I would have preferred a Peruvian wine, but they did not have any on the menu, shame for a Peruvian restaurant.
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| Lomo tacu tacu |
Dessert:
Dessert selections were interesting, from quinoa pancakes with caramelized macadamia to an organic Peruvian cacao volcano with quinoa ice cream. In the end, I decided on the Peruvian mess dessert, which was an herb granite, meringue, with strawberries, a brownie whipped cream and praline ice cream. It was described to me by my server as a true taste of Peru. It was presented neatly and then recommended to be all mixed up together to enjoy all the flavors the dessert had to offer. At first, I had a bite of each item, then mixed it. The herb by itself was very tart, but once mixed was perfect. I enjoyed this dessert with a coffee Americano.
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| Peruvian mess |
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Peruvian or South American cuisine Articles and Restaurants:
Ají Verde Sauce A traditional Peruvian green chili sauce recipe served with chicken dishes
Fogo de Chão An Upscale Brazilian chain with 49 locations. Review based in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia
Frevo Restaurant Authentic churrascaria dining at the Fairmont on Palm Island, Dubai, UAE
INKANTO Authentic and traditional Peruvian cuisine in Sarasota Florida
Lomo Saltado A Peruvian chifa beef stir fry with potatoes and soy
Peruvian Cuisine Andes, Amazon, and Lima - A culinary tour with recipes and history
Pollo a la Brasa Peruvian blackened chicken or rotisserie chicken with chili sauce marinades
Pachanga Restaurant Blend of Argentinean and Brazilian cuisine at the Hilton Dubai Marina, UAE
Peruvian Cuisine Andes, Amazon, and Lima - A culinary tour with recipes and history
Other Dubai restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Turkish culinary journey with an eclectic European twist
Plaza Versace Hotel, Dubai, UAE
|
Contemporary Middle Eastern and Levant buffet at Hyatt Park Hotel Dubai Creek, Dubai, UAE
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“Mastic” Ice-cream
Deira, Dubai, UAE
|
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Yemeni Cuisine featuring Mandi
Deira, Dubai, UAE
|
A Modern Twist on Emirati Cuisine
Dubai, UAE
|
A French Style Wine Bar at the Conrad Hotel
Dubai, UAE
|
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Inka a 2 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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10
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7
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3
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Food quality
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11
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7
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4
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Plate presentation
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12
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11
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1
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Customer service
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12
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8
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4
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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5
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4
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Total regular points awarded
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54
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38
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16
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.703703703703704
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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1
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0185185185185185
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.722222222222222
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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2
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
72% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
Far Above the Average Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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5 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Germany, Italy, Spain
New World selections:
Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa,
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Corkage fees:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Semi-formal dining
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Cuisine Style:
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Peruvian
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Conservative to Smart casual attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Modern, Lounge, Business parties, Scenic views, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Warning: smoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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Emirati Dirham (AED)
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د.إ
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€€
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Alcohol prices:
$24.00 USD
Inka:
Sofitel Dubai Downtown
150 Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+971 4 346 9295
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Online reservations
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Website contact:
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Serving hours:
Emirate Local
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 2:00)
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Dinner: Mon-Sun
6:00 pm - 2:00 am
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
New American, Southern Twist
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Safari + Upscale African Cuisine
Sabi Sabi, South Africa
|
Seasonal American cuisine
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
|
Other Pictures:
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| The bathroom |
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| Art-deco dining |
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| The lounge |
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| Burj Khalifa tower from the dining room |
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| Acevichada maki |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
