Restaurant Review:

The chicken empanadas we picked were stuffed with meat, raisins and cilantro, and though a soy sauce/lime juice sauce was available for dipping, the dish stood better without it.

Rosa had Lomo Saltado for her entrée, and I was lucky to get a bite of it. The strips of marinated steak, onions, French fries and tomato chunks were incredible.

The stir frying made it light and tender, and though it was served with rice, Rosa wisely didn’t mix the two, allowing the leftover juice to be dabbed up by the rice after the dish was eaten.

My weakness for paella was glaring when I chose it over the jalea, a breaded variety of seafood with a sauce including peppers, onions and garlic.

They do offer jalea as an appetizer, so that would be an option for a future visit.

The paella though was outstanding. The saffron-infused rice was filled with calamari, shrimp and mussels. Chiles added a subtle kick to it, but wasn’t nearly as spicy as the ari amarillo.

Though the paella was my first choice, I saw many other items I could have chosen, including several different types of ceviche and a version of saltado that included pasta.

Bingham never returned to Machu Picchu after his discovery, instead settling for a career as a senator and lecturer.

I will not make the same mistake at Casa Inka. I want to rediscover the restaurant as often as possible. There are still many mountains of taste that await me.

CASA INKA

ADDRESS: 8610 Warner Ave., Fountain Valley

PHONE: (714) 847-7555

CUISINE: Peruvian

SPECIALTY DISH: Lomo Saltado

ALCOHOL SERVED: Beer and wine

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $9.95 to $22.50

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes three-item children’s menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: Discover, Visa and MasterCard

RATING: *** 1/2 out of 4

JOHN REGER reviews restaurants for the Independent.