Jazzed for Japanese? Pumped for Peruvian? Inka may be the perfect fusion.
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While Canberrans may not be able to indulge in international culinary tourism any time soon, the world is being served up on a plate right here.
Inka—set to hit Bunda Street in January 2021—is weaving the influence of Peru and Japan in Nikkei cuisine.
If you’re anything like us, you remember places you visited by the food you ate there. Polenta and sausage from that little hole-in-the-wall near the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Murtabak from a bustling food hall in Singapore. And with international travel off the cards, you’d be forgiven for thinking that your culinary adventures are set to be tamed for the next little while. But the upcoming unveiling of Inka’s Nikkei cuisine might cure your wanderlust.
So, what is Nikkei? It’s the name given to an intriguing meld of Japanese technique fuelled by the range of flavours found in the varied Peruvian terrain of mountains, rainforests and coasts. Or, as Inka co-owner Kiehyon Yoo explains, “a transformative food experience of two traditional cultures.”
Kiehyon Yoo, Adam Elchakak, Sunny Matharu, Executive Chef Michael Muir.
Michael Muir—who cut his teeth under Chef Neil Perry at Rockpool—has come on board as Executive Chef, returning to Australia after a stint at the acclaimed Zuma in London and Istanbul, a Michelin restaurant known for a sophisticated twist on Japanese dining.
“The menu will be heavily focused around tropical seafood incorporating Japanese precision of cutting raw fish and treating it with simple, refined flavours,” says Michael.
“Traditionally inexpensive Peruvian dishes are dressed up with Japanese skill, citrus and spice.”
Renders: Artist impressions only.
Adam Elchakak is one of the masterminds behind the project, teaming up with hospitality consultants Sunny Matharu and Kiehyon Yoo to deliver the concept, which includes a bar worthy of its own billing.
Promising “harmonious execution of interesting and exotic cocktails, an intelligent global wine list and beverage selection”, Kiehyon Yoo says, “The Nikkei concept will promote an enticing scope of cocktail styles and flavours from both Japan and South America – combining finesse and balance with the wild and tropical.”
Inka is set to open in Bunda Street, Canberra City, in January 2021.
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