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| - I can honestly say that Estacion Inka is the first Peruvian sandwich restaurant I ever patronized. But in my never-ending search for the best sandwiches in Madison, would it be a visit I'd regret or would it open the door to a completely new realm of enchanting sandwichery?
Estacion Inka is housed in a humble storefront on University Avenue. If you're traveling by car, there's no parking in front of the restaurant, so you need to search for street parking on Gilman or Frances Streets or the Frances Street ramp.
The restaurant provides counter service. There was a bit of a language barrier during the ordering process, but ultimately, through a series of nods and points at the menu board, the cashier and I agreed that I was ordering the El Chicharron de Esmeralda sandwich. The menu options, listed on a chalkboard above the cashier's station, are limited to burgers, sandwiches and roasted chicken. Given the interesting sandwich options, it took me a while to decide what to order. While it wasn't in the card for this visit, Estacion Inka also has a robust set of dessert options (suspiro limeno, tres leches, mouse de lucuma and alfajores to name a few) and 100% natural fruit juices (including options like lucuma, plantain, passion fruit and guanabana).
White is the operative word when describing the interior - white walls, white tables, white chairs. There are two flat screens in the restaurant - during my visit, one had sports programming and the other was tuned in to the Food Network. The latter had the volume turned up higher than necessary for the tiny interior. Compounding the noise problem are the densely packed tables. Given the initial popularity of the restaurant, you'll be privy to the conversation of others, so pray that your dining neighbors are fetching conversationalists. Unfortunately for me, the neighboring table during my visit was populated by a group of three bros sharing dating advice, resulting in a temporary reduction of this Yelper's IQ.
The restaurant offers free Wi-Fi but it took about 20 minutes to figure out the password. To the credit of the host, she was very persistent in helping to resolve this issue.
As I mentioned earlier, I ordered the $7.99 El Chicharron de Esmeralda sandwich, mainly because the menu description indicated was not one, but two "secret ingredients". When the server dropped off my sandwich, I was admittedly dismayed to see it served on a dry, sesame Kaiser roll and topped with a sh!t ton of raw red onions. Then I took a deep breath, bit into my sandwich and...SWEET BABY JESUS, I had that WOW! moment, we all pray for when venturing to a new restaurant. My senses were bombarded by the terrific flavor combination bright lime juice and deep roasted pork. While the combination of pork and lime is not a new concept, it was the intensity of the flavors that caught me off guard. A glorious sear on the pork, which included a little fat to boost the flavor, was instrumental in developing the symphony of flavor that greeted me. Those red onions that I initially worried about added some appreciated bite without contributing any overwhelming bitterness. A touch of cilantro (sorry Sallie Jo) provided added authenticity to the dish. While the sandwich provided peppery heat, I really didn't notice it until I had finished devouring my meal.
Even with the noisy atmosphere and wonky Wi-Fi, the bold flavors of the food have me eagerly anticipating a return visit to Inka Estacion.
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