El Inca Plebeyo Restaurant — Restaurant in London

I've never had Ecuadorian food before-- and this was terrific. I recognized some crossover with Peruvian dishes such as ceviche, tiradito and grilled ox heart.

We shared a bunch of starters and sides. I ordered the tuna tiradito and ox heart. My companion ordered the baked aubergine and tamal. We got the trio of sauces from the sides section of the menu. Because we were still a bit peckish after the starters we also asked for the menestre or bean stew with pork, also listed as a side.

The ox heart starter was terrific and grilled to rare which is great for this cut. It was accompanied by a a soft potato patty made from mash and some very large corn kernels. This dish would have been tasty eaten on it's own, but slathered with the sauce selection we ordered it was marvelous. Sauces were a hot raw salsa containing tomato, coriander, chilli, and onion, an Ecuadorian chimmichurri which was quite acidic and containing plenty of raw onion, and an ajioli. I also pinched quite a lot of the coriander sauce that accompanied my companion's tamal. The tiradito was good but rather restrained after the flavour bomb of the ox heart with different condiments. I should have eaten the tiradito first.

My companion's baked aubergine was lovely, subtle and fresh. For my taste, his pork tamal was a little stodgy. However the punchy coriander sauce that was served alongside brightened it up no end. Our waitress explained that Ecuadorian food is a little different from other South American cuisines because the heat is in the accompanying sauces, not in the underpinnings. This makes it easy to customize the chilli level for individual preferences.

We waited a while for the bean stew which was ordered after we finished everything else, and still wanted something to mop up the last of the sauces. Unfortunately we were delivered the beans with cheese despite ordering beans with pork. The waitress asked us if we wanted to keep the cheese version rather than wait for the pork and bean stew, and I was a little disappointed that the wrong order wasn't offered for free. So I decided for another wait to get the beans with pork, but it was worth it, having tasted both versions. The pork had been braised to smithereens and was soft shredded pulp, turning it into a succulent coating for the beans.

The cheapest red house wine was a decent tempranillo for £30. We will be back and try some of the mains. Our order including a bottle of house red was just over £100. As starter portions are on the small side, mains might be better value. Don't miss the sauces, and if the trio from the sides section of menu doesn't include the coriander sauce (it is listed on the menu, but it wasn't in our sauce selection), definitely ask for the coriander sauce.

We’ve since been back and can add the grilled chicken wings from the hot starters and the roast mushrooms from the sides section of the menu to the “do not miss” items from the menu. Both deliciously smokey. Added photos from our...

As an Ecuadorian I know how difficult it can be to find authentic food and I was very hopeful when I saw the reviews for this restaurant. My family and I decided to give it a try but it was a very costly mistake. To say that I am disappointed, it is an understatement. To start, my family and I ordered a very typical drink called chicha and I expected to get a taste of a drink that I last tried about 25 years ago. I was WRONG! The chicha was a complete joke. The taste wasn't anything like the original chicha. Then I ordered an encebollado, a very typical soup from Ecuador that is served with a side of tostado, canguil, or chifles (corn nuts, popcorn, or plantain chips). Upon getting my plate, I asked the "chef" of the restaurant for the side and I was pointed towards the menu. He expected me to get the side as a starter because according to him tostado, canguil, or chifles is not part of the dish. My family members also ordered other items from the menu and they were all disappointed. Now, let's move on to portion sizes. As Ecuadorian Americans we are used to bigger portions, or at least a decent sized portion. This restaurant has very small portions, in comparison to other Latino restaurants we tried while in London. Last but not least, let's talk about the price! When I said it was a costly mistake, it was. The prices for the dishes are expensive for what they are. My bill was close to £200 for food and drinks that weren't anywhere close to being traditional. To wrap this up, if you are an Ecuadorian looking forward to try true traditional food, please steer clear from this place. To the owner, advertising that you sell typical Ecuadorian food, it is...

In two words: thoroughly impressed. From the starters to main to dessert, each dish impressed on its own. The stars were the slow cooked pork and the quinoa pudding (although that does not lessen the merit of the other dishes). Starters: Sea bass diradito and sea bass ceviche. The diradito paired excellently with the patacones (on the helpful recommendation of the staff) and is otherwise a good balance of saltiness and citrus as could be expected. Sea bass ceviche was fresh and also hit the right balance of flavours, however was overpowered by the patacones and so is better had on its own where it’s flavours will shine. Mains: slow cooked pork and baby chicken. Pork held the right level of moistness and was soft but firm without being under or overcooked (even the edges). Consistent flavour throughout without the usual saltiness that comes with pork - was otherwise the best dish on the menu. Chicken was hot and tender, with the marinade unexpectedly standing out even among the chimichurri. Dessert: Quinoa pudding and chilli chocolate fondant. Think rice pudding x crème brûlée (closest in flavour to pυζόγαλο) but without the mushiness. The glazed top gave a good crunch texture (without being too thick) and complemented the quinoa exceptionally well. Chilli chocolate fondant was dark as would be expected. Brilliant on its own but does not stand near the quinoa pudding. Not to be missed is the freshly pressed sugar cane syrup for use in the ‘all too easy to down’ cocktails. Overall, some more things to try on the menu and definitely cemented a firm spot on the regular rotation. Also recommended...