Panka Peruvian
Details
This lovely restaurant is closing it's doors on April 9th. Let's visit them one more time! It is Good Friday, but they have lots of seafood options with vegan/vegetarian options as well. Happy hour is 5-7. Panka has a selection of appetizers and drinks available at lower prices, but you can order other items at full price.
Panka is the creation of owner Mariela Maya. After moving to the US from Peru, Mariela wanted to share the flavors of her country with her friends and family in Iowa. Come experience the flavors of Peru.
Panka is located in the heart of Des Moines, on Ingersoll Ave. Minutes away from downtown Des Moines, Panka offers quick lunches to get you on your way during the day. Dinner provides the perfect atmosphere before heading to concert or sporting event.
Peruvian cuisine has many different cultural influences as supported by its rich historical background. Peru’s first inhabitants were believed to have migrated from Asia in 6000 BC. This is what gives Peruvian food that touch of oriental influence. In the 1400s, the Incas came to power, but their empire was short lived when in 1528 Spanish conquistadors came to Peru. The Spanish introduced chicken, pork, and lamb to the Incas and in return, were introduced to potatoes and aji. As European diseases struck the Incas there was a shortage of labor and slaves were brought over from Africa to work on the newly established plantations. Africans contributed to the food dynamic with such foods as picarones which is a deep-fried pastry made from pumpkin dough. Peru’s unique variety of climates and landscapes has also helped in making the Peruvian menu so diverse. Such geographical variety divides Peru into distinct culinary regions as the coastal, mountainous, and the tropical. This blend of ethnic influences and geographical diversity has made Peruvian food to be the unique cuisine it is today while promoting and teaching of unity and togetherness.
I have adapted to American culture, but my restaurant is a way of bringing my roots into the present. It is my way of bringing a little bit of home to where I am now. And what’s better than sharing my home with you? Moving here I learned about American culture and now it is my turn to share with the world my culture. In Peru, food is much more than sustenance. It is a way of bringing people together. When you would get home from school and smell whatever it is that’s cooking on the stove, you were instantly reminded of your family sitting around a big dinner table sharing stories that they had experienced that day. Food is comfort and a symbol of togetherness. It is more than just a means to survive, it is a means of living. To survive and to live are two different things and food is one thing that contributes to our happy living. It holds so many stories and so many emotions. The dishes that I serve remind me of my mother who would always have a meal ready for my sisters and I when we would get home from school. They remind me of my father who would have the whole family laughing at the dinner table. They remind me of my children who would stand in the doorway of our house and yell “MOM WHAT ARE WE EATING TODAY.” Food is family. Food is home. Food is memories and love.
Food is always surrounded by family and it has always been a dream of mine to open a restaurant and share my background with others. My sisters have restaurants in Colombia and Rockford, Illinois, so they served as my inspiration and my motivators. I saw that they could do it, so I decided to take up this challenging endeavor. The restaurant business is not an easy one, but I have learned that I must surpass these obstacles in order to pursue my dream.
HAPPY HOUR -- 5-7 p.m. Half price wine, beer and some appetizers.