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. Panka is happy to offer vegan options carefully crafted to preserve the Peruvian flavor our customers have come to love.
Dinner provides the perfect atmosphere before heading to concert or sporting event. Panka is happy to offer vegan options carefully crafted to preserve the Peruvian flavor our customers have come to love.
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My name is Mariela Maya, I am the owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant. I have three kids and three sisters, and I just recently moved to Des Moines in 2019. I feel that in today's society it is important to share a story, one that provides a look into a person's life and one that will result in the understanding of individual differences.
Steamed cold open mussels, marinated in Salsa Chalaca and Leche de Tigre served with fresh corn. Deep-fried fish pieces and shrimp, served with Peruvian Sarsa Criolla and homemade sauces. Peruvian style fried seafood, chicken, fish, calamari and shrimp served with Peruvian Sarsa Criolla and homemade sauces.
Reviews (28)
Alicia D'Hont
Jan 28, 2022
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My husband and I had an excellent meal at Panka Peruvian Restaurant last night to celebrate my birthday. The owner Mariela served us. She is so welcoming and takes pride in the dishes that her kitchen prepares. On the left is the Arroz Chaufa con Mariscos and I had the Tallerines a la Huancaina. 10/10 Everything was delicious, I was stuffed but couldn’t stop until my plate was clean. We arrived at 6:30 and were happily surprised to find their happy hour went to 7pm! Such a great spot for an intimate date night!
Veronica K.
Jan 28, 2022
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I give this place 3.5 stars. I was going to give it three stars but my husband really liked his dish a lot, hence the extra half star. I ordered the Arroz Chaufa de Cerdo and my husband got the Salmon Oriental. I don't know what I was expecting but I guess I thought I would be getting something less Asian-y and more Peruvian with South American flavors. My dish was basically Asian fried rice with pork like I could get at an upscale Chinese restaurant. It was supposed to have ginger in it, which is why I ordered it, but I couldn't taste any ginger in it at all. It was good but nothing
Cameron Smith
Jan 26, 2022
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Great food, but blatantly obvious they don't pay their staff enough because if they did, they would have enough employees to give me more than 1 glass of water and give me the check in less than 30min.
edit:
You can very easily find the business insider article about the NYC restaurant, Dirt Candy, that decided to pay its staff $25/hr. They've had 0 staffing issues since. The employees exist, you just have to pay well enough to get them.
edit:
You can very easily find the business insider article about the NYC restaurant, Dirt Candy, that decided to pay its staff $25/hr. They've had 0 staffing issues since. The employees exist, you just have to pay well enough to get them.
Eric Andersen
Dec 25, 2021
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Jeff Jansen
Dec 21, 2021
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Theresa Macdonald
Dec 13, 2021
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Stopped by Panka on a snowy night and was instantly welcomed and comforted by the cozy space they created! Was fortunate enough to experience their happy hour and tried the Empanadas De Ají De Gallina with a glass of Pinot Grigio. The wait staff was pleasant and knowledgeable about the menu and even recommended the amazing appetizer. Dinner came out in a timely manner and left us so full we couldn’t even try their dessert! This is the perfect place to stop by if you’re looking to expand you palette and would be a great place to bring friends or family!
Jacquelyn M.
Dec 11, 2021
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Lourdes S.
Nov 27, 2021
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Emmanuel Mate-Kodjo
Nov 20, 2021
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Loved it. You have to try the pisco cocktails. The menu is extensive, and they have quite a few vegan options available. Very tasty and creative dishes. Highly recommended, and I can't wait to go back to try other things from the menu. I got the veggie Taku Taku dish and it was delicious. I've got my sights on going back to try the veggie ceviche as well!
Luke Davis
Nov 19, 2021
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Helene G.
Nov 07, 2021
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Tarana J.
Oct 06, 2021
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Would not have expected such an amazing restaurant in such a strange location. Hidden in a strip in the parking lot of an Office Max, Panka is a small, hidden gem on Ingersoll Ave. This place serves authentic Peruvian food that can't be beat anywhere except maybe in Peru itself (I've been to Peru and so I know how amazing Peruvian food is). The menu is pretty large and offers Peruvian classics like ceviche as well as fusion Chinese-Peruvian food. The ceviches were DELICIOUS. We tried the Trio de Ceviches and were able to try three different ones and I couldn't decide which I loved
Mere T.
Oct 04, 2021
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Michael J.
Sep 28, 2021
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Made online reservations from two hours away for my fiancé's birthday her her and our kids. Arrived to a locked door with no sign that they were closed and the lights were on inside. Extremely disappointing night as we had 10 people and had to find a new place to dine. Would give it 0 stars but it's not an option!!
Jenny R.
Sep 26, 2021
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We were a party of 4 and had a reservations for 7:15. We were running late and called and asked if we could push back our reservations until 7:30 or 7:45. The hostess said it was ok. We got there at 7:45 and the doors were locked. The sign on the door listed hours until 9 pm. There were many diners in the restaurant but still some open tables. We knocked on the door and waited for several minutes. One of the staff looked at us and made a shooing away motion with her hand then proceeded to ignore us. No one came to the door to explain the situation to us. We ended up leaving and going elsewhere
Kevin V.
Sep 25, 2021
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Chris B.
Sep 21, 2021
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My wife and I were driving through Iowa and we stumbled across this gem of a restaurant. Everything we had was fantastic, but highly recommend the Tallarines Verdes. A sumptuous dish of tender beef and herbaceous pesto on perfect el dente spaghetti. I am not in Des Moines often, but will definitely go back when around and highly recommend others to check them out.
Sandy Y.
Aug 31, 2021
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Lisa R.
Jul 08, 2021
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This place sounded pretty amazing, so I made dinner reservations for our brief trip to Des Moines. I highly recommend it since it is a small and very popular place. I will note that despite the hot summer days, they do not provide ice with water unless you ask. There were also no free plantain chips and dip like mentioned in other reviews (on any table, so just do not expect it). Everything sounded good on the menu, so we leaned on our server a bit for suggestions. We ended up ordering two appetizers: the chicken empanadas and the salmon oriental tiradito. They were both delicious! The empanadas
Nick Lawler
Jul 01, 2021
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Brian Bopp
Jun 28, 2021
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The flavors of Peru have come to Central Iowa and deserve to find a place on the palates of foodies anywhere. Our sampler presented several unique fish dishes, a chicken salad, and amazing warm empanadas. The seared tuna entre was just right. Everything was plated to please the eye in the spotless, modern dining area. Excellent service and reasonable prices too! Give it a try!
Zal J.
Jun 13, 2021
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Phenomenal! Where to begin! Firstly, the ceviche here great. They have a huge menu with a lot of options for ceviche that taste super fresh and tasty. I have been to Peru and tried authentic ceviche and this is comparable if not even better! The aji de Gallina main course is great. Super tasty with a great portion size. The presentation of all our dishes was immaculate making me feel like I was on Master chef, just so aesthetic. The house made salsa picante is amazing and perfect for my spicy taste, I have not been able to find a spicier sauce at any restaurant. Be advised: it's HOT! I highly
Melissa B.
Apr 08, 2021
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Miguel S.
Feb 28, 2021
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I had to drive 2 hours from Omaha to find the nearest Peruvian restaurant. I have been craving my national food for a long time and unfortunately Nebraska is devoid of any Peruvian goodness. Luckily, Des Moines has Panka, which seems like a good spot to eat as its high ceiling and nice decoration makes it pleasant to dine-in. As expected the food was somewhat pricey and the portions rather modest. However, the flavors were absolutely on spot. They do have lunch special combos as well as a variety of A-la-carte selection. The star of the show, though, was the Lucuma Meringue, which is an absolute
Pablo Valdivieso
Feb 25, 2021
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Vi N.
Jan 30, 2021
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I can't attest to every item on the menu but of these, I will swear by:
-Panka's chicken empanadas
-Panka's Tallarines Verdes (Peruvian pesto pasta w/ steak)
-Panka's pisco sour
My family loved, loved these; we are becoming regulars. My parents are generally not adventurous (at all) in terms of food; my brother tends to be particular; and of them all, I've been most privileged with trying incredible food from cities around the world.
If you haven't tried these dishes from Panka: go! Whether it's dine-in, pickup, or delivery--I highly recommend!
-Panka's chicken empanadas
-Panka's Tallarines Verdes (Peruvian pesto pasta w/ steak)
-Panka's pisco sour
My family loved, loved these; we are becoming regulars. My parents are generally not adventurous (at all) in terms of food; my brother tends to be particular; and of them all, I've been most privileged with trying incredible food from cities around the world.
If you haven't tried these dishes from Panka: go! Whether it's dine-in, pickup, or delivery--I highly recommend!
Logan J.
Oct 24, 2020
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Do Not Be Fooled!!!! This is now my favorite restaurant in the Des Moines area!
Tucked away next to two chain restaurants in a new posh strip mall off of Ingersoll is a treat and a ticket to Peru . Amazing flavors in every bite!
My family loves to share, so we all got different dishes...
All the Pisco based cocktails are delicious! I could try them all!! Also, You cannot go wrong with any dish you try. I tried the "TALLARINES VERDES" which is an amazing take on pesto pasta with marinated beef.. Ahhh amazing .. we also tried the "LOMO SALTADO" which is a flavorful beef and
Tucked away next to two chain restaurants in a new posh strip mall off of Ingersoll is a treat and a ticket to Peru . Amazing flavors in every bite!
My family loves to share, so we all got different dishes...
All the Pisco based cocktails are delicious! I could try them all!! Also, You cannot go wrong with any dish you try. I tried the "TALLARINES VERDES" which is an amazing take on pesto pasta with marinated beef.. Ahhh amazing .. we also tried the "LOMO SALTADO" which is a flavorful beef and
Dee W.
Nov 29, 2019
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They had me at ceviche! The chicharrones and ceviche were the perfect balance of spice, pickled onion, fish and crunch. They serve plantains with a semi spicy aioli and it was light and a favorite around the table! The fried appetizer lightly breaded and also delicious. You couldn't find the chicken among the fish and shrimp. The brien sauce had a tiny bit more spice. I loved the pesto and I hate pesto! The martini glass of ceviche was Tropical. Salmon and Anguilla salad was light and the dressing was a little sweet but plenty of vinegar as well. Lomo Saltado beef was perfectly cooked and
