Went to AJI tonight for the first time

longtimesloper · July 2008

And we really liked it! The food was excellent and the service was wonderful-you couldn't ask for nicer people serving you!

We ate in the back garden but next time, we will eat upstairs on the deck-i really liked the way that looked. We took our younger child with us who is 7 and they were very kid friendly, they asked him if he wanted an Inca Cola and since he had never had one before, the gentleman was nice enough to give him a glass to try for free before we ordered one and had to pay $3 for it (he ended up really liking it and he got an entire can).

We had 2 appetizers, a cold potato and shrimp one and another potato dish with a Aji/olive sauce on top with hard boiled eggs which was also very yummy.

Hubby had grilled beef hearts for a main course and I had the fried seafood dish-very lightly fried shrimp, calamari, fish, etc. It had onions on top and the slightest taste of lime-very good. We both had glasses of Sangria which I was happy to see had strawberries in it.

All in all, very good food and very good, friendly service. We will definitely be going back!

jocelyn · July 2008

thanks for the review. i would like to check it out!

pastoralia · July 2008

I will definitely go for dinner next time. Their brunch is a bit lame. All they had were three egg dishes (egg on croissant, an omelet, eggs benedict) along with pancakes and oatmeal. I was disappointed. I was hoping for some adventurous items but I could have made all of this stuff at home.

Why do a brunch with such boring choices? At least put some empanadas on there. Go to Bogota on 5th and see how it’s done.

piero · July 2008

NOthing.... im just gonna stay quiet and listen.

pastoralia · July 2008

Eggs are eggs. I expect them to be perfectly cooked if I'm not eating at some greasy spoon. I go to restaurants to eat something I can't easily prepare at home. I can put eggs on a croissant, make an omelete, infuse basil with my hollandaise (I've got enough of it in my garden), or griddle up some pancakes in my kitchen.

As for Bogota I had those fish tacos for brunch and they tasted damn fresh to me. Everyone at the table agreed and one of my friends is a chef. I also had the empandas for brunch and they were obviously homemade- I guess they just get up earlier and that's why there is a wait to get in to their brunch and there were four other people at yours.

I was willing to give Aji another try for dinner where I've read you really shine but I think I'll just stay away from now on.

new2hood · July 2008

Why the hate, Pastoralia?

longtimesloper · July 2008

Wow! How did this thread turn bad? I just wanted to make some comments about a good restaurant I went to!

Personally, i think lots of people like eggs at brunch, but that's just me! LOL

veets · July 2008

Patoralie... Yes, it seems like your reaction in your follow up post was pretty harsh. Think about it. How many times on this site does someone post about a restaurant they ate in and the owner shows up to talk about your criticisms? Pretty uncommon, right?

Piero has made it clear from the beginning that he and the other owners see this place as a work in progress and are willing to change things as it goes a long to make the experience of being at Aji better.

pastoralia · July 2008

"new2hood" wrote: Why the hate, Pastoralia?

Because I don't think my original post warranted a "you don't know eggs, Bogota's food is frozen" from Aji. I was trying to tell them to incorporate more of their adventurous dinner ideas into their brunch to help them succeed and bring in customers who want more than eggs and pancakes which they can get anywhere (including their own kitchens). I was looking forward to going back to see how their dinner was. Now, I see they don't want constructive criticism. They just want praise.

Go to their brunch and tell me how you liked it. It's good, the eggs were done very well, but it was underwhelming. You have to do more if you want to stay in business or get rid of the brunch entirely.

piero · July 2008

Subject: hi

brooklyn comedy company · July 2008

good response, Piero.

It's nice to see you come here and listen to suggestions.

I'm still hoping to make it down there one day, and will definitely say hello

(but I'm not into eggs much, so it will probably be for dinner)

piero · July 2008

Subject: hi

longtimesloper · July 2008

I can see Pastoralia's point somewhat-you want something different that you can't make. But, by and far, that is not the only reason you go out to dinner or brunch. sometimes, you just don't want to cook yourself, or go to the trouble of going to the store, buying and prepping everything, etc.

Most of the time when we go out to eat, it is so we can relax and enjoy ourselves and be served. It's not just so we can have something we can't have at home (like someone said, you can get a cookbook and pretty much make anything they make in restaurants anyways).

And, again, eggs and pancakes and such are pretty standard brunch fare-I think that is what most people are looking for when they go to brunch-maybe that is why they don't have a more experimental brunch menu.

brooklynbound · July 2008

What are you hours? I went there on a Monday and it was closed.

veets · July 2008

Aji is closed on Mondays all day.

pastoralia · July 2008

Alright...maybe I do take things too personally. But when you say something like I "don't know how to eat eggs..." that's a bit jerky.

I'm a home cook and belong to a cooking club and I guess I was just expecting something "wow" like beef hearts and when it was eggs I was let down.

I will come back for dinner and spend lots of money on booze and food.

possibly_maybe · July 2008

Piero's classy responses really make me want to go there and try it out some time...

peanuts · July 2008

Even before I saw Pastorella's response to Piero, I was put off by Piero's response - first the one suggesting he didn't know how to eat eggs, and then having to put another restaurant down. This doesn't mean I wouldn't go to Aji, just that I understand Pastorella's response.

piero · July 2008

:roll:

possibly_maybe · July 2008

Peanuts wrote: Even before I saw Pastorella's response to Piero, I was put off by Piero's response - first the one suggesting he didn't know how to eat eggs, and then having to put another restaurant down. This doesn't mean I wouldn't go to Aji, just that I understand Pastorella's response.

Oh, I was actually serious, as I must have missed that eggs comment.. But now the original is edited, so oh well.

Still would love to check it out some time. A fair amount of snobbery is sometimes allowed when one really appreciates their craft, methinks...

longtimesloper · August 2008

pastoralia wrote: Alright...maybe I do take things too personally. But when you say something like I "don't know how to eat eggs..." that's a bit jerky.

I'm a home cook and belong to a cooking club and I guess I was just expecting something "wow" like beef hearts and when it was eggs I was let down.

I will come back for dinner and spend lots of money on booze and food.

ugh, beef hearts! That is what hubby had for dinner when we went, he said they were good. i didn't try them, LOL

new2hood · August 2008

mmmmm. I loooove beef hearts!

piero · August 2008

pastoralia wrote: Alright...maybe I do take things too personally. But when you say something like I "don't know how to eat eggs..." that's a bit jerky.

I'm a home cook and belong to a cooking club and I guess I was just expecting something "wow" like beef hearts and when it was eggs I was let down.

I will come back for dinner and spend lots of money on booze and food.

Well in dinner we serve "Veal Heart" and i dont recomend you to eat that as a breakfast will be very heavy for your stomach at that time....
Thank you if you are thinking in coming back i would like to meet you and talk about food.
Please dont kill me if you get to know me.....(just kidding of course).
ciau.

khuntiennang · August 2008

it's good to see that piero is still coming to brooklynian

i have yet to check out aji. will do it when i got a chance

raw · August 2008

Is it healthy to eat organs? I hear that eating liver is "bad" and am wondering about the hearts.

khuntiennang · August 2008

I don't eat internal stuff, but I think most internal organs are usually high in cholesterol, just like how good food usually are

piero · August 2008

KhuntienNang wrote: I don't eat internal stuff, but I think most internal organs are usually high in cholesterol, just like how good food usually are

Is safe to eat it but not on your daily basis.....
Is like eating foi gras..... is deliscious but not everyday.
Im always reading Brooklynian.... everytime i can.

I do care what people say about my place.
thank you.

veets · August 2008

I think anything you eat in moderation won't do you damage in the long run. I have had this dish at Aji and though I don't eat that stuff often the dish was terrific. Bottom line if organ meats aren't your thing there are many other choices at Aji to try, inclusing some veggy dishes.

So now that I am back to reviewing Aji.. They have no kid menu but there is one plate that most kids would love... eggs, hot dog and fries. I wouldn't want a kid to eat hot dogs every day but once in a while. My 2 1/2 year old grandson loved this dish and last week on thursday when I was there for the music my friends were there with their 3 kids (age range 5-9) and they loved this dish as well. The earlier part of the evening this place is kid friendly.

longtimesloper · August 2008

Not to sound like I am a partner at this place-LOL! But, hubby and I and younger child went there last night again for a late dinner (about 8:30).

We sat upstairs on the deck (youngest child saw it last time and wanted to sit up there next time). Once again, great friendly service, delicious sangrias and Carlos and Piero after realizing we were there (they saw my son when he went downstairs to use the bathroom), came upstairs and chatted with us for about 5 minutes. Carlos even offered my son a comped inca cola.

This time we had the papas rellenas (I have had this other places and loved it), while Aji does theirs differently-they were also very good.

I had a shrimp empanada (delicious!) and a beef empanada (this was made with ground beef and IMO, a bit dry inside).

Hubby ordered 2 sandwiches-the pork , which was mouth watering, just all kinds of good. and he also had the skirt steak sandwich, the skirt sandwich was good also-but the pork one blew it away in our opinions. either way, we will back!

new2hood · August 2008

as I understand it, liver is not low fat or cholesterol, but has an amazing amount of protein. heart is very lean, and imo, crazy delicious. not sure about kidney.

veets · August 2008

LongTimeSloper... I have to comment on your comment about the Beef Empanadas (which are my favorite)... Most of the time the inside is moist. I have ordered it so many times (at least 6) that I can make this comment.. Only once the whole empanada seems a little over-cooked, including the outside,and that was the only time the beef seemed a little dried out.

Went to AJI tonight for the first time

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