Aji Ceviche Bar

A Peruvian family friends recommendation brought us to Aji Ceviche Bar and my first reaction when I visited was how lovely and clean the interior was. Located in a strip center on N. Dale Mabry, tucked near the back, it was a pleasant surprise.I will mention service first because the people were extremely nice, very attentive and delightful. A very pleasant ambiance. It was an early lunch so it was slow inside but there was constant parade of to-go orders exiting the kitchen. The decor was gray, white and black accents with colorful art on the walls.The menu is nothing short of preponderous, it would take a great many visits to navigate the sheer volume of traditional Peruvian dishes, drinks and desserts it houses. The dishes I chose ranged from good to excellent. I will rate each one. The issues I encountered stem from the lack of fresh seafood, most or nearly all is previously frozen.The Ceviche Explosion is a visual and gastronomic treat. One of the more popular dishes on the menu. Love the fresh citrusy flavor of the sauce. 2 skewers of shrimp with beef loin add to the appeal and both the tender succulent beef and the grilled shrimp on the skewer were excellent. One great detractor was the squid which was hard, rubbery and chewy. Fresh squid would greatly enhance the dish especially since it comprises about 1/3 of the seafood. The fish however seemed to be fresh. Also, I would have enjoyed it more with less corn, more fish and more avocado. I rate it a 4.Second was the Parilla Marina de Mariscos. A plate of grilled seafood. The previously frozen seafood and the chewy squid made it difficult to enjoy. It also tasted as if one of the items had turned. The fried yuca on top was great. They were gracious enough to take that dish off my check. No rating.A trio of sauces added to the flavor profile very nicely. Aji Limo which is a very hot pepper to be added to the ceviche for the more adventurous. Rocoto con Huacatay which also had heat and was a very tasty dipping sauce for the beef and shrimp skewers. Last was the Tartara that was a perfect match to the Fried Yuca. Rate of 5.Next I had the Lomo Salteado. This for me, was the star of the show. Succulent beef cooked Med-Rare per my request in a divine dark and intense wine sauce with red onions and tomato. Accompanied by Fries and White Rice. One of their most popular dishes at Aji and now a favorite of mine. I rate it a 5 and recommend it highly.Curiosity led me to order the Risotto a la Huancaina. I had to try at least one of the yellow sauces. Perfectly cooked risotto in a tasty, silky and well balanced sauce. Topped with parmesean which I enjoyed. It rated a 5 as I found no flaws.I had a beer that I liked very much, a Peruvian Pilsner. They also had a couple other flavored beers from Peru. My cocktail choice was a Pisco Sour con Chicha Morada. It purple color derived from the countries corn of the same color. It was an excellent choice. 5 rating.For dessert I had Mousse de Maracuya. Made of passion fruit with strawberry sauce and powdered sugar. Sweet and tart at the same time it was __________. Also a 5 rating.For me this was a 4.8 rated experience, obviously the lack of fresh seafood was the only issue. I am very excited to return and try some more traditional dishes as soon as I can. There is so much to choose from. Come get ya some.

Stopped by Aji Ceviche Bar on North Dale Mabry and had a great experience. I ordered the shrimp fried rice, and my wife had the classic chicken. The portions were generous--way more shrimp than I expected! Definitely come hungry because you'll likely be taking some home.The little pre-dinner corn pops were a cool touch, adding to the authentic feel of the meal. The staff was friendly, attentive, and welcoming, and the place was spotless. Overall, a great spot for delicious food and excellent service. We'll be back!

This place was incredible! I absolutely loved my Antarctica sushi roll. It was fresh, delicious and also very filling. The service was quick and super friendly. This place definitely can accommodate for a larger group - it also has a great cocktail menu. 10/10 recommend!

This is a great option in Tampa for Peruvian food. We arrived at 6pm and was seated immediately. If you arrive after 7.30pm, I noticed the place was packed and parties did have to wait for a bit. Valentina G was our server and she was amazing! The host as well was extremely welcoming. Valentina assisted us with deciding our entree and she was not wrong. Everything we ate was delicious! We had:clasico mixto ceviche (which wasn't too acidic), lomo saltado (the beef was tender and flavorful)Fetuccini a la Huancaina (interesting combination but delicious)Sin censura rice, not pictured (like a Peruvian jambalaya without the tomato base but full of seafood and very flavorful as well)The portion sizes are large and definitely can be two servings. The drinks were refreshing- the chicha morada, the limonada fresa 18% gratuity is automatically included in the bill.

Friday night date night and we went out for Peruvian food since neither of us have ever had it. This by far is the best Peruvian food in Tampa! Large order of the explosion ceviche was more than enough for both of us and so delicious We ate all, we ordered a large fried fish platter, including mussels, shrimp squid along with Yuka fries. For dessert we had the mousse fantastic and delicious a must have at the end of the meal. Service was great. Everything was explained to us no matter what questions we had. Portions of the food were enough for two person. enjoyed it immensely.Plenty of parking is available in the lot large enough restaurant that you didn't feel squeezed, even though it was full by 9 PM An absolute must try when you are up in the Northdale neighborhood

Don't let the exterior fool you . Once you go inside you are transported to a food truck turned Peruvian gourmet. I have eaten at a lot of Peruvian restaurants nationwide and this is in my top 2. Great flavors , huge portions and quick service . If you are in Tampa and enjoy Peruvian food this place is a must . We had the classics and they did. Jot disappoint. Don't forget to order the pisco sour.

After we were finally allowed in, doors do not open till noon, we were promptly seated. There were several of us waiting so that is a great sign. Restaurant is bright and colorful and clean. Looks new. Staff is very friendly. Plenty of parking as the restaurant is in a strip mall. Now the food. The menu is extensive. Almost overwhelming. The descriptions help but need more pictures so I added some to help. They had the Jarra Chicha Mor to drink and it was awesome. Ryan had the Pollo Saltado. He said it was delicious and very filling. He wasn't able to eat it all. I had Quinotto con Cam. It is quinoa with a nice cheese sauce with a mildly spicy shrimp. It was absolutely delicious. Strange look for sure but the flavors all melded together awesomely. I was also unable to finish all mine. It was delicious. Great experience after the wait.

Fried red snapper is next level good! Ordered take out & it was ready in 25 mins. Fried fish was crispy & packaged perfect to go. Ceviche was excellent & Lomo tender.

Creative menu with all sorts of concoctions. Clean and open dining room. The lomo saltado was well portioned but a tad too salty. The Xplosion ceviche was by far the favorite!!

Ordered the chicharrón the pescado and ceviche for my wife. The chicharrón is always good. When the ceviche came out, i tasted the ceviche and asked the waitress if it had milk. My wife is deadly allergic to diary - the waitress said yes, it had milk, I told her my wife is allergic and can't have dairy. She told me " I should have told her" and she didn't offer to bring another ceviche or anything - I asked her what other countries late I could get with no dairy. She said all of them had diary. Nowhere in the menus it says all their food contains diary. Point here is, make sure your menus reflect the diary issue, and make sure the staff is trained to offer solutions to folks like me. She charged me for the ceviche and I left it there untouched. She couldn't think outside the box. Anyone other restaurant would have taken the untouched ceviche back and not charge me for it. Very disappointing