Señor Aji Peruvian Kitchen — Restaurant in Fresno

Sr. Aji, if you do not cook authentic Peruvian food, please stop to call it Peruvian and rename it as the "world gourmet restaurant" or a "gourmet restaurant" only, or the "creation" of the Peruvian chef. Is this Ok that the owner's wife answers a constructive comment with a rude attitude? Is Taco Bell authentic Mexican food? Is Panda a true Chinese Foof? "El Senor Aji" IS NOT an authentic Peruvian food!! It is not recommendable if you want to say: I know what Peruvian food is. No, No, No! Like any other ordinary gourmet restaurant, this restaurant tries to copy different international flavors or ingredients to become unique. However, those experiments are unknown and not acceptable for the Peruvian kitchen. Please be sure that I am trying to be nice with my review. Lomo saltado with sugar? Really? First, IT IS NOT A PERUVIAN STYLE. Second, sugar is the worst commercial element to addict consumers and is used in other countries except for Peru. Third, it is unhealthy. Fourth, If you are looking for recognition for your style, stop to change the traditional Peruvian food. If you are looking for pride and your recognized name as a chef, do not sacrifice the excellent reputation of Peruvian food. If you want to change it is Ok, but do not betray the Peruvian food. Adding sugar to the "Lomo saltado" with a sauce is wrong. In Peru, we do not combine beef and sugar ever. Cebiche with glazed sweet potatoes? What? Who? In what region do peruvian people add a sweet glaze with a weird flavor of cinnamon or clove to the "cebiche" dish? It is horrible!!!! Is this nice to "hide" ingredients for restaurant clients? According to the FDA, we need to know what we are eating. I asked about the new weird flavors, but the restaurant owner's wife "Denied" all. Later she said that the chef did not release it. When I approached the counter to complete my payment? (About #100 plus tips) The owner's wife was rude, including body communication. She said: Don't worry as a way of sarcasm. The second time I asked if they had a new chef due to the new flavors. I returned to pick up my wife without the energy to tolerate a disrespected relationship. NO! I am not returning to this place. In the beginning, they suggested the last table near the restroom even when the table next to the window was open. It is an old trick. They should offer the best table. Why the last in a small and isolated corner? I have tasted the food before, and it was something better. The waiter is just an employee trying to do her best. Therefore, I paid tips. I have been a resident of Fresno for the last 30 years. I am a genuine citizen of Lima exposed to the best Peruvian kitchen. In addition, due to my profession, I have worked and visited all regions and towns of Peru. I love food and know how one dish may change its flavor when cooked in other areas. I am not saying that it is a bad restaurant. I am saying that it is not an authentic Peruvian restaurant. Regarding attitude, it is a personal problem that can be corrected with suitable training to improve client relationships. The following ideas may help hospitality management, the magic polite phrase: "I am sorry, or we will talk about it with the owner/Chef; I will consider your questions. I will ask how we can release the ingredients of our food to keep our clients healthy. "We care for you is...

Senor Aji is a busy place! Deservedly so, for sure. The service is top-notch, attentive without being intrusive. It can get noisy in there, especially when busy. At these times, dining al fresco is the better option. The food is spectacular, equal to the best to be found in Lima (We ate at the #2 rated restaurant in the world a couple of years ago, which was in Lima then.) The food portions lean towards generous, not truck stop excessive. The jalea is crisp on the outside, seafood tender on the inside, and the batter is the correct, slightly concretious crunchy encrustation. Not your KFC batter or the UK fish and chips batter, but a perfect jalea batter. The ceviches are each different and true to their primary ingredients. We like the Mixto. The seco de cordero is a masterpiece of tender lamb and flavour concentration and infusion. How they accomplish that dish in the minimal time available is a miracle. The chicharrones de puerco is a little variable, sometimes perfectly formed cubes of meat, other times what appears to be random chunks. The 'random meat' is actually more tasty, if not so perfectly pretty, so no loss either way. The pulpo al olivo... genuflect please ... is a gift from the gods!! Thinnest, tenderest slices of octopus delicately arranged on the picturesque platter, peacefully floating in the magical sauce. Served with slices of [toasted?] bread and slices of avocado. If I was ever forced to select a last meal, it would be Pulpo al Olivo from Senor Aji, without doubt. For dessert, my wife always gets the Lucuma ice cream, which for her is heavenly, and reminiscent of her Chilean homeland. If you remember Limon, in its earlier incarnations, that was a mid-grade introduction to Peruvian food. Senor Aji is 1st class all the way. Senor Aji is proud of their food, and they charge accordingly. Rightfully so. So for us it's a special occasion option; birthdays, anniversaries, etc. ... all of them! Dang! I'm getting hungry ... I will have to go try out their...

“El senor aji” is a good business to make money and satisfy curious clients, but it is far away from the celebrated Peruvian kitchen. If you think that you are tasting Peruvian food, you must understand that this type of fusion menu of new flavors are not recognized in the traditional and world awarded Peruvian gastronomy. I have to recognize the great marketing job for this business, quality picture, video and social media of very high cost for a new restaurant, but it is not a good representation of the traditional Peruvian food. This is a good neutral restaurant with influence of spices, fruits and recipes of –all- countries including Peru, but definitive it is not the standard cousin of the Peruvian towns with their regionalist flavors. Example: you can use fruits and spices like black pepper from other countries in your way to cook something, but it does not mean that you are eating Greek or Chinese food. The fusion, storm or mix of surprised elements looks good and colorful, but it does not match with the expected flavor of any Peruvian citizen. The serving size or portion size is ridiculous. I don’t care about the price if the size and the flavor is genuine without any distortion or wrong called “fusion style”. Conclusion: Unfortunately 90% of the menu in this place is not the best or accurate representation of the humble, rich and enough developed Peruvian food that does not much with the very particular, revolutionary and weird mixture of elements and overwhelming fancy presentation in a large plate with miserable portions. It is sad and too bad. We have not good Peruvian food in Fresno CA yet, however, El Senor Aji, even when is moving in the same direction of “El Limon restaurant”, El Senor Aji is better. El Limon should remove the wrong called Peruvian food because in addition of the blurry Peruvian food, they refuses to speak Spanish or identify their wrong called Peruvian food with...