I live in Chattanooga, but we have made the trip a couple of times to Aji because it is just so darned good. I have been to Peru and this place is authentic and so good! Guess what? You don't have to be worried about getting Montezuma's revenge (pretty much anyone who goes to Peru gets a stomach virus which you become immune to by the end of your trip and then like me kinda sucks because you never go there again...)! Save yourself the airline ticket, watch a video of Machu Picchu, and then experience savoriness of Peru at Aji.
(5)
Christa P.
My husband is peruvian and he loves some good peruvian food! Espically when his mom cooks it lol! But this place really did the trick. We started with a good assortment of appetizers - anticuchos aka beef hearts, empanadas, ceviche and papa a la huancaina. They were all really good - my favorites were the beef hearts and ceviche- they had great flavor, good citrus and were cooked spot on. I wasn't a huge fan of the empanadas- one it was a phylo dough and not very crispy- most likely baked, where I like the typical empanadas with the real masa dough and fried crispy. Additionally, the stuffing was subpar- lacking flavor while typically it has raisins and olives but this only had bland meat. We both ordered the lomo saltado - pan fried steak pieces with red onions, tomatoes, served over french fires and rice. It was good - but not great. While cooked well it was lacking some of the classic aji amarillo or panca pepper seasonings. We would definetly go back - it is real peruivan food.
(4)
Al S.
Pretty good Peruvian food. If it's crowded, be prepared for a wait to get your food. Friendly staff...
(3)
Katie S.
Excellent food with lots of vegetarian options. The service was quick and the staff were very friendly!
(5)
Randy C.
This place should be packed, but it was not. Oh well... the positive was easy parking and getting a table right away. The menu has many vegan and vegetarian options. And I like Peruvian food, having been to some very good Peruvian restaurants. We ordered the vegetarian (spinach and tofu) empenadas. Very good dough, light. Good with the pepper (Aji) sauce. I ordered the flat noodle dish with the mushroom soy sauce. It was amazingly good, even if I felt I was now in a Thai restaurant eating Drunken Noodles. My wife ordered the Vegetarian Stew which was served with white rice and beans. Taste reminded me more of Indian food...I think it was tumeric? But it was good also. The server (very nice and helpful) recommend a blue corn drink (I don't recall any names, sorry) and it was also good. Sweet, but not too much so. The only thing this place really needs is to be able to include beer on the menu and serve real Peruvian Cusquena Malta in a frosty mug. Then it would be perfect. It is 30 minutes from my house... but I will try to be back regularly. Where one can drive past the crowded fast food places and chain restaurants to this gem.
(5)
Janette C.
My first try at Peruvian food and it was so good! The service was not fast but it was worth the wait. The staff was friendly, the food was great and plentiful and the price was nice too :)
(5)
Patrick V.
Being from Atlanta, my (Peruvian) girlfriend and I stopped by on the way home to get a taste of Peru before heading back. We ordered the anticuchos (cow heart kabobs), yucca frita, quinoa, and sabor de Peru trio. Absolute heaven. The spicy aji dip for the yucca is incredible. Having never tried Chica Morada, it is a great drink full of flavor. We will definitely be stopping by more often when up visiting family. Thanks again for an incredible experience!
(5)
Tyler R.
We are so lucky to have a Peruvian restaurant here. Peruvian food is amazing. Most people from around here have never had the opportunity to experience food from Peru, but now it's entirely possible. You may think Peruvian sounds a little too adventurous, but this is hands-down the best restaurant in Ooltewah or even the Hamilton Place area. I promise you will become addicted to this food and be back multiple times. What to order: Lomo saltado Bistec a lo pobre Arroz chaufa TallarÃn verde Also, every dish has a vegetarian equivalent. TIP: Take-out is really convenient. I get take-out lunch from here all the time and it's really fast and convenient. Give them 20 minutes notice.
(4)
Zach L.
Okay. This place used to have so much potential then something happened the owner changed. Lots of great improvement. Used to be a regular. Still enjoy the food. Quantity has become a bit less. Price has gone up. I had a party of 6 adults and 2 children. Didn't feel like the establishment justified the 20% tip but I didn't want to fuss. also a side substitution cost $2.50. Felt a bit nickled. This was probably due to rising costs of running business but I just felt like I was being taken for a ride.
(4)
Heidi W.
Excellent food and warm service will make this a place we'll come back to, and recommend to friends. Great menu too, can't wait to try more Peruvian specialties.
(5)
Valerie R.
I can't say enough how much we loved this place! The staff was warm and friendly and immediately felt like old friends. The food was delicious! And kid approved!
(5)
Jose R.
This is a little piece of Perú in the United States. If you like authentic South American cuisine, you will love this restaurant. If you have never tried Peruvian food, you need to come visit. Had the Ajà de gallina and was not disappointed.
(5)
Nick N.
This is my go to place! Usually eat here at least once a week. Food is consistently good and I think I have sampled the menu over. These days I usually go with the Lomo Saltado which I absolutely love. They also have several vegetarian options too. The place isn't huge so it can fill up quick during the usual eating times but the service is always friendly if not super fast. Always look forward to my next visit!
(4)
I G.
My wife and I each had the "lomo saltado" which was excellent. Very tasty, fresh, good sized portion and very reasonably priced. Clearly this is food that it's cooked for the most part when you order not sitting in a steam table for hours. Restaurant also very clean and the service was also good. We will definitely come back again soon!
(5)
Rick A.
The best food in Ooltewah. Quality ingredients and great service. I like the Bistec a la Pobre with chicken and chaufa (Peruvian fried rice). Lots of vegetarian options as well.
(5)
Jon D.
We will never be back. We have been here multiple times, because my wife likes the anticuchos, and this is the only place around that you can get them. 3 of the times have been a very poor experience. Our first negative experience, we had to send an order back because the corn tasted very bad, like it was old and was not fresh. The second time we tried some vegetarian meals with the fake "beef", and it tasted so poor that we couldn't finish it. This last time was the final straw. We ordered it to-go and got it home and they only have us 4 tiny spoon fills of quinoa and the chicken again tasted like "Adventist meat" (like fake meat), the only problem was that this was real meat. For anticuchos I would rate them a 4/5. For service I would rate them a 2/5 (in-dining proved we had to wait awhile for drink refills despite being the only ones in there). For ambience I would say 0/5, because it is small hole in the wall that does not look very nice inside. For food quality I would give them a 1/5. And for price I would give them a 0/5 because when you compare the quality of food that you are getting for the price, it is not worth it. See the picture of the Bistec a la Chorrillana that I paid $9.15 for. Note that before I took this picture, I had one fork-full of quinoa, two bites of vegetables and one bite of chicken. It tasted so bad I threw it all away. We will never be back.
(1)
J P.
Being a newbie to Peruvian food they were very helpful and suggested an sampler type dish. She also suggested a type of juice made with purple corn. Every bit of it was absolutely fantastic. I was really surprised how good everything was. It seemed very fresh. The service was a hair slow but she was alone at lunch time so I'm sure she was doing the best she could so I'm not going to beat anyone up over it but that is what kept me from giving that 5th star.
(4)
Scottie A.
I had the beef heart kabobs and the half rotisserie chicken. Out of this world good. Be sure to try the spicy dipping sauce with the chicken.
(4)
Tamar I.
Better than what I expected for a groupon! Entree sampler was delicious!
(5)
Corey M.
Had the Lomo Saltado. By far my most favorite peruvian dish. It was amazing! Can't wait to try other dishes here.
(5)
Arpan M.
I was excited about this restaurant due to their vegetarian options and because of the fact that I've never had Peruvian food. The food itself was decent enough, but it was overheated and a little rubbery. I could hear them repeatedly banging the microwave door as they reheated my dinner. My meal was definitely not prepared fresh-to-order. Plus, it came out piping hot - another surefire sign that food has been microwaved. The food wasn't exactly cheap neither. $10-$15. As far as flavor, it was mildly spiced and seasoned. I had to ask for hot sauce on the side to strengthen the flavor palate of the dish. I can't recall what I ordered, but it was the veggie sampler.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Phil M.
I live in Chattanooga, but we have made the trip a couple of times to Aji because it is just so darned good. I have been to Peru and this place is authentic and so good! Guess what? You don't have to be worried about getting Montezuma's revenge (pretty much anyone who goes to Peru gets a stomach virus which you become immune to by the end of your trip and then like me kinda sucks because you never go there again...)! Save yourself the airline ticket, watch a video of Machu Picchu, and then experience savoriness of Peru at Aji.
(5)Christa P.
My husband is peruvian and he loves some good peruvian food! Espically when his mom cooks it lol! But this place really did the trick. We started with a good assortment of appetizers - anticuchos aka beef hearts, empanadas, ceviche and papa a la huancaina. They were all really good - my favorites were the beef hearts and ceviche- they had great flavor, good citrus and were cooked spot on. I wasn't a huge fan of the empanadas- one it was a phylo dough and not very crispy- most likely baked, where I like the typical empanadas with the real masa dough and fried crispy. Additionally, the stuffing was subpar- lacking flavor while typically it has raisins and olives but this only had bland meat. We both ordered the lomo saltado - pan fried steak pieces with red onions, tomatoes, served over french fires and rice. It was good - but not great. While cooked well it was lacking some of the classic aji amarillo or panca pepper seasonings. We would definetly go back - it is real peruivan food.
(4)Al S.
Pretty good Peruvian food. If it's crowded, be prepared for a wait to get your food. Friendly staff...
(3)Katie S.
Excellent food with lots of vegetarian options. The service was quick and the staff were very friendly!
(5)Randy C.
This place should be packed, but it was not. Oh well... the positive was easy parking and getting a table right away. The menu has many vegan and vegetarian options. And I like Peruvian food, having been to some very good Peruvian restaurants. We ordered the vegetarian (spinach and tofu) empenadas. Very good dough, light. Good with the pepper (Aji) sauce. I ordered the flat noodle dish with the mushroom soy sauce. It was amazingly good, even if I felt I was now in a Thai restaurant eating Drunken Noodles. My wife ordered the Vegetarian Stew which was served with white rice and beans. Taste reminded me more of Indian food...I think it was tumeric? But it was good also. The server (very nice and helpful) recommend a blue corn drink (I don't recall any names, sorry) and it was also good. Sweet, but not too much so. The only thing this place really needs is to be able to include beer on the menu and serve real Peruvian Cusquena Malta in a frosty mug. Then it would be perfect. It is 30 minutes from my house... but I will try to be back regularly. Where one can drive past the crowded fast food places and chain restaurants to this gem.
(5)Janette C.
My first try at Peruvian food and it was so good! The service was not fast but it was worth the wait. The staff was friendly, the food was great and plentiful and the price was nice too :)
(5)Patrick V.
Being from Atlanta, my (Peruvian) girlfriend and I stopped by on the way home to get a taste of Peru before heading back. We ordered the anticuchos (cow heart kabobs), yucca frita, quinoa, and sabor de Peru trio. Absolute heaven. The spicy aji dip for the yucca is incredible. Having never tried Chica Morada, it is a great drink full of flavor. We will definitely be stopping by more often when up visiting family. Thanks again for an incredible experience!
(5)Tyler R.
We are so lucky to have a Peruvian restaurant here. Peruvian food is amazing. Most people from around here have never had the opportunity to experience food from Peru, but now it's entirely possible. You may think Peruvian sounds a little too adventurous, but this is hands-down the best restaurant in Ooltewah or even the Hamilton Place area. I promise you will become addicted to this food and be back multiple times. What to order: Lomo saltado Bistec a lo pobre Arroz chaufa TallarÃn verde Also, every dish has a vegetarian equivalent. TIP: Take-out is really convenient. I get take-out lunch from here all the time and it's really fast and convenient. Give them 20 minutes notice.
(4)Zach L.
Okay. This place used to have so much potential then something happened the owner changed. Lots of great improvement. Used to be a regular. Still enjoy the food. Quantity has become a bit less. Price has gone up. I had a party of 6 adults and 2 children. Didn't feel like the establishment justified the 20% tip but I didn't want to fuss. also a side substitution cost $2.50. Felt a bit nickled. This was probably due to rising costs of running business but I just felt like I was being taken for a ride.
(4)Heidi W.
Excellent food and warm service will make this a place we'll come back to, and recommend to friends. Great menu too, can't wait to try more Peruvian specialties.
(5)Valerie R.
I can't say enough how much we loved this place! The staff was warm and friendly and immediately felt like old friends. The food was delicious! And kid approved!
(5)Jose R.
This is a little piece of Perú in the United States. If you like authentic South American cuisine, you will love this restaurant. If you have never tried Peruvian food, you need to come visit. Had the Ajà de gallina and was not disappointed.
(5)Nick N.
This is my go to place! Usually eat here at least once a week. Food is consistently good and I think I have sampled the menu over. These days I usually go with the Lomo Saltado which I absolutely love. They also have several vegetarian options too. The place isn't huge so it can fill up quick during the usual eating times but the service is always friendly if not super fast. Always look forward to my next visit!
(4)I G.
My wife and I each had the "lomo saltado" which was excellent. Very tasty, fresh, good sized portion and very reasonably priced. Clearly this is food that it's cooked for the most part when you order not sitting in a steam table for hours. Restaurant also very clean and the service was also good. We will definitely come back again soon!
(5)Rick A.
The best food in Ooltewah. Quality ingredients and great service. I like the Bistec a la Pobre with chicken and chaufa (Peruvian fried rice). Lots of vegetarian options as well.
(5)Jon D.
We will never be back. We have been here multiple times, because my wife likes the anticuchos, and this is the only place around that you can get them. 3 of the times have been a very poor experience. Our first negative experience, we had to send an order back because the corn tasted very bad, like it was old and was not fresh. The second time we tried some vegetarian meals with the fake "beef", and it tasted so poor that we couldn't finish it. This last time was the final straw. We ordered it to-go and got it home and they only have us 4 tiny spoon fills of quinoa and the chicken again tasted like "Adventist meat" (like fake meat), the only problem was that this was real meat. For anticuchos I would rate them a 4/5. For service I would rate them a 2/5 (in-dining proved we had to wait awhile for drink refills despite being the only ones in there). For ambience I would say 0/5, because it is small hole in the wall that does not look very nice inside. For food quality I would give them a 1/5. And for price I would give them a 0/5 because when you compare the quality of food that you are getting for the price, it is not worth it. See the picture of the Bistec a la Chorrillana that I paid $9.15 for. Note that before I took this picture, I had one fork-full of quinoa, two bites of vegetables and one bite of chicken. It tasted so bad I threw it all away. We will never be back.
(1)J P.
Being a newbie to Peruvian food they were very helpful and suggested an sampler type dish. She also suggested a type of juice made with purple corn. Every bit of it was absolutely fantastic. I was really surprised how good everything was. It seemed very fresh. The service was a hair slow but she was alone at lunch time so I'm sure she was doing the best she could so I'm not going to beat anyone up over it but that is what kept me from giving that 5th star.
(4)Scottie A.
I had the beef heart kabobs and the half rotisserie chicken. Out of this world good. Be sure to try the spicy dipping sauce with the chicken.
(4)Tamar I.
Better than what I expected for a groupon! Entree sampler was delicious!
(5)Corey M.
Had the Lomo Saltado. By far my most favorite peruvian dish. It was amazing! Can't wait to try other dishes here.
(5)Arpan M.
I was excited about this restaurant due to their vegetarian options and because of the fact that I've never had Peruvian food. The food itself was decent enough, but it was overheated and a little rubbery. I could hear them repeatedly banging the microwave door as they reheated my dinner. My meal was definitely not prepared fresh-to-order. Plus, it came out piping hot - another surefire sign that food has been microwaved. The food wasn't exactly cheap neither. $10-$15. As far as flavor, it was mildly spiced and seasoned. I had to ask for hot sauce on the side to strengthen the flavor palate of the dish. I can't recall what I ordered, but it was the veggie sampler.
(3)