Aji Ceviche Bar - Casselberry FL

By Melanie Courcy | May 17, 2022

Today's new restaurant Tuesday adventure landed us at Aji Ceviche Bar in Casselberry, Florida. This tasty find offers a variety of Peruvian cuisine, including several types of Tacu Tacu (bean and rice dishes), Del Mar (seafood dishes), Arroces (rice dishes), Ceviche (of course), and so much more!

The Digs

We were greeted immediately by the wait staff and seated upon arrival. The seating area is open and airy with a tasteful, yet simple décor. The white tables and chairs give a bright, cheery ambiance, and the environment had an overall 'clean' feel.

The Service

Upon being seated, our drink orders were taken and we were served with a tasty Peruvian popcorn snack. Our waitress was responsive and had useful recommendations. Since we are not familiar with Peruvian food, this was extremely helpful in making a selection from the vast menu. Once we ordered, our food was delivered in a timely manner.

The Tastebud Delights

It was extremely difficult to choose from the wide array of choices offered on the menu. Many of the titles are in Spanish, so we relied on the description and our waitress to make a selection. (Helpful hint - we found out afterwards that many of the items have pictures in the online version of the menu).

Since our goal is to sample a variety of food, we chose the Mar Y Tierra which is a sampler containing Arroz con Mariscos, Ceviche el Popular, Causaki, and Jalea. If you don't know what these are - don't worry - neither did we. But this is all about the food adventure, so let's dive right in!

Jalea is a mixed fried seafood dish over a lime marinated salad, and is perfectly paired with a creamy creole sauce and fried Yuka. The batter on the seafood was light and crispy - fried to perfection with just the right amount of crunch that did not feel greasy, unlike most fried food I've eaten. The creole sauce was smooth and added a nice bit of flavor to the fish. This was my husband's favorite dish.

Causaki is the most unique dish we tried at Aji. It's made from cold mashed potatoes and is served in a form that looks very similar to a sushi roll, but with potatoes instead of rice. I'm not sure what was in the center of the type we ordered, but (according to the menu), these come with a variety of choices such as chicken, shrimp, tuna, and octopus. The texture was very creamy and smooth. The flavor was mild yet appealing. My husband tried to eat these chopstick style, but I found it easier to eat it with a fork.

Ceviche el Popular is raw fish marinated in a citrus juice, Peruvian roasted red peppers, celery, and ginger. I found the dish to be refreshing and flavorful. The presentation was very pleasing to the eye, as it had lots of color along with a garnish of large Peruvian corn kernels and Peruvian popcorn.

Arroz con Mariscos is a rice and seafood dish. At Aji, this dish has a mix of red pepper, cilantro, aji panca, and yellow pepper sauce. I had never heard of aji panca or yellow pepper sauce, so I looked them up,. Aji panca is a mild Peruvian red pepper that is used for flavor and color, and yellow pepper sauce is made from Peruvian yellow peppers. The combination of flavors burst in your mouth with every bite. This was the most flavorful of the items we tried, and was my favorite. I can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!

The Takeaway

We've been doing new restaurant Tuesday since the first week in January, and Aji Ceviche Bar has landed itself a top spot on our list. The flavor combinations in the food are superb, and the variety of offerings on the menu has us wanting for more. If you find yourself in the good fortune of trying this place, I recommend looking up the online menu, as many of the items have pictures. That said, we will definitely be back to sample more tasty dishes!