Aji Limon

Dissapointed with service and food.
Decided to try something new for Sunday dinner. Based on the 4 star review that this restaurant received, family and I decided to give it a try. Upon arriving, waited about 5min to get seated since host was not available. Food was not good. Drink prices were over priced, especially the Maracuya… $ 10 for a drink that was served in a clear kids cup. Service was mediocre. Had to wave server down to get the bill.
Overall, I would not recommend this peruvian place. Anaheim has better restaurants available

Tried this place again for dinner!!! We both cleaned our plates! Everything was yummy delicious and service was good too except I think $ 5.50 a bit steep for a Modelo bottle

I love, love Peruvian food, so when my friend suggested we meet here for lunch, I was stoked. I’ll try any new Peruvian place!
Upon arriving around lunchtime, the place wasn’t too crowded and we were seated immediately. We were given a basket of French bread w/​some Aji sauce. I normally can plow through the bread basket, it’s the perfect vessel for the highly addictive Aji sauce, but this time… ehh. The bread wasn’t as crusty and soft as «fresh» French bread normally is. It seemed a little… stale? But no one should load up on bread anyway so moving on…
I ordered my usual go-​to dish I always get at Peruvian restaurants, the Lomo Saltado. When it arrived, it smelled heavenly and I couldn’t wait to drizzle some Aji sauce all over it and dig in!
Sigh… two things: the beef was incredibly tough and chewy. Now I know there is usually an option to upgrade to filet mignon or something comparable when ordering this dish but I never saw that option on their menu. And really, I’ve never had to upgrade because the beef has never been this chewy! Parts of it felt like the consistency of beef jerky. The second problem? The rice wasn’t cooked properly. It tasted undercooked, like it could’ve used another 10 – 15 mins in the rice cooker. Seriously. The fries were okay, though, so there’s that.
My friend seemed to enjoy your pescado dish but she didn’t touch her rice, so I didn’t get a chance to ask for her opinion about it.
Service was pretty good. Prices were in the usual range of $ 10-​$ 15 an entrée. The location isn’t much to rave about; its in a dated strip mall across from a Rite Aid and Planet Fitness. But parking is plentiful.
I probably wouldn’t come back here because there are far more superior Peruvian restaurants in OC.

Ever since Mario’s closed down, my family and I have been on the hunt for a good Peruvian restaurant… we found it at Aji Limon!
When we first walked at, I was a bit hesitant. It was around 3pm on a Monday and it was fairly busy — a good sign. But then the one waitress /​hostess promptly seated us at a dirty table instead of one of the clean ones. I had to ask her to wipe it for us instead of her offering. Okay…
Luckily the rest of the meal redeemed itself completely. Service was still pretty hit and miss, but the food was delicious. The four of us ordered the chicken fried rice, the picante de mariscos, the bistec a lo pobre and the lomo saltado. The only one that I wouldn’t re-​order is the bistec. Not because the quality is bad, but the flavor is a bit bland, especially compared to the other three dishes, all of which were well-​spiced and delicious.
Portions were large so there was plenty to take home. I would definitely come back if I was in the area!

We went to this place before going to Knotts Berry Farm last week. I made reservations for lunch time. We arrived at around 11:45am and the place wasn’t busy at all. There were only about 10 other customers. They had a lunch special (sopa de res y plato de carne) which only my husband was able to order because they ran out before 12! I looked at the clock. The meat dishes were good, but their ceviche has a long way to go. Not good at all. The seafood was not fresh. The octopus in particular was very fishy. It sucks because Peruvians are known for their amazing ceviche dishes, but this one was definitely a bust. The table wasn’t set up for the 8 people so I had to grab forks and plates from the table next to us because the waiter was too busy to assist. I had to flag him down a lot until he got help 30 min later. I was disappointed with the quality of food. It is very average.

Unilocal Challenge 2016 ³⁄₁₁₆
*2 Star Tuesdays*
Puruvian food that has here for a few years now, located at Knott and Lincoln in the Rite Aid shoping center. Lots and lots of parking.
Been here a handful of times over the past five or so years. Weekdays they offer a few limited lunch specials. I usually can’t find a special I like. Lomo Saltado or Pollo Saltado are the two staple dishes we usually order.
Service in the beginning of their opening months was much better than it is now. I feel like it takes forever to place an order, then get your food.
The purple Chica drink is my hubsters favorite. Sadly there are no free refills on this drink. I get it, this drink costs more than a mixture of sugar and syrup. But seriously, 1 glass for a few bucks adds up.
Not so a fan here.
#820

The service was great, the food was definitely mediocre at best. Lomo saltado meat was too chewy, the green pasta was very bland, and the chaufa arroz especial was not very especial. The bits of meat tasted old and hard, and the only saving grace of this meal was probably our side order of fried plantains. That definitely brought back flavor to all of our entrees. I would prefer Casa Inka in Fountain Valley over this place which makes me kind of sad, because this place was recommended by a Peruvian friend of mine! I will also add that the aji green sauce here is very spicy so sadly I couldn’t really enjoy it with the complimentary bread. I think I will probably go back to Casa Inka the next time I’m craving Peruvian food.

I found my new go to Peruvian restaurant! Having the Mario’s in La Mirada close down recently was sad news for me so I searched on Unilocal for a new Peruvian restaurant and stumbled across Aji Limon.
The servers are absolute sweethearts. All of them had giant smiles on their faces and they were quick to fulfill all our requests. The only downside was that our entrees took a while to come out. I think we waited about 25 minutes, but they give you plenty of bread, butter, and aji verde (the green sauce) while you wait. The aji verde is a lot spicier than ones I’ve tried before so test taste it before you spread it all over your bread/​meal.
I ordered the lomo saltado and it was delicious! It’s a fairly large dish consisting of chunks of beef, tomatoes, red onions, and french fries. It was so good that I went back a few days later and ordered a lomo saltado take out. Will be going back many more times!

What can I say? This place has really turned it around for me. The service provided the last couple of visits has been exceptional and the food even better. Christian and Xenon are my two favorite servers not only because of their southern hospitality, but also because of their knowledge when it comes to the food.

So I used to really enjoy my dining experiences here a few years ago but I recently visited Aji Limon and did not enjoy my meal or service that I received and I probably will not be back again.
Our server took forever, the food was mediocre, and our server accidentally charged another guest’s bill of around $ 70.00 to my card instead of our actual total which was around $ 25.00. I was a server before as well so I can sympathize, but he did not even apologize for his mistakes. Also, it wasn’t even busy and no other employees really tried to help the server either.
I do not write bad reviews often at all, but this was kind of ridiculous.

Customer service was terrible, ordered via phone got there 20mins to pay and pick up and they didn’t even put in the order to make the dish. Very upsetting. Food is mediocre, go somewhere else because its not worth coming to unless you live nearby.

Food is pretty good. Prices are fair and portions are pretty good. I would recommend this place if it weren’t for the «No refill» drink policy.
If you serve food make your profit on the cost of the meal. If you let your customers drink as much as they want, they’ll fill up with the inexpensive liquid and not the food. They’ll leave full and satisfied.
As for my recommendation, go to a place that has good food and the ability to drink to your hearts content.

Tried the stir fried noodle plate, was very salty and oily.
Probably should of stick with lomo saltado. lol
The server was really nice and sweet.
Love their bread and green hot sauce. OMG hot sauce is on point that’s for sure.

Close to home is always the best. Service is always good. Food is scrumptious. I’ve went once when the chicken was dry, so that’s why the four star.
Their green sauce is way too good; you can’t get away from the spiciness. Their rice is so good too, it has a unique flavor.

What a little whole in the wall gem. We looked thru Unilocal for nearby Peruvian food in Buena Park and was guided to this location.
We stared with a beverage called maracuya. It was a delicious juice made from passion fruit. Loved it. The server recommended it and she was spot on. We ordered a carafe and had it over ice. Mmmmm, totally craving it now!
For our appetizer, we shared fried yucca. Sort of like really thick cut steak fries but yummier. I dipped mine in the house aji verde. Can’t go wrong with Peruvian green sauce :)
For my entrée, I deviated from the traditional lomo saltado, chaufa, and milanesa and opted for the Bistec a lo pobre (poor man’s steak). It came with fried eggs on top and a side of rice and salad. You had me at steak and eggs. Albeit it was a thin cut of pounded out meat, but it was still nom nom nom-​i-​licious! I took a bite of my friend’s lomo saltado and it too was pretty good. Meat and fries, how could you go wrong?
For a whole in the wall joint, service was pleasant. Our server made good recommendations according to the questions we asked her. We’ll definitely be back and I will definitely order my bistec a lo pobre again!

Awesome service and food looks great. The waiter introduced us to some of their popular foods

My friend and I love Peruvian food!
It was my first time here; she suggesting eating here for late lunch. We went at an odd time (3pm-​ish).
It is quite clean. It was a bit slow, but I was really hungry and the time seemed to go by a bit slower.
They toast the bread in an oven so it’s delicious. So wait patiently for the bread. It is worth the wait.
We got our usual Peruvian fave dishes. Tastes just like the other place we go to near our home.
I would love to come back whenever I’m in Anaheim.
The people were kind.
Thank you for the great service and BOMB food!

The green sauce here is delicious and perfectly spicy. Unfortunately the food was mediocre (with the exception of one dish) and the service was unpleasant.
The one dish we enjoyed «chicharron de pollo» which was basically chunks of dark meat coated with a bit of cornstarch, fried and served with some lemon juice to dip it in. However, given the price of this appetizer, I think they could have given us a few more chicken pieces.
Our other two dishes were really disappointing. The beef pieces in the Lomo Saltado were small, chewy and dried. There weren’t many onion slivers in it, but the few pieces of onion that we did get were undesirable and beat up looking… Normally Peruvian places tend to pile on the onion and the potato pieces in their saltado dishes however Aji Limon gave us a ton of potatoes but held back on the onion.
We also got the chaufa especial which was basically a combo fried rice with beef, chicken, shrimp and red pork. I know a lot of home cooks use old rice to make fried rice but I didn’t know that restaurants did that too. Our fried rice was incredibly dry and almost stale tasting.
What really stood out about our meal was how terrible the service was. We were seated promptly because the restaurant was less than half full (on a Sunday around 6 pm) and there were three servers, but there were long stretches of time where there was no servers on the floor. Our server, (the guy wearing a black arm sleeve on one of his arms) was curt from the beginning to the end and really great at disappearing. We had difficulty flagging down our server (or any server) for a water refill or for a spoon to serve the chaufa with.
If you happen to live in the neighborhood and have a hankering for Peruvian, your meal at Aji Limon will be more enjoyable if you order food «to go.»

FIVE STARS for Aji Limon!
The *BEST* Peruvian food in Southern California.
The *BEST* Customer Service!
The *BEST* Selection!
The *BEST* prices!
I was invited to lunch to Aji Limon from a friend who was visiting from my home in Hawaii. I was scared to go here initially because the last two Peruvian restaurants I went to were so-​so. But, wow was I mistaken. This place ROCKS!
First, I have to comment at the excellent service from Christian U. He was amazingly friendly when we walked in; he was helpful in our ordering; he constantly anticipated our needs and provided excellent service! Give this guy a raise! He made this a very memorable meal! Gracias!
Jalea de Mariscos ($ 16.95 for an individual serving). This was the fried assorted seafood platter. Delicious! Shrimp, calamari, yucca, white fish (Cavassa), and a few other items, served with a criolla sauce. The seafood was fresh, hot, and delicious! It was a HUGE serving for the individual sized dish! Enough for 3 – 4 to share as an appetizer! Grade: A– /​B+
Cerviche Mixto ($ 13.95). White fish (Basa?), shrimp, baby octopus, mussels, marinated in lime juice and topped with red onions! OOH MY GAWD this dish was AMAZING! The ingredients were fresh, and the lime tastes were bright and tangy. I could have eaten two servings of this for my main meal. This was the absolute highlight of my meal! Grade: A+
Parihuela ($ 13.95). Seafood soup made with fish, shrimp, clams, squid, onions, and tomatoes. I’ve had this dish at several Peruvian, El Salvadorian, and Mexican restaurants, but I have to say that this dish was the BEST I’ve EVER eaten! The red broth looked thick, but it was tasty and light. I could have eaten two servings of this for my main meal. This was another big highlight of our meal! Grade: A+
Lomo Saltado ($ 11.75). Chunks of beef served with onions, tomatoes, and fries. Served with rice. The dish tasted authentic and it was well seasoned & prepared. All the other bright flavors at the table made this dish seem rather safe and calm. We still enjoyed it! Grade: A– /​B+
Crema Volteada. Flan Peruvian Style. This was a generous slice of flan with a caramel syrup on top. The flan was a bit thicker than I had anticipated (like a cheesecake), yet it had tons of flavors. Heavy hints of thick crème and cinnamon. Grade: B+
Note: Don’t forget to get some of their awesome green sauce (made with green chiles). It’s tasty and a bit spicy and brings the meal to the next level! Delicious!
Food Grade: A /​A–
Service Grade: A+
Worth the Money Grade: A–
Overall Impression Grade: A!

I was pleasantly surprised with this place! Lomo Saltado was sooooooooo good!!! We also ordered the arroz con mariscos and that was super delicious as well! I recommend getting the passion fruit drink to wash down all that yummy food: D Definitely coming back, I live so close!
ps. The dip for the bread that they give you before your meal is really good but really spicy!!!

Es lo maximo, los precios justos, la comida deliciosa, los meseros super amables !!! Lo recomiendo una y otra vez

Este restaurante es UNO de mis favoritos me encanta la comida y la musica y tienen un exelente servicio al cliente

Visits: 1, lunch
Overall: Flavorful Peruvian food with giant portions, but not necessarily the freshest of ingredients… (All I know about Peruvian food comes from previous visits to El Rocoto and other local Peruvian restaurants.
)
Details:
They start you off with a really small roll of bread and a tray with three containers — one for spicy green sauce (commonly found in Peruvian restaurants), butter, and roasted corn kernels. I got an okay roll, but the one my mom had was incredibly stale. If it weren’t for my love of that spicy green sauce I wouldn’t have been able to help her eat it. I probably shouldn’t have, anyway, but the my love for green aji sauce is worth the risk of puncturing my gums on stale bread. (Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stabbed myself with bread either…)
My mom ordered the lunch special — There’s a sign in the window that says, «Lunch Special $ 6.95» but there’s no mention of it anywhere on the menus, so we asked. The waiter said it was chicken fried rice and a side salad. Not sure if it’s always that or if they change it up.
Anyway, the chicken fried rice was surprisingly good. Well, the chicken wasn’t so good (easily fixable with a little green aji sauce), but the fried rice had a lot of flavor to it. I am a big fan of fried rice too. Probably the only other place that has impressed me with their fried rice is Magic Wok (
), although that may just be because they put fried pork in theirs.
The side salad had an odd sort of dressing (mayo based), but it tasted pretty good. It was mostly lettuce, with a few slices of tomatoes and some cucumber (with the skin peeled off).
I got the Picante de Mariscos (~$ 12), which is kind of like a Peruvian seafood gumbo type deal, but with less vegetables and a totally different soup flavor and the rice on the side. You get a giant soup plate with mounds of seafood in a yellowy soup. (shrimp, squid, mussels, clams, scallops, one of those giant shrimp/​mini lobster thingies, to make it look impressive)
Again, this had good flavor, better than the same dish I ordered at El Rocoto. My only complaint is that it wasn’t hot enough, so I’d add a spoonful of the soup to the rice and a few drips of the green aji sauce on top of that. The seafood was good quality — the squid in particular was incredibly soft, not difficult to chew at all.
EDIT: Just tried to eat the giant shrimp and it was basically mush inside. Means it was not fresh when they cooked it. :(
Atmosphere — Place was pretty plain, but clean. I was surprised by how many people were there. Two large parties of 6 – 8, and four or five tables of 2 – 3. They play music in Spanish, don’t know if it’s Peruvian or not, but it’s generally pop/​rock.
Service — Our waiter was generally nice and accommodating, but he might be new to the whole wait staff thing because when we said we wanted containers for the leftovers he brought us two of those square styrofoam containers you use for dry foods instead of bringing me a round container for my soupy dish.