Aji Japanese Bistro

Super Food for a Super Bowl
We had a large party rent out the bar area for a Super Bowl party. Including pregame we were there 6 – 7 hours so we ate and drank a lot. We mostly shared everything so I had a chance to sample a dozen or so menu items and everything was off-​the-​hook yummy. The «Baby Back Stack» ribs were fall-​off-​the-​bone tender. The raw Poke was melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious. Even the Lamb Lollipops were off the hook. I didn’t even think I liked lamb until eating theirs, which by the way was tender like a good Filet Mignon. We also ordered Calamari, Giant Prawns, Fish and Chips, some other appetizers and several sushi rolls. Somehow I also squeezed in a salad. There wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t very good, and several things were nothing short of a rare treat.
I have to say for how good the food was, it was the staff that made it an almost (I was pulling for the Panthers) perfect night. They were warm and friendly and very attentive. At many restaurants people put up a pretense just for tips, but these people really seem to like working there and that says something about the type of people managing this restaurant. I wish I could give them a 6^th star. Thanks for a great night Aji. Even though I live 2 hours away I’ll be back when passing through for sure.

We typically like aji and support their sister restaurant Milestone because they are locally owned, but the attitude of the horrible hostess Alyssa when we asked how long the wait would be and the front of the house owner/​manager burned us. It wasn’t the first time she’s been straight up rude and him arrogant, but it will be the last.
Thank you for the message Nick. We had a nice time after we got to a table. Our server was excellent, the food was great as usual and your manager came by to apologize which was nice to hear. Our out of town guests enjoyed the food also. See

Best place to dine if you’re in El Dorado Hills. The vibe and food reminds me of the Bay Area. Hip crowd, but yet it’s still family friendly.

I feel conflicted about this place … the service was excellent, and the manager kept checking on tables to make sure everyone was happy. But unfortunately, i just didn’t feel the food lived up to the same standards. It wasn’t that the food was bad … just average, for the most part. The pork bao was pretty good as was the jalapeño hamachi, but that’s about it. Nothing else stood out for me, and at the prices they charge, everything should have been amazing. In particular, i thought the other sushi we had was very underwhelming, the rolls were too bland and dry.
I might try visiting another time to see if maybe there are some other items on the menu that I might like better, but I’m pretty sure they won’t be on the sushi menu (way too many places in the Sac area to get better sushi).

I’ve never had a bad time here… You will like this place even if you don’t like Japanese food.
They set the standard for libations… You will not get a better old fashion or gin and tonic. What they do is art.
If you’re into trying new things… Come here! If you’re not sure what to order, you can feel comfortable having your waiter bring out anything special, you will love it… And you will feel adventurous and sexy AF for doing so.
I’ve done the chefs table twice, once for my friend’s birthday and once for mine. Hells to the yes… I can’t think of a better place to eat or drink when I’m in ElDo.

It was over a year ago when I first discovered this establishment and have been a regular since. A classy décor with wood paneling and perfect lighting, I tend to sit in the bar area, or if possible, on the PATIO, that is beautifully decorated, lovely views and a perfect way to spend summer nights.
Service: You will find that the service is of the highest quality. Not only is the staff knowledgeable, diligent and energetic, but they actually enjoy working there. The owners exercise true passion for what they do, which is obvious in all details of the restaurant. I wonder if they implement the Kaizen (it’s a Japanese term, after all) approach to the establishment, because they are constantly evolving and maintain incredible standards.
Drinks: I’ve been spoiled by Aji or better yet ruined. To this day I haven’t been able to find a Manhattan Cocktail (my fav) as good as Aji’s that didn’t require going to a fine dining restaurant. Everything is made from scratch, the citrus juices, syrups and of course, the use of Maraschino cherries (I love when I get extra in my drink). For their Ginger Ale they crush fresh ginger. The Bloody Mary mix is delicious, and even better with in-​house infused vodka. They are always experimenting and never fail to use fresh and high quality ingredients. My dad loves their Old-​Fashion; my sister is obsessed with the Vodka Sour. The Empress is refreshing and delightful. Awesome beer selection both on tap and bottled/​canned. A lovely and unique wine list and don’t forget to check out the awesome whiskey selection.
Food: FRESH! I love raw fish and always order the 7-​piece sashimi plate. Miso soup is a must. Spicy edamame, the Aji fries and the Bluefin (not sure if it’s on the menu, you may have to just ask), seared albacore and jalapeño Hamachi are all amazing appetizers. The Grilled Teriyaki Steak Salad is an amazing healthy option. I don’t like teriyaki sauce, but the one at Aji is genuinely good. Nothing beats the Spicy Garlic Chicken Ramen for those rainy days, or sick days. PICKLES! I love pickles, and Aji actually makes their own. The pickled carrots are my favorite.
Brunch: Do yourself a favor and try the Loco Moco. I do not possess the vocabulary to do the dish justice.

I completely love my experience at Aji. The staff and hospitality is beyond exceptional and rare in the region. The food is fantastic and not overly complicated with sauce. Very good food, amazing find and exceptional wine selection. Such a fun ambiance as well. They definitely set the bar for Sacramento! This is the only restaurant that keeps me in the hills versus going downtown.

I went here with my family based on Unilocal ratings. Had the Gyoza, my wife had one if the Ramen choices, we tried the chicken Karage and I had a sushi roll with deep fried shrimp in the center.
All items were passable, but I have had much tastier WASHOKU at other places, including NIHON itself of course. It was not bad, but unexceptional.
This place is filled with Caucasians who either are clueless when it comes to actually good WASHOKU, or don’t seem to care. My wife was the only Asian in the restaurant… at least it wasn’t expensive but I’ll try a different restaurant next time. I would rate this place as 3.25 if I could.
Obviously, just because a restaurant is located in an affluent city (El Dorado Hills) is no guarantee that the food is automatically better.

Best appetizers in El Dorado Hills! You can’t go wrong no matter what you order… probably eaten here 10 times and often I’ll ask the server to pick my meal for me.
I judge my Japanese restaurants by their Miso, and their’s is fantastic. Made fresh from miso paste and dashi (kelp stock).
They have a new roll called the «Surf and Turf». Like the name suggests, there is Sashimi AND beef tartar on top of the roll. Very inventive and surprisingly tasty.
If I want to impress out-​of-​town visitors who love American-​Japanese cuisine, I take them here.

Let me get this out of the way right now: It’s the pricing that stops me from loving this place. It’s just a little bit more than I’d like, and it’s also a little bit more than the prices on the menu. I haven’t read all the reviews, so I don’t know if I’m the only one bothered by this. But, really? The price shown on the menu is $ 12, but the amount billed is $ 12.40. The price shown is $ 13, and the price billed is $ 13.30. If you can be bothered to print the pennies, then why the heck charge for them?!
Ok, now that I’ve got that off my chest, the good stuff: The ambiance is great, the service was fine, and the food portions were larger than I feared. Like everyone says, the Kalbi Tacos are amazing — especially if you add some Sriracha sauce; yum! I had the Vegetable Donburi with added grilled chicken. The vegetable part was awesome, though I wish there was a bit more flavor (maybe I shouldn’t have eaten the Kalbi Tacos first). The grilled chicken was disappointing. They were completely unflavored, other than the slight flavor imparted by the grill. Perhaps I should have realized this, and it wouldn’t have been a problem if the Donburi was more flavorful. (Admittedly, Donburi always has a subtle flavoring, but usually it’s a bit more distinct.)
My dining partner had the House Ramen, and really enjoyed the pork. It also included a large tempura shrimp, which I tasted and loved. The noodles themselves were ok.

There are no words that could possibly describe how much I love this restaurant. The staff and management strive for a quality of both food and service that is akin to fine dining, and they succeed. Moreover, the ownership has a passion for hospitality that is clearly defined in every corner of the restaurant.
Go for lunch, dinner, drinks, dessert or brunch — you won’t be disappointed. The food is phenomenal — I have yet to try something that doesn’t blow me away. Step out of the bounds of your comfort zone and order out of the ordinary — this is the place to explore and try new things. Try any of the shared plates, my favorites are any of the tacos. And don’t forget about dessert!

I’m kinda of in the fence about this place. While the employees are wonderful and the service extraordinary, the food just doesn’t do it for me.
I had the spam and eggs for brunch. I wasn’t expecting much out of spam and eggs, so I wasn’t too disappointed, but, it was just SO salty!!! I know spam is salty but I felt like it was inedible. Like, I really didn’t eat it after the first two bites.
Anyway, that’s all I got so not much more to say. I like your lemon drops?

Perfect restaurant I picked for a girls night on Sat 1-​9-​2016. The restaurant is elegant and modern style.
Started out with the Spiced Jalapeño Aji Edamame — Perfect amount of spice.
For my roll I picked Aji Maki (tempura shrimp-​spicy tuna-​jalapeño-​cream cheese-​panko fried)-So good! I like how they put sauce on the bottom of the plate instead on top of the sushi, most places drench it all on top.
For my cocktail, I had The Empress… can you say HOUSE INFUSED LEMON VODKA! Yes please. 5 stars just for the cocktail!
And top it off, I got outstanding and excellent service throughout my dinner. Destiny was nothing but smiles. She recommended everything and it was on point for all my needs and wants for dinner. Aji — you have an all star server on your hands! Kudos to you Destiny for great customer service!

Amazing food, drinks and service! I went here the other day for a mini bachelorette dinner and everyone was blown away! Quality food: sushi, seared filets, noodles, aji fries, tacos you name it! The drinks were also amazing: tasty, made with quality ingredients and were served in large glasses :). I would definitely recommend making reservations if you plan to go on a Friday or Saturday night. We tried their late night happy hour menu (starts at 8pm) and regular menu as well-​both had a large selection with delicious items.
The only area of improvement: the bathrooms were very dirty (toilet paper strewn everywhere, garbage overflowing) and needed to be looked after.

I wanted to like this place so much, however, it was pretty disappointing. The pork boa was bland and lacking in texture– stale bun? The shrimp lettuce wraps with noodles were really unpleasant and left mostly untouched. The spicy edamame was tasty and had a garlic kick to it. Sashimi was the only excellent dish, very fresh. Tempura was just ok, nothing special. Overall, not satisfied. Did not get a refill throughout the entire stay, nor a comment on why the shrimp wraps were left uneaten.

Awesome Japanese Bistro/​California Cuisine fusion. Amazing wine selection, and drinks, excellent HH, and awesome Sunday Brunch. The place to be in EDH. Oyster specials. You literally cannot go wrong on the menu, and the management and staff are top notch.
Part of me did not want to write this, but they deserve to be known. You’re welcome.

Yum! Came for happy hour and found some great choices! Great appetizers and rolls and original cocktails!
Will definitely come back when we are in the area.

Taste– ****
Ambiance– ****
Parking– *****
Service– ****
What a find! Came on a double date and ordered many delicious things off the happy hour and regular menu. We made a reservation and was seated very promptly. The service throughout the evening was great, and the food was for the most part really good. The happy hour menu had some really good options, would highly recommend the sliders. Also really enjoyed the lamb chops on the appetizer menu. For dessert we were all really impressed with the matcha brûlée, which was one of the most innovative dishes I’ve had for a long time. Great atmosphere, unpretentious; chill with really good food. Overall great experience, would highly recommend it.

Quite honestly I get nervous when someone other than a Japanese chef makes my sushi, however I have had sushi that tasted fine that was prepped by a chef that wasn’t Japanese. In this case it was NOT a Japanese man prepping the sushi and it was NOT good.
The Food:
Agadashi Tofu — very acidic not what I’m accustomed to when ordering this dish. There was a ton of ginger on top.
Seared Albacore Tuna — they seared it way to hard. It was practically cooked through and it was pretty tough.
Tsukiji Maki — it was okay however the rice was put on thick.
Dragon Roll — Best way to describe the sushi is they are like rice tires. I posted a pic of the dragon roll to illustrate how thick the rice was put on the roll.
Tokyo Po Boi — it was mostly lettuce. Not really good.
Fish and Chips — they looked okay. You can’t really mess it up. It was more like a katsu made with fish instead of pork or chicken.
The Service:
Service was okay. The gentleman was pretty cool. The waitress was rude at one point. My dad said «the fish and chips are over here» the waitress responded with «I know». It’s hard to imagine with out hearing the inflections in her voice but felt rude. It’s probably subjective though.
Recommendation:
I wouldn’t really recommend this place. Go to Mikuni’s if you want good Japanese food. If you are in the area of El Dorado Hills and need a place to eat go to try Hop House. My consensus is that this place is clearly trying to hard to be Japanese with out any training in actually cooking Japanese food. Totally overpriced for sub par Japanese food. To top it off it was my mom’s 60^th birthday. Wish we went to Mikuni’s instead.
Owner:
Just to be clear my comments about preferring a Japanese chef was not meant to be racial at all, however just an observation that I’ve made over the years at eating at plenty of Japanese restaurants. Usually a Japanese chef has had the proper training to make sushi. From what I can tell by the sushi I was served it was poorly made. It is only a human observation as I am as well as the rest of your guests human. It it purely my own subjective opinion personal to my self don’t take it so personally.
I understand your need to defend your restaurant, however your food should speak for itself. You do not need to and shouldn’t have to defend every bad review. It’s poor form. There could’ve been an all Japanese staff and I still would’ve had a terrible experience if you served me the same food. It plainly wasn’t that good to me. Again don’t take it personally.
While I could’ve made a complaint about your food (the race of your staff or What you think my complaint was about) in person I still would’ve wanted to provide the community of Unilocalers feed back about my own experience. Again please don’t take it personally.

Today marks 1 year since my first review of Aji.
I have to admit, since my first review, I have been to Aji at least 50 times, and have had a chance to try just about everything on their menu, from appetizers, to entrees, to their hand-​made drinks. (Especially their hand-​made drinks)
My first review was 5 stars, «Only because I couldn’t give them 6». Today, I stand behind that statement.
As you get to know Aji, you begin to realize there is much more to this place than just good food and atmosphere. This place is truly alive with passion, artistry, and a real love for what they do.
Thank you, everyone at Aji, for so much deliciousness.