Menu del Dia: Restaurante el Aji

On Wednesday, for our first menu del dia assignment, we chose to feast on a three-course meal at Restaurante el Aji. The restaurant itself is situated in a beautiful location on a hilltop overlooking the moorish quarter Albaicin. There was a limited variety of options that could be chosen for each course, but the choices offered turned out to be fair enough. For the first course, our choices included ensalada mixta (tossed salad), salmorejo (thick gazpacho made with bread), or pasta pomodoro. The second course offered either churrasco (barbeque meat), verduras (fish), or pescado (fish), and the dessert selection included crema catalana, a cinnamon crème brulee and pennacotta, which was similar to a minty flan. Our group has chosen to highlight the ensalada mixta, churrasco, and the pennacotta in today’s blog. The ensalada was refreshing and, by itself, was a small but satisfying enough starter. However, the churrasco, was also accompanied by a salad, which altogether emphasized the lightness of what should have been a more hearty meal. Additionally, the meat came with a skin or encasing that was unpleasant to some of the diners. Lastly, the dessert, pennacotta, could be seen as either poorly made, or as an acquired taste. The jiggly texture of it did not appeal to anyone in particular. Overall, this particular meal left diners with the feeling that, although their money may have been better spent elsewhere on a more hearty meal, the food was not all too bad. We felt relatively well received at the restaurant, although our status as American tourists was all too apparent with our digital cameras and casual dress. However, this spot was a great find because it was well off the beaten path and didn't seem touristy in the slightest.