THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Aja Restaurant Review
3132 State St. (Calle Laureles) 
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Santa Barbara, CA 93105
805-563-2007
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Cuisine
Open
Dinner Tues.-Sun.Features
- Heart-healthy dishes
- Reservations suggested
- Casual
Wine
Great Wine List* Click here for rating key
| The menu at Aja presents an array of Asian influences and tropical flavors, typified in such standard menu items as grilled lemongrass-crusted scallops in a soy-Cabernet sauce, and triple-cooked baby-back ribs with a Mongolian-style barbecue sauce. We're also fans of the house tomato salad, an Asian twist on the classic Italian caprese: slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, layered with wedges of shiitake mushroom marinated in balsamic vinegar, ginger and basil. Most food selections, though, are switched out every couple of weeks, making return trips a must to try such imaginative fare as soy-ginger noodles with chicken and vegetables; and local salmon served on a bed of creamed corn, with grilled polenta and vegetables. Despite such creativity, part of Aja's appeal rests in a no-frills approach reminiscent of home-style cooking. Chef Sandra Shizuru makes all sauces and baked goods from scratch and uses vegetables from the on-site garden, while her husband, Tim Mock, hosts and is responsible for an ever-changing, mostly local wine list that's impressively long for such a 14-table eatery. |
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