Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
For our 10 year anniversary, we went to Philadelphia and picked Aqimero, the restaurant from acclaimed Chef Richard Sandoval. Located in the Ritz Carlton, this place is beautiful and big. There are two areas: the lounge when you enter immediately in the hotel, and the restaurant on the left side, with its kitchen in the back where you can see the magic happen.
Dining room at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Food wise, Chef Richard Sandoval crafted a Latin seasonal menu with quite a nice choice of plates to shares, at prices that are not outrageous for such a place. Here is what we had:
For cocktails, I went for an Old Fashioned that was not on their cocktail menu, but that they can accommodate as they have a full bar.
Old Fashioned at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Old Fashioned at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
We started off with the guacamole that was quite good, although not amazing as I thought it would be in this type of place.
Guacamole at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Guacamole at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
After that, I tried some of their oysters: the smaller ones were Bull's eyes from Maryland and the larger were from Virginia.
Oysters at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Bull's eye oyster from Maryland at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Oysters at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Virginia oyster at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Next was the grilled melon with Serrano ham and blue cheese, a nice take on melon and prosciutto.
Grilled melon and serrano ham at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Then, came the wild mushrooms flatbread that was delicious with its caramelized onions and goat cheese. Drizzled on top was a bit of truffle oil that added an elegant touch to it.
Wild mushrooms flatbread at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Of course, I had to try their Grilled Spanish octopus that was perfectly cooked, not rubbery, with a nice char on the outside.
Octopus at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
Octopus at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
The last dish we tried was the cauliflower steak, served with lime crema fresco, tempura pickled mushrooms and raisin chimichurri. I admit that it was my least favorite dish, the cauliflower, raw, not being that easy to cut and because there was not enough sauce.
Cauliflower at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
For dessert, we got the churro waffle and ice cream. It was served with grilled pineapple and coconut cream. Although it was a good waffle, I admit that I was expecting something closer to a churro (you would have told me it was a waffle, I would not have even think about the taste of churro). I wish they had the tres leches rice pudding on their menu that day...
Churro waffle at Aqimero in Philadelphia, PA
It was overall a fantastic dinner: Aqimero is a place to know if you want to have a nice, elegant dinner.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Aqimero - 10 Ave Of The Arts, Philadelphia, PA 19102
