Elena N.
Yelp
Date: Thursday, December 21st, 2023
Time: around 5:45pm for about 1.25 hours
Meal: Dinner / Drinks and Snacks for 2 people
How: Walked in and sat at the bar
A friend and I were heading to the Sharks game. Decided to drop by Signia beforehand for a quick drink. (I also had a credit I wanted to spend.) We fully intended on only having a drink at the lobby bar. Found out it was actually the restaurant Aji, so in addition to a round of drinks, we decided to grab a few dishes.
*Potstickers: lemongrass chicken, aji amarillo, ginger citrus miso sauce ($18)
*Chicken Wings: yuzu kosho honey glaze, chilli flakes, lime ($18)
*Shishito Peppers: lime & salt grilled shishito, jalapeño yogurt, roasted garlic streusel ($12)
*Gingle All the Way: gin, st germaine, cranberry juice, lime juice ($18)
*Whiskey Wonderland: Jameson, angostura bitters, orange, house-made cinnamon simple syrup ($20)
First off, our server / bartender Eric was wonderful! Attentive without being overly so. I asked for easy on the syrup in the winter wonderland and he was happy to oblige. Even tho the cocktail wasn't really my jam (I'm more of a spirit forward kind of girl), I wanted to try something from their holiday menu. The gin drink was fine if you prefer a lighter mix.
The food was pretty good. A little pricey, but that's to be expected from a hotel restaurant / bar / lounge. The pot stickers / gyoza were the best out of the three. Good meat to wrapper ratio. The sauces, peppers, etc, paired well. The wings were cooked nicely, but too sweet for my palate. I asked for a bunch of hot sauce to balance it out. The shishitos unfortunately were drowning in sauce, so you don't really get to experience the flavor / texture of a nice blistered pepper.
The ambiance is less restaurant and more bar / lounge which was fine with me. A little swanky, but I enjoyed the atmosphere. We were able to have a conversation and catch up without music blasting in the background. Definitely more my vibe in my old age.
If you have the mid tier Hilton CC, this is a nice spot to spend your quarterly credit as food and drinks are charged under the hotel name. Recommend if in downtown for a quick round. Will probably be back to try their classic cocktails.