AJ Noodles House @ Brisbane

Back in Malaysia, if you happen to work in an area that has more air-con dining places than not, the challenge is always to find a lunch that would cost you less than RM10. Even a year ago, RM10 was always a stretch for me, with the only feasible options being the pork noodle shop that was a sweaty walk away and if I control myself; banana leaf rice, mamak food or your usual fast food joints.


Think healthy like Subway and be slapped with a RM25 bill for a foot long sandwich and a drink.Think air conditioning and you will also need to look really hard and I still remember the good old days of spending on days; RM20 - RM25 for a lunch.


The challenge is also the same in Australia and but thankfully if you look closely, you can get quite a number of options for AUD10. The easiest option for me is the really popular Katsu Curry rice which can be had for AUD7 i believe or 3 sushi rolls for the same price.


Recently, we been popping by AJ, a Vietnamese (and Chinese) casual place run by people who speak Cantonese.

Although sharing a plate of spring rolls will blow that budget of AUD10 per pax, it is worth ordering. Piping hot, the filling is delicious and you can also doubt the authenticity of the dish but you will find this hard to go wrong.

Having had this twice, I must say the first time, the soup was slightly too sweet but dashes of fish sauce fixed the problem. The second round, the soup was just right. They are also quite generous with their beef slices and noodles.

However as the hotter months loom upon us, I think I might be giving the pho a skip and go to their lemongrass pork chop salads instead but AJ won't be seeing the end of me yet.

Address and contact details:

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars. Fit the budget and fits my palate, the only problem is lack of seating but it is compensated with the quick turnover.