Aji noodle bar

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It’s on Westminster Bridge Road, just across the river from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, quite close to the London Eye, London’s big wheel. It’s also on a corner, very spacious and with minimalist décor featuring a few giant screens showing anime cartoons.

Aji Noodle Bar offers very good value, given its prime location. You seat yourself, peruse the placemat menus, then raise your hand when ready to order. I ordered a combo of main dish, side dish and drink (Asahi beer) for £12.80 all in. My main course was yakisoba chicken. It came in a huge bowl with chicken, white cabbage, peppers and spring onions. These came mixed in with udal noodles, the thick ones (there was a choice of three types). It was very good, appetizing and hot, and very substantial. I’d expected sweet peppers, but these were hot, though pleasantly so. My side dish of 5 fried dumplings with panzu citrus soy sauce was disappointing, and added nothing. The beer was good, though.

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A final surreal experience: when you open the door marked ‘toilets,’ you find yourself at one end of a Kafka-esque corridor stretching into the distance, punctuated by archways and side doors. After you’ve walked halfway down it, “Keep going” says a sign to reassure you. Aji is quite a good discovery, providing good food and good value, and not expensive. Service was good, too, and friendly.