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2005-11-22 13:58:41 The notion that one place can distill the "best of" a different set of cuisines is suspect on its face. Aja proves this, in spades. The noodles are generally bland and greasy. Head down Monroe Ave. to Mamasans for a better noodle experience. —RottenChester
2005-11-22 18:32:38 I'm with Chester on this one, I was wholly unimpressed with the pan-asian experience at Aja, if you want good noodles, head to KC Tea & Noodles on Park. —RossHattori
2006-06-21 13:17:59 The food and service is inconsistent. There are a few dishes I really like, such as the sesame chicken, and I usually stick with these, but every time I've gone, someone at the table has been disappointed with his or her meal. There's a student discount and it's pretty cheap anyway, so it's good for students who are looking for something quick, cheap, and a little better than just plain edible. Like those above me said, if you want something good, Mamasan and KC Tea & Noodles are definitely better places to go. I'm still a fan of Aja and I go once in awhile, but there are places out there that make the same types of food 100 times better. —RachelBlumenthal
2006-08-28 07:56:23 I ate at Aja a few days ago, and I thought the experience I had was quite decent. I had an Vietnamese noodle bowl with extra beef, while my husband had the Bangkok noodles with vegetables. Both were fresh and delicious, as well as the Vietnamese spring rolls. I've also had good noodles at KC Tea & Noodles, but in terms of variety (not just pan fried noodles and noodle soup), Aja is a better choice. A bonus: it's close to where I work so I can grab dinner there on my way home. :) —CatherineConnolly
2006-08-28 13:53:43 My only complaint would be that the menu seems really small after about 5 visits... I wish they would add to it or rotate in some new specials or something. Pretty easy place to take kids - and I think kids eat free on Tuesdays. —ChrisYoung
2006-08-28 15:23:09 I was also unimpressed the food and service. Not many vegetarian options. —AdamDewitz
2006-08-31 13:55:46 I disagree about vegetarian options - the servers/cooks are very sensitve about this and will make the sauces without fish sauce if you ask. You can also add tofu to any dish. I think this is a great "non-greasy" asian food option full of fresh veggies and the student discount doesn't hurt. —EllenKelsey
2006-09-01 08:00:19 2 yrs ago - definitely one of the most unpleasant dining experiences I’ve ever had. I was ignored the first few minutes while half the staff sat around the bar. I had to ask them if they were serving new customers. I was given the look of death by 2 of them and the host sighed out loud before taking us to a table. After being left at the table without a comment we waited 10 more minutes before a waiter took our order with an air of utter contempt. While waiting I noticed the interior is nothing but hard surfaces so every sound is amplified making the volume of conversation and kitchen noises so loud I could barely hear my friend seated right across from me. When our waiter delivered our food he stood as far from the table as was possible and then proceeded to roughly toss our bowls in front of us causing some of the food to slip onto the table. I immediately stood up and told them I was not planning on staying a minute longer, or paying for their food, after such rude treatment. —ZedOmega
2006-09-28 19:50:43 I wouldnt call Aja 'asian' per se but their dishes are decent...with the student discount, any of the entrees with chicken comes up to under 7$ (with taxes). I like them and the servers are always attentive. The food isnt superb but it is good enough. Anyway...I tried Wild Noodle (on E. Henrietta Rd) and .. I suddenly realized how lucky we were to have Aja Noodle. —OneLove
2006-10-25 13:55:47 our large group take out order was a nightmare for work... —JcPop
2007-02-20 09:56:28 I ate there yesterday and enjoyed it. The food was tasty and filling. The service was decent enough for me to tip 30%. I would go back. —DanDangler
2007-04-17 00:18:11 I highly recommend the fried shrimp rolls and the coconut chicken soup. The main courses can be somewhat inconsistent. Sometimes great, other times just okay. Students get a $2 discount on entrees, which makes dinner at Aja, at the very least, affordable. —WegmansFiend
2007-04-20 09:18:04 I had a very bad experience at Aja Noodle, and I didn't even eat there! Last night I brought in a coupon that said "Buy 1 entree, get 1 free." At the bottom, it said "DINE-IN OR TAKE OUT." But when I went in to place the order to bring home to my wife and our 1-year-old son, I was told they would not honor it. "It's for Dine-In only," the smug waitress said. "It's a typo." I asked her to honor it. "We WON'T honor it," she said. The female manager then explained that they "couldn't" honor it, and that was that. I walked out. Such little disregard for customers has turned us off to the place. There is an arrogance in management that I just don't like. —JamesMatthew
2007-05-11 00:22:31 Okay, so their quality seems to be heading down a slippery slope. They screwed up my dish thrice, broke a plate near my friend, etc, etc. Their quality is slipping up.
The flavours are not quite as pronounced and seem to have been watered down even further. The Thai Spicy Basil used to be delightfully spicy. Now, it is plain (even when i order extra spicy) and very greasy.
Perhaps I will give Wild Noodles another chance based on their Talk page! —OneLove
2007-08-05 17:36:15 Having just moved here, I was looking for a decent local Asian restaurant. Where I used to live there were 4 Thai restaurants and at least 3 Vietnamese restaurants (3 that I've tried) within 2-3 miles, serving everything from authentic home-style dishes to elegant classic Asian cuisine. Although I wasn't expecting as much out in the hinterlands, at Aja, I ordered what the waiter said was one of the most popular items on the menu and all I got was a greasy bowl of noodles with some stir-fried ingredients thrown in, doctored up with some basil and jalapeno peppers which supposedly made it a Thai dish. Maybe they should have called it Aja McNoodles!
2007-11-12 19:48:42 I have eaten here a number of times and yes, the food is inconsistent, and service is decent at best, but when the food is on, it is a great value.
Decor is very nice - they just need to institute better processes —TimothyKinn
2008-01-07 15:59:01 If this place was quicker, I would call it Ajax Noodle. —RyanScottDavis
2008-03-22 12:29:58 My wife and I really enjoy the place - the food is quite tasty (especially the yakiudon and pad thai), they have a nice tea collection, and the price is quite good for what you get. The menu is a bit small for going frequently, but it's a nice place to drop by every so often.
Also: the local "super saver" newspaper-like bulletins that show up in the mail frequently contain free-entree coupons, making it even more worthwhile. —PaulArdis
2008-05-05 18:45:05 This place is ok. The noodle bowls are greasy, and they all pretty much taste alike. The pad thai is mediocre, and comes with WAY too many sprouts. I've only had take out here, and they always seem frazzled when I pick up, no matter how few people are there. They also rang up my bill wrong not once, but twice on two separate occasions. They fixed it as soon as I pointed out the error to them, but once is a mistake, twice is suspect. Anyway, it's a little too pricey for the quality of the food, but if you need a quick noodle fix, it's ok. —BrianJoseph
2008-10-29 15:24:43 Aja seems to be very hit-and-miss with whether you'll like what you order. I've liked the Yakiudon, but when I ordered it most recently it came out as a bowl of greasy noodles some chicken (after I searched), sauce that was much blander than I remember, and some ginger thrown on top. It's usually pretty loud (despite not being very busy). Not sure they'll get much more of my business. —LindsaySimon
