Review Aj Vietnamese Noodle House - Brisbane

Quick service. Good food. Friendly service. Particularly love the Beef Pho - nice soup, silky smooth noodles and generous portion. The summer rolls of prawns are good too. Chicken rice is recommended also. But I will ask for less soya sauce next time.

This place has been here forever but I'm pretty sure this was my first ever visit. I guess they've done well to still be standing. The place feels pretty old school and seating is tight. Food wise I'd say it's the sort of place you'd go for a dependable feed at a reasonable price. We had the following items and got 10% off using Payo: * no.1 cha gio (AJ spring roll 招牌春卷), $6.90 (3pc) - pork mince, onion, carrot and fungus, served with house fish sauce. * no.12 pho tai (Vietnamese beef noodle soup 生牛肉湯河粉), $12.90 - served with flat rice noodle and sliced beef. * no.21 com ga hainam (Hainan chicken rice 海南雞飯), $13.90 - steamed chicken, served with thigh or breast, vegetable, chicken rice and Hainam sauce. NB. they don't serve table water but sell bottled water for $1.

Cheap and quick eats. Pho was okay, pork chop excellent, cold rolls good. They can speak fluent Mandarin and Cantonese. There was only one thing that annoyed us. A motorcycle parked in front of the shop and let out its last noisy engine boost. The exhaust went into the restaurant. I suggest the shop owner request the motorcycle parking spot to be moved elsewhere.

$13.9 Com Ga Hainam The food is cheap and filling.Chicken is really tender and the dipping sauce is spicy really fit to it. Rice keep their shape, not to soft or hard and the sauce on the down of the rice is very suitable with it.

Great Vietnamese food, big portion and reasonable prices. They get really busy during lunch time but the wait is short and the service is friendly and efficient. My favourites here are the special pho dac biet (combination beef pho) and the Hainam steamed chicken with rice.

Ordered the Wanton Noodle Soup!! Delicious!! And came back for the Special beef Noodle Soup!!!! If u r in BNE is a DONT MISS 👍💕 Last pic...yes IT'S THAT GOoD!!

horrible pho... soup is way too sweet and salty. almost taste nothing when I eat vegetable. I will never come again. I came here because I saw the review that says it is the best pho in Brisbane city. so disappointed...

Really really good food, my boyfriend and I always come by to get pho. The portion is large not like other Vietnamese place in the city.

One of my favourites in the CBD for a quick dine in or take away lunch, quality is very consistent and service always fast.

Special noodle soup is a must try (no. 6 on the current menu). <br/>Venue is nothing fancy. But the food is an absolute treat. <br/>It’s simple, super casual diner. Definitely not a first date venue.

Large serving sizes and the owner is super nice. Atmosphere isn’t great though (very dodgy Asian fast food kind of vibe) and there’s not much seating - if you go here with more than 4 people you’re probably going to have to split up. <br/><br/>Rice vermicelli salad with lemon grass beef: A bit too much sauce, which made the whole thing really sweet, but overall it was a tasty meal. 4/5<br/><br/>Bun bo hue: First time having it, so I don't really know what it's meant to taste like, but I really enjoyed it. There was a generous amount of sliced beef and pork, and both were very tender and cooked to perfection. The soup was also full of flavour without being too salty. The spice was noticeable, but not so much that I was uncomfortable (mouth burning nose running), which is the perfect amount for me. However, if you can comfortably eat shin ramen you should probably ask for extra chillis. 5/5<br/><br/>Pho: Classic and amazing. 5/5<br/><br/>Wonton soup: Loved the thin egg noodles (although they seemed a little congealed and stuck together). The wontons were incredibly silky. 5/5

Oh come on... this one is just normal average Pho. Fairly priced- so you can’t complain. Well they don’t offer spicy sauce- which is below average. But anyway.

Had a pho here and was shocked to have to pay extra for traditional accompaniments e.g. sprouts and lemon. Never experienced this anywhere else. Soup was bland. No chilli on table either. Not a good experience.

I’ve been eating here once per week and I find their pork noodles (with grilled pork...) really delicious. I recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a heavy lunch or late afternoon food.

I used to really like this place - mainly their beef pho. I recently tried the beef pho noodle and the broth was tasteless and it lacked a lot of flavor. It really just tasted like warm water and beef :( Maybe it was a busy day for them so I went back couple of times after that and tried again but the same tasteless broth.. I am a bit disappointed because this place was my go to viet place in the city but I don’t think I will be coming back now. Please bring back the old tasty broth!

Average! Got the spicy beef noodle soup and all l can say is l've had better. It wasn't really spicy even tho l asked for extra spice so was expecting to see chilli. Noodle was nice but the rest was average. I found the service to be quite rushed and rude but that doesn't usually bother me if the food is great but the food wasnt sadly. Willing to try something else tho. Lets see if my opinion changes.

Good Vietnamese foodThis popular eatery in Charlotte Street serves all the Vietnamese staples. My husband and I dropped in for lunch on Saturday and it was very busy. We tried the spicy beef noodle soup (Bun Bo Hue) and the rice vermicelli salad with lemon grass beef (Bun Bo Xao) and they were both very good. The service was quick and friendly and the food was cheap. Perhaps it wasn't quite as authentic as the restaurants in Inala but it's a great alternative!

Tasty pho dishes here. Fresh tasty Vietnamese served with a smile. I'm a fan of simple Asian eateries, and I it's good value here only $10.90 well worth it for a nice easy meal.

It was a chilly night and I wanted something savory, soupy comfort food. The chicken meal that my husband ordered was ok, spring rolls were yummy, and my pork wonton noodle soup was good as well. The place is quite small so getting a table there at a busy time is impossible. Otherwise, just have a takeaway like we did.

Very simple and fast pho, the value is great and while the shop is small it is still fairly comfortable for lunch. My only wish is that they would add a combination rice with fried egg like most other vietnamese shops...then I would give it 5 :)

Came here for dinner yesterday and I wasn't particularly impressed for a few reasons. 1. They forgot our order and only came back after at least 10-15minutes to ask us to order again. 2. The food was rather average. It wasn't fantastic or mind glowingly good. However, I will say that for the price, it is a reasonable place to grab a meal.

Very special and great taste! Although there are many people waiting outside in the lunch time, not too long time you will get a seat and the dishes is well worth your waiting. I like the VN special noodles very much.

i've come here a few times for their pho and it's a decent price for a decent meal. there's enough to fill your tummy. the beef is a little tough some times, although it is still chewable. not much of an atmosphere here but the service is friendly and frank enough.

Lovely customer service, quite fast and pretty good price but food was below average.  Rice paper rolls were fresh but nothing special, tiny prawns and one piece of pork.  Pho was quite flavorless, noodles pretty stodgy and so much tripe - I know that is traditional ingredients but soooo much.  Quite surprised after all the hype/reviews - wont be going again.

Best vermicelli noodle salad shop!!!! Lemongrass beef and pork are the best!!! Im not a big fan of viet noodle soup but ppl like alot its abit sweet to me

Great food and fast service. Portions are generous and it's a quiet location, good for a quick tasty meal. Recommended for all food lovers, great variety to choose from.

Just discovered this great little place in the city! Super friendly staff. The waitress was very helpful and kind. The food was delicious and portion generous! Definitely the best Vietnamese in town and fantastic price too! Can't ask for more!! We will be back for sure :)

Why is this one above 4 in rating? I dont understand. The food is very average. Same as at other Vietnamese restaurant. I tried Pho Tai and seefood noodle, okey but not great.

A hole in the wall eatery. Really good Vietnamese food here. Definitely one of the more affordable food options in the city especially for one who is on a student budget. The pho here is really flavorful and the texture of the beef was cooked to perfection. Love this vietnamese place, though my favorite is still the one at sunny bank

Great tender beef pho to crave for. always a long queue at  lunch time. This shop has been in the Brisbane CBD for years, it can't go wrong. But min eftpos is $15, so bring cash if you're going alone

Friend organised my birthday dinner here. We had more than 10 people so we had to join tables. Think the boss wasn't too happy about it and was more worried about leaving no space for the Aussie customers. He was quite rude initially but hey we're giving them the bigger bill for the night shouldn't we be treated a bit more like VIPs? Food was alright, nothing to shout about. However I got diarrhoea and I'm not sure if it's from this shop but I've never experienced any problems in Brisbane. Needless to say, I never felt the urge to go back. Ever.

Delicious, fresh and well priced Viet food right in the middle of city, what more can you ask for?<br/>Maybe not quite as authentic as some places in Inala, but it more than makes up for that with convenience, freshness and flavour. and the place is usually packed at lunchtime and dinner time.<br/>I've enjoyed their vermicelli salad offerings, especially the beef and prawn, but haven't tried other dishes there.

This place is great. It's a small hole in the wall place that doesn't look like much but they serve up some really great food, on par with what I ate in Vietnam. The meals are big potions for small prices and always come out quickly. This is one place I will continue to frequent.

Tried the pho, it's not bad but not great either. If you like a more mild and bland pho flavour, then maybe you might like the pho here.<br/>The pork chop and rice was only okay as well.

I rate this place. The price is economic, the serving sizes are proportionate to what you pay and the quality is great. Service was quick - one of the places I can see myself going to lunch to on the days where I have work.

Always excellent quality, friendly service and prompt preparation. Great value for money. The BBQ pork wonton noodle soup must be tasted to be believed.

Love visiting this place when I am in Brisbane, great tasty food cheap! Stopped in last night for a spicy beef pho, it was so tasty and only $10.50. It was really busy but only waited about 5 minutes, recommend you check it out if in town.

I ordered from AJ's for the first time through Foodora app. Fast prompt delivery. The food was still steaming hot and I got utensils and napkins. I never get these usually with deliveries, its very helpful seeing im at work and don't have cutlery on hand. The spring rolls were so nice. The combination noodle soup was good, not great as it needed some soy sauce or something but I still devoured it. Will be ordering from here more often. Great prices too.

I liked this place, it's decent price for some Vietnamese food feeds. It's Inala ( where all the Vietnamese restaurants locates) price but it's in CBD. Honestly think they have good foods for how much I've paid and the portion is just great ! If you like casual dining and just want some quick foods this is probably a place for you to fill ur stomach.

I usually have to go to Inala, Runcorn or Sunnybank for some good Vietnamese, but thankfully this authentic little place exists in the CBD, a good little hole in the wall, simple, about the food, efficient and still reasonable priced.

AJ Noodle House is a no fuss, simple yet delicious place for some low key dining. No pomp or ceremony just good decent food.<br/><br/>Bun Cha was great, Bun Bo Hue is very authentic (just like from central Vietnam) and the Goi Cuon were good. It's cheap and gets very busy and I am pleased we have a place like this in the city. I fear places like this are few and far between in the city as rents increase.<br/><br/>All in all very well worth it.

If you want the best pho soup in Brisbane this is the place to get it. The best dish of them all is the steamed chicken Pho, you just cant beat it!! the food is packed with flavour, Fresh, and they are very generous with their servings.

I've also seen the line at lunchtime so didn't bother. Quick 12min bus trip into the city tonight 6pm and only 2 customers inside. The waitress promptly there with menu before I could even sit down. "Let's do the combination beef Pho" I said. Other reviewers have mentioned the décor and ambience. 'Minimalism' it definitely is ! 2 more asian couples come in as my Pho arrived and they ordered Pho as well. My basil was very limp and sad but theirs sprightly and fresh. Hmmm ! I asked and got chopped red birdseye chilli. The medium bowl a bit small and after first spoonfuls the taste a bit on sweet side although unusually, the broth keeps developing much better later but soup just warm by then. Two thick bits of gloriously silky tendon was the highlight, a few slices of beef, beansprouts, noodles were OK. The beef balls and brisket just useless except giving the broth more depth of flavour. OK but serve Pho hot please. $10.90

This place is fantastic. Incredibly enough, I found out that my boyfriend had never had Pho before (I know, shocking) so immediately I planned a trip to this eatery. While I hadn't been here before, I had heard enough to know that I should. <br/><br/>I went in my lunch hour and stood outside with the little crowd of take-away customers. On the window is a menu, and almost immediately a waitress came and took our order. The theory is that by the time the meal was cooked, a table would be free so we would get instant service. The theory proved correct, because the minute we sat down, our food arrived. I got the pork salad, which was unbelievable and fresh, and my boyfriend got the spicy Pho. It was, as it said, very spicy and delicious. And mine was aromatic, fresh and delicious. <br/><br/>I can't wait to visit this place again, it truly is a great place to drop in to.

I had special pho noodle soup and pork&prawn roll. The pho was amazing but the roll was not really good. The only negative thing is they don't provide free water hahaha.

A close friend of mine wanted to meet up for lunch lately, and when he asked where I recommended for Pho in the CBD, AJ's Noodle House outside of Elizabeth Arcade immediately sprang to mind. When we arrived there at 11.45, we managed to get the last table available, and after that we could see the line growing outside. I definitely recommend going outside the peak lunch hours to avoid waiting for an excessive period.

Given the reviews and my craving for pho, thought I'd give this place a try.<br/><br/>Starting off with the obvious - interior decor was horrid. But from my experience, those with fancy decor rarely deliver authentic tasting pho soup. So good start, kind of? <br/><br/>The restaurant was surprisingly packed for a Tuesday evening, but we were still able to quickly get a table. Service was average for this type of restaurant.<br/><br/>We ordered the special beef noodle soup. I probably had high expectations given this place rated higher than my usual haunt, but I found the soup lacked depth of flavour, and they used several pieces of hot-pot beef which didn't complement the soup. They were also relatively stingy with regards to the accompaniments - gave us 2 leaves of Thai basil, a slice of lemon, and a small handful of bean sprouts for each dish. Had to ask for fresh chilli. And no complimentary water or tea to wash down the soup.<br/><br/>Overall average experience - albeit a tad disappointed based on current reviews. May go back if I'm in the area, but won't go out of my way to head back in again.

It would be the best to have a bowl of hot noodle soup on a freezing winter night :) and aj is the best Vietnamese place in brisbane cbd, highly rated. <br/>

Best Pho in the city. Brilliant Pho, best in the CBD

It was a feast for the senses. I sat for a moment with the bowl in front of me, simply taking in the aroma of this marvelous soup. Packed to the brim with clear beef broth, noodles, sliced beef, beef sausage (made in house) and beef balls. I was pleasantly surprised when I finally dived into the soup, and instantly felt at home. This was one of those dishes that just makes you feel good, relaxed, comfortable.

Great food - consistently!. This place is absolutely amazing. I have been going there since 2004 and it has consistently delivered fresh and tasty meals. I have not been disappointed in their dishes not even once. My favourites are: grilled chicken and rice, grilled chicken rice noodle salad and the wonton noodle soup.

Average food & no water. Been here twice now, both times thirsty from all the MSG and disappointed with average flavours. Had the special pho and spicy beef noodle soup, never again - pity as they were reasonably priced at $10.90. The restaurant also does not offer free water, which I believe is illegal and they couldn't care less. Don't bother!

Vietnamese food run by Chinese LOL. Don't come here if you enjoy true Vietnamese food. The owner is not even Vietnamese!

Mediocre food meets poor service = meh. We had Pho and chicken rice, both were really mediocre. The waitress got our order wrong which made our meal even less satisfactory. We were really hungry yet didn't finish our food, so that really shows something. Sorely disappointed and not going back! I'd just like to add that the restaurant beside it - Satay Club Noodle House - is so much better (!!!!!)

Rubbish!. Vietnamese made for aussie people who dont know any better....no taste and just really not authentic at all....urgh

Decent pho, 7/10. Good, cheap pho in Brisbane's CBD.

Limited menu, tiny and basic. But if you want fresh, tasty and well priced this is excellent

Pho GOOD?!. I don't get it. If you want good pho (and other Vietnamese for that matter), steer clear of here. Pho, cabbage & poor (awful quality) strips of pork. Lacked any real flavour - where is the coriander, the mint?! the FLAVOUR?! I knew when it came out within 3 minutes it can't have been great. Disappointing.

10/10. The shop is a little dingy and it's tiny, doesn't look like much at all but this is definitely a winner! The pho is delicious and super fresh. My friend ordered the spring rolls and made me try one, I've never liked spring rolls but these ones have changed my view. So yummy, you can taste that they're home made with love and not greasy at all. Will definitely be frequenting this place!

Disappointed. I have been eating at AJ's for many years. They are not the best Vietnamese noodle place in Brisbane, but it is ok in the city. For convenience, I go there. Believe or not. It is operating by Chinese, not Vietnamese, so the taste is different to real Vietnamese noodle places I have been.<br/><br/>I haven't been there for a little while, just went there for lunch today. It was very disappointed. Forgot about the services (never been good, apart for being quick), What disappointing me was the prices gone up (not bothering me), and the size is a lot smaller than usual to be (almost half). I ordered a pork chop noodle salad, the pork chop was cut very small pieces and it was dry, they only served very small portion of noodle. they made it looked big by putting lettuce. I finished my lunch after 1:15pm, by 3:30pm I was ready hungry. I don't eat huge amount. I paid $10.9 for lunch for noodle, I expect it can fill me up until dinner time.

Yumo. Wow..the shop doesn't look much but my God the food is fantastic. 10/10 and I am very picky with my food.

AJ Vietnamese Noodle House - Brisbane CBD. On the back-end of Elizabeth Street, this would usually be hidden or passed be often if it were not for its popularity and quality of food coupled with affordable dining in a city were padding out pocket money is becoming increasingly challenging. While it certainly has the look of low-key there is a level of cleanlieness to the place. It is as packed to capacity as it could get without having the patrons literally be rubbing shoulders (or more correctly, elbows) with each other. That is often the case, and people from many walks of life are here to order meals. What makes it more encouraging is that a safe majority percentage of the patrons are ex-pats and students. <br/><br/>I got here in between the lunch rush and the dinner rush, which made the service more immediate. It was efficient, quick and all it needed to be; the experience was sort of like ordeing from a noodle cart at a martket stall. <br/><br/>To eat I got a Hainam chicken, which is a steamed cut of chicken (it said boneless on the menu, but I encountered a few in my serving) with a side of lettuce, rice, orange & hainam sauce. This is a light meal, with a bunch of subtle flavours. Most of the chicken was grissle and fat, but patience paid off as there were bits of tender white meat to be found. For vegetables, it could have served something a bit more warm-friendly than lettuce. The steamed rice was lying on top of the sauce, which when mixed around made for a simple yet delicious side. While if I went here again, I would be more inclined to try one of the other dishes this was still a worthwhile order for something completely different. <br/><br/>One interesting drink that was on offer was a chrysanthemum tea. It is from a can, so only so much can be attributed for it to the restaurant; however, as a flavour chryanthemum reminded me in a few ways of honey. It is nowhere near as sweet as honey, and it has some of the textural flavours of the bee nectar. <br/><br/>It did not strike me as much as what I have heard from heresay about it, but there are certainly a number of reasons that are apparent to its reputation. The meals are definitely fresh and very filling. For a more fair go, I will be returning some time in the future.

Decent place. If I wanted to get some quick Vietnamese food during a work lunch, this would be a good choice around the CBD but there are definitely better Vietnamese places in other areas, like in West End. The service is quick though and prices are cheap.

Mediocre. Not as authentic as places around Sunnybank and Inala. Soup was more bland than I'm used to and waitress didn't understand me when I said my order with a Vietnamese accent. I heard them speak chinese afterwards so I guess that's why. Overall I guess I can see why people love the place, but for someone who has grown up with pho it's just mediocre.

Fresh healthy and delicious. This small, unglamorous hole in the wall with basic decor and plastic chairs and tables serves the most fabulous fresh and healthy meals. We enjoyed a soup and a beef salad. Absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to go back again. Service is quick and efficient. Meals are cheap with generous servings.

The BEST Vietnamese in BRISBANE!. By far the ***BEST WONTON NOODLE SOUP*** in Brisbane - not to mention their spring rolls, cold rolls and grilled pork dishes to name a few.... and CONSISTENT over the years - which is where most restaurants fail. We have been coming to AJ's for AGES (no pun intended). We've tried Sunnybank and Darra and NO other Vietnamese restaurant beats the consistency of AJ's. Each time we go, there is a line up outside, which speaks for itself. Good value for money. The owner and the staff are super friendly and happy to help with any request. We treat ourselves to AJ's as often as we can!

It's definitely not the best. But given the limited vietnamese options in the CBD, I can understand the popularity. The food is relatively average. Nothing particularly special. If you're looking for something better, I would look towards Inala or Sunnybank if you have the time for travel.

Average food, average service. Slightly let down by the cafeteria feel (not in a good way) of the place, and the very bland pho soup. The rice paper rolls were fine and quite fresh, but the pho was a real let down. The noodles and beef were satisfactory, but the soup was definitely lacking flavour and depth. <br/><br/>Note that no tea is served (unlike 97% of Asian restuarants) and when I asked the waitress for dipping sauce, she said 'you can get it over there', pointing to a little self serve station. <br/><br/>Maybe my expectations were a little high (I'm from Sydney), but I won't be coming back.

A little overrated. Let's face it: you won't get much better hole - in - the wall fare in Brisbane CBD, but that's really not saying much. Service is brisk, the vietnamese is certainly authentic but some key condiments don't come with the dish: fresh chillies anyone? This isn't some flight of fancy in a pho, it is KEY! no egg with the fried chop and rice? Is it asking too much?<br/><br/>I guess I was just dissappointed that for somewhere touted for it's "authenticity" there were some key issues - the soup bases are actually poor, and there just isn't enough richness of flavour to warrant return visits.<br/><br/>I'll be hitting up the singaporean or malaysian neighbours next door on my next visit to town.

Cheap, Tasty, No-frills without being lack-lustre. <br/><br/>Pho good. Pho sure.

Great pho, very fresh. I give it 17 fish balls on the fish'o'scale

AJ's is the best. I have been coming here for years and it is always spot on food. My favourite is the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup and Pho . Beautiful aromas and flavours and a great size meal. I also love the spring rolls, so fresh and hand made. <br/><br/>The service is fast and friendly. The only down side is the disapointment I feel when I have finished my meal.<br/><br/>Went to Fat Noodle today for a change and I must say AJ's will remian my number one Vietnamese restaurant in Brisbane.

Delicious but MSG. Their pho is delicious, very strong flavours and herby taste but is loaded with MSG.

This place is consistently good! They are very quick and the meals are fantastic! I normally order the beef noodle salad. Great for a quick lunch, when you want something heathly and cheap.

Perfection!. Perfect little joint for lunch. it's affordable, service is quick and friendly and most of all its so flavoursome and fresh! I went for the beef pho and it was hearty and healthy with lean meat and great vege. my vego friend got the rice paper rolls and said the sauce was the best she'd ever had! big points to Aj's vietnamese noodle house!!

My first Pho in well over a year, needless to say the anticipation was huge. For a little background I was introduced to Pho in Philadelphia almost ten years ago, where we have a sizable Vietnamese population and are lucky enough to have dozens and dozens of pho-nominal (ha) noodle houses, basically we're spoiled.<br/><br/>Back to Brisbane, so I went to AJ's having already done a little research and knowing that most of the Pho seems to be in Fortitude Valley, but I'm staying around CBD so this was much more convenient for my day to day wandering and people watching while on holiday. I dropped into AJ's which is a nice little hole the whole along Charlotte St. <br/><br/>Things inside are a little cramped, which is okay, obviously they want to get as many diners into their space available, and they do a nice job of it. The menu options are more limited than I'm used to at my favorite pho restaurants, but I can't really fault them for that especially since I haven't had pho anywhere else in Brisbane. <br/><br/>Onto the food, I ordered their pork and prawn raw rolls, which were good, the come with some pretty elaborate garnish which makes for a nice looking plate, but I don't need all that, save your money AJ's, put that into something else, like your broth!<br/><br/>For my main I ordered the House Special Pho, as I previously mentioned I'm used to more menu options that allow you to get just what you want in your pho, their menu is up online here so you can see what I mean and its good to know what you're getting into if you're someone like me that needs time to pour of over the menu. House special pho comes with meatballs which I've never been fond of in my pho, but then I probably should have tried the Spicy Beef Pho (which oddly also has pork in it, not that I'd mind) but mostly I wanted to try their special pho. The noodles they serve are big flat noodles, and were okay. The broth needed more flavor, and I would have liked to have had on my side dish some calantra (sp?), and thai basil, they substituted mint but I thought that would over power the broth so I avoided it. In terms of doctoring my pho I need my sauces, a little garlic chili, some hoisan (sp?), they keep them up at the counter, but as I mentioned its a bit cramped in there and you don't necessarily want to move up and down blocking the waitresses from their tables, eventually I did request some chili garlic paste which they happily provided. <br/><br/>I'm going to give this Pho a solid B. Its great to have a Pho option in CBD, but I'm looking forward to exploring fortitude valley as well. I'd like to go back and try some of their vermicelli dishes, and their spicy beef pho which is maybe what I should have gone for in the first place. <br/><br/>For the more experienced Pho eaters I think they should offer a bit of a make your own pho (fatty flank, crunchy flank, tendon and brisket, YUM, that's what I was looking for).

Addicted!. I work in the CBD & come here regularly. Whilst I have only tried one item on the menu - BBQ Pork Wonton Noodle soup, I am addicted. Could easily eat this every day. Delicious broth, tender BBQ pork, tasty wontons, lots of egg noodles as well as some asian greens. Not the best looking place in the world, but don't let that stop you.

Looooovvvveeeee this place!! Very popular so sometimes there is 10 min wait on busy days but well worth the wait. Viet beef salad is my favourite - yummmmm!!!!

Don't judge this place from the outside! Great food, fast service! Pork amazing! Friendly staff and well priced! Would def come back! Not for the fancy but a good hearty Vietnamese meal.

Consistently good. I have been coming to this hole-in-the-wall noodle shop for years and they have always delivered a mighty fine beef noodle soup. Service is fast, food is full of flavour and sustaining and there is nothing too scary in the beef special. I am happy this is my local

Love this place. I wish they had 'ca phe sua da' on the menu.

Not very authentic... Girl who served me did not speak Vietnamese (I guess I can forgive that), but much worse is that they do not do the essential VN iced coffee (ca phe sua da). In light of this omission, it is hard to see how they can call themselves Vietnamese :-(

Addicted to it. This is a great place for a cheap quick lunch. the spicy beef noodle soup is simply addictive and the best cure all for any ailment!!<br/><br/>also highly recommend the salads<br/><br/>friendly and efficient staff as well

Used to eat here all the time a few years ago....very glad nothing has changed! Great food, very fast. Not much room to eat in, but takeaway is doable.

Bowls of steamy soup!. The first thing we noticed about AJ's is it is tiny and definitely not glamorous. The tables are crammed in closely side by side and when we were there every single one of them was full with a small queue of people waiting outside for a table to free up. Our waitress was quick to seat us, hand out menus and then return to take our order. The pouring rain outside made us both feel like the Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Noodle Soup with Pork and Beef) and we also ordered a serve of the fresh spring rolls.<br/>Spring rolls were fresh and had plenty of prawn with a tasty hoisin peanut dipping sauce. The broth came out in a large bowl, steaming hot with plenty of meat and noodle, and it was spicy too! The garnishes of bean sprouts, Vietnamese mint and wedges of lemon were just a little lacking, I would have liked to seen more mint and the addition of green onion. We noticed that tables next to us got the same amount for one person as we did for two, but if we had wanted more I'm sure it would have been ok to ask. <br/>What AJ's lacks in glamour it makes up for in providing great priced quick cheap meal options in the city.

AYYYY!! JAYYYSS. Just try it.<br/><br/>Service is quick as the CBD workers demand their lunch during the busy lunch break. They even take your order before you get seated to ensure you get ur meal and you're basically in and out! Not a place for a good chit chat with old pals... best to go to a coffee store to do that anyway.<br/><br/>Food is very tasty. Not the BEST in the entire world but it's worth every penny for city dining. Food is fresh and portion is standard. A healthy and quick lunch if you're in the right part of the CBD

Loved this place. Went for lunch, they were packed but service was quick. Got the special combo pho. Generous meat, portions and great broth! Probably the best pho I've had in Australia.

Excellent pho. The pho is excellent. Not much else needs to be said.

Not real vietnamese food. I heard that this place is always busy so I thought I'd check it out during my outings to the city. I was surprised at how tiny this place was but proceeded to order a pho (beef noodle soup) and was bitterly disappointed with what I got. Soup didn't taste anything like the traditional pho I'm use to but more like a Chinese version which just isn't right.

Don't ever judge a restaurant by its cover - this tiny hole in the wall gives you one of the most authentic bowls of Pho (a Vietnamese type of noodle soup) you can find in the CBD - it's definitely comparable to the ones in Darra. If you can get past the cramped and unglamorous interior, this place is really worth visiting as they offer a good selection of Vietnamese food.

AJ Vietnamese Noodle House was like a little Chinatown stall, only no where near Chinatown. It was a little shop, filled with lots of local students huddled around the few plastic chairs and tables available. It was clearly a popular spot, I struggled to get a seat a few times and got take away instead. The Pho was really nice, with some good flavour in the stock, lots of noodles and a decent amount of beef. At $12, a bargain considering its size. Definitely a must try if you are in need of a pho fix!

At any Vietnamese restaurant, I normally beeline for the special beef noodle soup, however, the spring roll vermicelli salad looked so enticing, I was very tempted.

What a fabulous way to eat. Packed full of nutrition, low in fat, fresh herbs, light and tasty.

So if you're in Brisbane and looking for a fantastic lunch I highly recommend VN Vietnamese Noodle House. It not too hard to find, just head to the Charlotte Street end of Elizabeth Arcade and turn left, you'll be very glad you did! Lunchtimes are pretty busy but the tables seemed to turn over pretty quickly and takeaway is always an option, it is definitely worth the wait.

This hole in the wall is a well-known and well-loved amongst the Vietnamese obsessed community of Brisbane. They do the classics well including the spring rolls, vermecilli salads and soups. I recommend the spicy beef pho or the grilled chicken salad, both jam packed with meat, salad, herbs and noodles. Get there early if you want a seat or call ahead for takeaway. If you’re a spice lover, tell them to make it HOT! Price: All soups are under $10

The noodles are always very soft, the texture that of a canned spaghetti rather than noodles which I am used to, like ones you can pick up with your chopsticks rather than your spoon.

A big bowl of flavoursome Special Beef Noodle Soup is all I need to combat the winter chills. Their Spicy Beef Noodle Soup is another good option for chilli lovers. I also love their pork salad, it’s a summer favourite. This place gets extremely busy around lunch time as it’s popular among white collar CBD workers. If you can’t get a table straight away, the best way is to order you meal while you’re waiting so that you’ll get to eat as soon as your table is ready. Keep in mind that sometime you might also need to share a table with a complete stranger.

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

A good, quick option whilst in the city