Aji, a stone’s throw from Waterloo station, serves reasonable food at reasonable prices in a canteen-style restaurant.

The Venue
Tucked snugly within the old County Hall building but only a moment from the throngs of tourists crammed along South Bank eagerly photographing the London Eye, Aji is in the perfect location. Antiquated from the outside with a modern, airy, minimalist feel on the inside, this Japanese inspired canteen has long benches and tables, a cute window bar with stools overlooking the street and an open glass-fronted kitchen, which is a nice touch.

The Atmopshere
When busy, this place feels cool and fast-paced. The Aji rules are clearly marked on the menu: ‘Grab a seat, choose loads of food, when you are ready, just stick up your hand, we serve each dish as and when it’s ready.’ It is a very informal place to eat and perfect for a quick bite but similarly to wagamama, it’s not a place in which you feel comfortable having a long, lingering dinner.

The Food
The menu is divided into soup noodles, stir fried noodles, rice dishes, sides and salads. If soup noodles are your thing then you can have some fun choosing your noodles, your soup, your topping and your garnishes – the soba noodles in miso chicken broth, topped with pork and garnished with shitake mushrooms, tofu and seasonal greens are quite good (£7.95). However, it has to be said that it’s much improved by the addition of soy sauce, chillies and pickles at an extra cost of £1.

The katsu curry with panko-breadcrumbed prawns is nice (£7.95) and the chicken and vegetable gyozas are reliably moreish, slightly crisp on the outside and oozing with fragrant, salty, ginger-infused juice (£2.95). The ponzu citrus soy sauce it comes with is definitely a winner – pour what’s left in your noodles for an extra kick. For a healthier option, there is a smoked salmon or tofu glass noodle salad (£7.95) and kids can eat a chicken, fish or vegetable mini bento box for £4.50. Although it’s not particularly Japanese, a chocolate fudge cake is on offer for dessert along with strawberry cheesecake, but if you want to try and stay remotely within the realms of authenticity, have the green tea ice cream (£3.95).

The Drink
The drink selection is not hugely extensive as expected. It is as simple as one red, one white and one rose wine (about £3 a glass and £11 a bottle), Asahi or Kirin beer (£3) and of course a small selection of the ubiquitous sake (about £4) and some green tea.

The Last Word
Although the food is decent and the concept is good (although not novel), Aji is missing that extra something that makes it an exciting place to eat.

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