Ajisai

Review

Ajisai is a noodle shop in an old house on Zhongxing Street in West District, close to the Shenji New Village and the CMP and Eslite greenway shopping areas. Stained-glass windows, wooden shelves and plaster walls give it a nostalgic feel with a Jiangsu-Zhejiang touch. The owner used to run a Jiangsu-Zhejiang private kitchen; the shop first made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list in 2024 and is still listed in 2026.

The noodles are mainly Jiangsu-Zhejiang in style with Sichuan accents, served dry-mixed or in soup; Michelin calls them aromatic and spicy but gentle. Global Views magazine names the scallion pork chop noodles as the signature, with a thick chop and strong scallion aroma, and in summer there is a sesame hot-and-sour mung bean jelly. Many diners actually come for the side dishes, made fresh daily and changing with the season: rock-sugar braised bitter melon (NT$50), vinegar-tossed potato shreds and home-style eggplant salad are common, and the bitter melon, sweet rather than harsh, is the most recommended.

Media praise the careful cooking, the wide and affordable choice of sides, and the atmosphere of eating noodles in an old house. Other voices find it tasty but not astonishing, and popular sides can sell out early, leaving latecomers with fewer options. Sources say little about noodle prices, so expect to confirm on site.

The key thing is the schedule: it opens only Friday to Sunday, with recent reports listing lunch 11:00–14:30 and dinner 17:00–20:30, and Michelin advises checking the shop's social media first. Cash only, limited seating, and a possible wait at peak times. There is no dedicated parking; drivers need nearby lots or street spaces.

It suits anyone strolling Shenji New Village or the greenway who wants a light bowl of noodles with a few sides. Order the scallion pork chop noodles and pick two or three of the day's sides, grabbing the rock-sugar bitter melon if it is there; arrive right at opening to beat the crowd.