A & J Bistro

Cash only, they dont tell you up front. Was forced to use an atm machine. Food was horrible on top of it.

We came. We ate. We left with happy smiles. You order with a menu and associated checklist. Simple and straightforward. Leaves no room for error. Check off what you want and indicate the quantity. Awesome.
Food came out at a good pace. Started with mustard greens and tofu skin with fresh soy beans. Light and refreshing cold appetizer. Potstickers were a little salty but the skins are crisp with some chewy goodness. No need to dip in any soy sauce. Had the beef pancake roll which was seasoned and filled just right. We did not like the sesame roll with beef and hoisin, but more on that later. Wontons in spicy chili oil is a must. Such great flavors. And the beef noodle soup with thick/​wide knife cut noodles was spectacular! Don’t heave without having some noodles of any kind. You must!
Prices are more than reasonable. The lady taking care of our bill noticed that we didn’t eat all of our sesame rolls and asked if we didn’t like it. We were honest and said it was just too dry and chalky. She offered to take it off our bill and we said it was no problem. But she did anyway.
Staff is attentive and clearly the restaurant cares about their patron’s satisfaction. We love the noodle soup and are glad we decided to try other dishes too. We cleaned every plate and bowl. It’s that good!

My boss, who’s Russian, brought me, a Taiwanese, to A & J Bistro for dinner the first time I was there. I can’t believe this place exists 10mins away from my work!
I’ve had their beef noodle soup, pickled seaweed, pickled cucumber, wonton soup. Everything was so authentic and fresh! The noodles are the best because it was hand pulled! :D
I personally liked the thick noodles as opposed to the thin noodles.
I have been back 2 times since and gotten take out & to eat there as well.
The service is great. The staff made excellent suggestions if you don’t know what to get (I couldn’t decide what to get because everything on the menu sounds delicious!) I think eventually I will get to try everything on the menu.
The price is also very fair for the quality food you are getting.
I am very happy to have found the place and will be a returning customer.

Mm mm mm, if I lived closer, I’d make a pit stop here twice a week :) I love their handmade noodles, their soup noodles are light in flavor and never overly salty. we’ve been here twice and hubs loves their Chinese style fried chicken rice. (No, it’s not your typical Kentucky fried chicken!) I always must have the braised pork over rice and one of their soup noodles. Also tried their Taro bubble tea and it was amazing, just the perfect amount of sweetness and aroma. I’m going to have to order separate bubble teas for hubs and I since we kept fighting over the last drop! You won’t be disappointed ! I hear they’re hiring, maybe I should get a PT gig here for my fill of handmade noodles, braised pork and bubble tea :)

In terms of taste and value I would give this place five stars. The menu seems authentic, lots of spices I don’t think I’ve had before. Appears to be a local favorite, I’m guessing because I’m the only one in there didn’t speak Chinese. The Decour was nice and the chopsticks seemed like actual silverware, as in heavy not the cheap throwaway stuff. My two main grapes would be cash only, and my stomach feels kind of weird the next day. As much as I love the food here, this would be a once in a while type of visit. Though it’s worth a trip if you’re in the area.

This is a place to go if you are looking for good taiwanese food.
Heard a lot of raving about the noodles after tried it couples times, I think I will stick to the rice dishes. Noodles are ok but not something that will make me come back for it.
On the other hand, the braised pork rice is so delicious, pork was braised perfectly, it melts in your mouth.
Pork chop rice is devine… It was fried to perfection, crunchy on the outside and juicy inside with the prefect seasoning.
Fried chicken rice is good as well.
The braised pork feet and sliced pig ears are also recommended to those who dare to eat.
Always come back for the perfect Pork Chop Rice.

I decided to try this again because my wife said this place has improved.
First I have to say I am happy to say that this place is Taiwanese focus. They have a lot of variety of Taiwanese food.
I tried a lot of dishes and one word come constantly to my mind, SALT. Every dish that I tried was too salty.
I had fried pork over rice. It was too salty. I had spicy beef noodle soup. It was too salty.
One very annoying thing about this place is its a cash only place. Please accept credit cards.

This place used to be good. The last 3 times I came here, the porkchop was absolutely horrific. It did not taste like the chop was fried to order. All the coating fell off of the porchop, the meat itself was a dry mealy texture and it wasn’t even hot. The funny thing is, we noticed other porkchop dishes coming out to other customers looked freshly fried with coating in tact. Perhaps it was the company I was with had something to do with the quality of the food. My husband is caucasion and I don’t exactly look Chinese myself. Three strikes you’re out…

Oh man. What’s not to love. Chicken over rice. Pork chop over rice. Good stuff man. If you don’t know what this means google it and then Facebook friend me and I will show you a whole new world.
Just bring cash. That is my only neutral review.

Having just returned from my fourth trip to Taiwan, it was great to enjoy some of the food that I was already missing.
I imagine someone who isn’t familiar with this type of food, might be perplexed by the menu, but everything here is tasty and authentic and reminds me of a lot of the night market food in Taiwan.
During my most recent visit, I had noodles with braised pork and the thousand layer pancake. The noodles were fresh and the pork flavor was excellent.
This place is cash only.
Restaurant is clean with a nice contemporary décor.

For someone who is part Taiwanese, I must say A&J Bistro hits the spot! There are not many Taiwanese restaurants around to begin with and I’m so happy there is one so close to me! Oh and it’s in a strip mall which is perfect because you can just walk around after you stuffed your face with that deliciousness!
I’ve been here a few times already and I always do it family style with whoever I come with because there’s so many things to try! The food is authentic and the prices are so reasonable (take out prices but food is way better!). Some of my favorite items are the fried pork chop over rice, spicy wontons, spicy beef noodle soup, and beef pancake roll. You can’t go wrong with any of those menu items. I can’t wait to come back and try more items off the menu. They really do have a big selection of items to choose from.
Service has been pretty good every time I’ve dine here even when it’s super busy. It does get pretty packed on the weekends, so come early! The ambiance is alright (I’m coming for the food and the amazing prices after all) but the restaurant itself is very clean. I’m just so happy I don’t have to travel so far for good Taiwanese food anymore. Thank you A&J Bistro, I will be back soon!
FYI: This place is cash only, but they do have an ATM machine inside.

I was heading to REI nearby and stumbled to this strip mall. Walked the whole length of the mall and found this at the end. It was around 2:30pm, and the waiter saw me looking at the menu they have posted outside. I must have been standing there for less than 30 seconds; he comes out and hands me a menu and asks if I wanted to come in and have a seat; they have AC and it was hot outside. I go in, and it’s not empty, he was waiting on 3 other tables and now me. I felt very welcomed since he even gave me a Chinese menu but I read chinese.
First thing I saw on the menu is the Braised Pig’s feet. Had to had it with their steamed vegetables. The pig’s feet was amazing. Their mixed vegetables was actually only bok choy. I was a great late lunch. Definitely recommend this place if your in town. I believe it is Taiwanese style cooking but I could be wrong. I should have read the other reviews and found out.
Happy Hunting!

Great food! Their giant pancake roll is authentic Taiwanese goodness and their hand-​cut noodles (especially the beef noodle soup) are very good. On other occasions we’ve ordered side dishes and congee from the menu, which were also very good.
Had a somewhat amusing experience with a waitress when she saw that one of our dining party was half-​Asian. She brought over a few sauces that were apparently «popular with non-​Asians» and tried to teach him Chinese. All in good fun and ended with us in hysterics.
A friend who comes here often gets a bubble tea to go, and it’s a nice fix in an area where bubble tea is hard (er) to come by.

A Taiwanese bistro, the best part is when you come here to share with friends. Located in the little strip mall, you walk in and are greeted by the hostess and seated quickly. Big open feeling and lots of light during the lunchtime.
Hand pulled noodles in beef noodle soup (or the dry version) were ok, but I was missing something savory about it… ended up being bland.
The beef wrapped in scallion pancake was good, though, and the wontons in a spicy sauce were definitely spicy. Sesame sauce on mixed cold salad was a good change-​of-​pace, and they were spot on with the spicy cucumber pickles.
Service was good, quick with plates and bowls and water.
Will have to try a few more dishes like the pork chop over rice!

3.5 stars. For comfort dining, Americans have their diners, the Japanese have their ramen shacks and shokudos, the French have their cafes routiers and Taiwanese in America have places like A&J. A&J serves simple noodle soups, rice plates and dishes that are full of flavor and designed to satisfy. The beef noodle soup is popular, but I prefer beef tendon myself. Jiang Nu Ro, consisting of thin slices of beef rolled up into a flaky Chinese flatbread, is a must-​order. Ambiance and service are friendly, casual and no-​nonsense. Service can sometimes be a touch slow when they are understaffed, but worth the extra few minutes of waiting time. Ditch the Chinese take-​out, try something other than Chipotle, avoid Saigon Phở next door, give A&J a try.

Great price, great staff, great food. So, so happy to find an authentic Taiwanese restaurant in this area of NJ!
A&J is a casual sit-​down restaurant that offers truly authentic Taiwanese food. It’s easy to miss if you have never been here before — it is in the same plaza as Smashburger. The restaurant was full during our weekday lunch but there was minimal wait due to the efficient service.
We tried the seaweed & bean sprouts appetizer, the pork chops over rice, fried chicken in noodle soup, a beef pastry and a bubble tea. Everything was excellent, no joke, and nothing was over $ 9. The meat dishes were tender and well-​cooked. The noodle soup had a very light broth (less flavorful than I’m used to) but the chicken balances it out well. The seaweed dish was both vinegary and garlicky which I love, but may be a little strong for those unused to this style of presentation (it does NOT taste like the seaweed salad you get at AYCE sushi). The bubble tea was under $ 3! A bargain.
The service was very courteous even though it was busy. It did take awhile for my noodles to come out, but they quickly apologized and got my dish out promptly.
I will definitely come back for both sit-​down and take out in the future. Definite recommend for those who want REAL Chinese food at take out prices!

SERVICE
* Not much to complain about because the food is all too wonderful that you won’t even mind the average service
FOOD (general)
* More than reasonably priced
* Nice selection and options to satisfy that Taiwanese authentic craving
* Order the beef pancake rolls! I’ve heard many great things, though I sadly did not get to try it.
FOOD (experience)
* Pi Dan Dou Fu (Bean Curd w/​Thousand Year Egg) [1]
* Lu Rou Fan (Braised Pork on Rice w/​Braised Egg) [2]
* Dan Zai Mian (Noodles w/​Ground Pork and Braised Egg in Chicken Broth) [3]
ENVIRONMENT
* Clean and tidy
* Nice and roomy
* Clean restroom
OVERALL
My experience here has made me realize how much I love eggs! As evident of how all the dishes I tried had an egg of some sort. Nice for intimate hangouts with a small group of friends. Was glad to have had a Taiwanese friend with me at the time to give us some recommendations with the food. All in all, there was nothing to complain about. Giving this place a 5 because it more than satisfied my Taiwanese food craving experience! Would go back anytime!
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[1] Having a major craving crisis for this right now! If I lived closer, I would probably have this for take out all the time. If you have never had this, be aware that the bean curd is served cold. A must try dish for all!
[2] Feels like a legit home cooked meal! Not necessarily a dish that I would have again and recommend only because I do have this dish fairly frequently at home, but still good.
[3] A safe and basic noodle dish to go for if you’re not looking for anything to overwhelming and fancy. Though I will admit, the braised egg was what suckered me into getting this dish,

I was actually thinking about going into Saigon Phở next door since I was craving Bun Bo Hue (as usual), but I’m so glad I stumbled upon this place. It was exactly lunch time when I dropped by, but the restaurant wasn’t that busy.
酱牛肉 (Jiang Niu Ro) ($ 5.25) — These rolls consist of thin slices of beef rolled in a Taiwanese-​style pancake. There was plenty of beef in each slice and had a rather sweet tasting bean paste, which I wasn’t too fond of. They were soft and stuffed well.
皮蛋豆腐 (Pi Dan Doufu) ($ 4.25) — It’s been a few months since I’ve had a century egg, so after seeing all the photos, I ordered this dish for appetizer and freaking loved it. The tofu was crumbled and had a light sauce poured over it – maybe sesame oil with something added. Its firmness was great and the century egg tasted great with it. I usually eat century egg with congee but this was so good. I will be sure to order this again next time.
排骨飯 (Pai Gu Fan) ($ 6.85) — This is the crispy pork chop over rice. First of all, it is the perfect serving and price for lunch. I love large portioned meals, but this was just right – it was large enough to keep you full but not to a point where you need to loosen your belt. The plate comes with crispy pork cutlets, rice that has pork belly on top, pickled cabbage, a soy egg half, and a pretty sour minced green vegetable (forgot the name). My only complaint is that I wish the rice was stickier. The pork belly’s sauce soaked the rice making it difficult to pick up; lacquered chop sticks didn’t help! Overall, this was a good lunch.
A & J Bistro serves delicious Taiwanese food at great prices! It seems like a great place for lunch, though parking will probably be your enemy during the lunch rush.
I’m looking forward to trying their noodle soups, which seem to be the more popular items. The menu is small but has quite a bit written on it. Also, I must say, the service was great! I usually go to Edison for Taiwanese food, but the service doesn’t compare. The woman who took my table’s order was friendly, as was the woman sitting at the table to my right (I think she’s the owner – she was using a laptop while we were eating). Overall, I’ll be coming back to try more.

A&J Bistro is a refreshing change from many of the Chinese restaurants in the area. This is not a place you go to for Kung Pao Chicken or Hot and Sour Soup. It is a Taiwan style restaurant serving noodles, noodle soups and an array of small plates which you order dim sum like by jotting your order on a menu and handing it to the server.
The restaurant is small, clean, and attractive with smart looking tile on walls etc. Service is about average for a Chinese restaurant– not bad, but not terribly friendly. Food, once ordered, came out fairly promptly. Prices are extremely reasonable… the most expensive thing on the menu is $ 7.60. As others have noted it is cash only. At least you won’t need too much of that to pay for your meal.
I have been to A&J Bistro three times. I must admit that the first visit did not leave much of an impression on me, besides noting the large numbers of Asian diners inside. My other visits were more memorable. We tried to vary what we ordered mixing a soup with noodle dishes and small plates. Noodle dishes present a choice of thin noodles and hand cut homemade wide noodles. I’ve only had the wide.
We tried the Noodles with Spicy Beef which is a soup with very tender meat in a decent broth. I’ve had better noodle soups elsewhere, but this was good. I would have tried other soups, but since I went with people with the intention of sharing, soups aren’t well suited to doing that. We’ve tried both Zha Jiang Mian and Noodle with Braised Pork Sauce. The noodles are served with sauce on top surrounded by complements like bean sprouts and steamed vegetable. You mix them up and dig in. The noodles are lightly sauced and pleasantly chewy. We enjoyed both dishes.
We always order the steamed vegetable which has both times been bok choy flecked with fried garlic in a light broth. We tend to order a bread dish– one time a Shao Bing (sesame bread) with sliced beef and the other a big pancake with beef which is a beef roll accented with hoisin sauce. We’ve also sampled a plate of tender sliced beef with bean paste sauce and a dish of spicy beef tendon which was a real surprise. Spicy, chewy (but not overly so) tendon which is a great texture dish. One time we tried the spicy wontons which were in a hot oil sauce.
This area is really becoming an Asian food corridor with Saigon Phở next door, a new Korean restaurant in the next mall down (such is life in New Jersey), Penang and the Kam Man grocery in the one after that, and Tomo’s Cuisine (sushi) across Route 10 near the movie theater. It’s not Edison, but it’s getting there.

How awesome is it when you find an authentic Taiwanese restaurant outside of Chinatown/​city environment?! Let me answer that… not often AT ALL! I an definitely a huge fan of this place and if you’re ever in the area whether it’s for work or on the way somewhere else, this is definitely a highly underated restaurant that needs to be tried!
For one, this place is extremely affordable… although make sure you have cash because that’s all they accept here… so sorry no plastic allowed… every single dish is under $ 7 and they’re very well made and full of flavor.
I may be Asian, but I’m Vietnamese, I crave authentic Taiwanese/​Chinese food ALL the time and there’s never anything close enough around. I lived around Atlantic City, NJ and have NEVER found a place with authentic Chinese food with decent prices… only those Americanized dishes you find at take outs… and I grow tired of those easily.
It’s not a fantastic looking place but it’s clean, neat and easy to find in the shopping plaza. The place is big enough for large groups and since it’s underated the place is pretty vacant. If I worked or lived closer in the area it would probably be my go to place to eat during lunch and to order take out. I’ve been there twice and both times I had my Taiwanese friend come with me during her lunch hour and she can vouch that this is a pretty darn «close to home» place without having to travel too far.
I want to warn those who aren’t used to dining in super Asian restaurants, but Asian servers aren’t always the most sociable servers ever. They tend to just ask you if you’re ready to order/​what do you want to drink questions, then bring you your food and you wave them down when you’re ready to pay. I know there are some people that believe that if they’re not talking that it’s bad service but it’s just how different the culture is. Don’t take it to heart, it’s just how it is and they’re not as sociable as we are. So give it a try if you want to try authentic Taiwanese food, you won’t regret it!