Lunch has its own rules. You are hungry, you are short on time, you want a dish that comforts without weighing you down. That is why Aji opens the midday hour with a different format from the evening: faster, simpler, still careful. Three dishes at its centre, chosen because they speak to everyone and hold up lunch after lunch.
Lunch, Done Differently
In the evening, Aji takes its time: the omakase unfolds piece by piece, at the four-seat counter or at the tables. At lunch, we flip the logic. We keep the rigour of Japanese cooking but put it in service of a meal that comes out fast and fills you up. No ceremony, just good food, right now.
Fusion does not mean confusion. It means we own dishes from across Asia, Chinese General Tao, Vietnamese Pho, Japanese-inspired Hawaiian poké, and cook them with our own grammar: balanced flavours, freshness, and precise cooking.
Tao, Pho, Poké: Three Signature Dishes
General Tao chicken is comfort itself: crisp pieces, a sauce that clings, just the right balance of sweet and heat. We want it sharp, never soggy, served over rice that holds its own. At Aji, the sauce is built fresh every morning, and the frying happens to order so the coating stays genuinely crisp by the time the plate hits the table.
Pho leans on its broth. A good Pho is judged by its clarity and its depth, a long-simmered stock, fresh herbs, supple noodles. It is the perfect dish for a neighbourhood lunch, warm and nourishing. We offer it in two versions: Pho Ga with poularde chicken, mild and comforting, and Pho Bo with beef that you choose rare or well done. The herbs (Thai basil, cilantro, green onion), bean sprouts, and lime are served on the side so you build your bowl exactly how you like it.
Poké bowls close the lineup, and this is where our counter craft speaks loudest. Fish cut on site, house-seasoned rice, fresh toppings: a poké assembled to order has nothing in common with a bowl prepared in advance. Alongside the fusion trio, we also serve Pad Thai with grilled chicken for a Thai-leaning lunch, and a Grilled Chicken Plate with rice and vegetables for those who want something lighter.
The $5.99 Trio Formula: The Real Lunch Hack
Aji's lunch revolves around one simple formula: pick your main from $18.99, then add $5.99 to turn it into a complete trio. The trio includes your dish + a soda of your choice + miso soup of the day OR two vegetable spring rolls. For under $25 before tax, you walk out with a full, hot, balanced meal that holds you until dinner without the post-lunch crash.
The Grilled Chicken Bento is $22.99 and remains the most generous option: grilled chicken, rice, Aji salad, edamame, gyozas, and a dragon roll. It is our pick if you want to explore several textures in one plate without choosing between menu items. And yes, the Bento also upgrades into a trio.
Eating Japanese in Montréal: the guideWhere and how to eat well, Japanese style, from lunch to dinner.The Same Standard as the Evening
The secret of Aji's lunch is that there is no cut-rate cooking. The poké rice is the same carefully made shari as the nigiri rice. The fish comes from the same sourcing. The Pho broth simmers, it does not come from a packet. The speed comes from organisation, not from easing off on quality.
That is what separates a serious counter from an ordinary one: consistency. Whether you come at noon on a grey Tuesday or a busy Friday, the dish has to be at the same level. See our menu for the full range.
Which lunch dish best shows off the counter craft at Aji?
A Lunch in Rosemont
Aji is at 929 St-Zotique Est, in the heart of Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie. It is a neighbourhood address, easy for a lunch with colleagues, a solo break between appointments, or a quick meal before heading out. The area has its own rhythm, and a good Japanese lunch was missing from it.
Lunch service runs Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm. You can walk in and be served in under 15 minutes, or call ahead at 514 272 2929 to pick up without waiting. Plenty of regulars call at 11:45am to grab their Pho right at noon. Uber Eats delivery is also available if you prefer eating at the office or at home.
Logistics: we are a short walk from Beaubien metro station, with on-street parking along St-Zotique and Boyer. The neighbourhood breathes around Plaza St-Hubert, the independent cafés, and a genuinely residential density that brings a loyal local crowd. Aji's lunch fits into that fabric, not as a destination, but as a dependable neighbour for the days when you want to eat well instead of grabbing a quick sandwich.
St-Zotique East: the neighbourhood around AjiWhat to see and taste around 929.From Express Lunch to Omakase
Lunch is often a first encounter. You come for a quick Pho, you notice the care in the rice, you ask what happens at night. The answer: the same counter, the same chef, and a reinvented omakase served at the four-seat counter and at the tables alike.
Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie: A Food Lover's GuideRosemont-La Petite-Patrie has become one of Montréal's most vibrant food destinations: independent restaurants, proximity to Jean-Talon MarkSushi Bar vs. Japanese Restaurant in Montréal: What's the Difference?A sushi bar is defined by counter seating, direct chef interaction, and a focused menu. A Japanese restaurant may offer broader formats. Kno- 1Aji's lunch is express and fusion: General Tao, Pho, and poké.
- 2Owned fusion, executed with the rigour of Japanese cooking.
- 3The poké is assembled to order, with fish cut on site.
- 4Same sourcing and same careful rice as the evening sushi.
- 5At 929 St-Zotique Est, in Rosemont: a true neighbourhood lunch.
The express fusion lunch is Aji's front door: affordable, fast, no compromise on flavour. And if the urge to go further takes hold, the evening omakase is waiting, a few hours and one counter away.
Drop by for lunch on St-Zotique, then come back at night for the omakase.
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