East Asian Noodles You Should Eat Instead of Ramen

In the past decade , ramen occupy the US by stormwhen the noodles run from college dorm staple and buttery punchline to one of the most sought - after foodstuffs . apparently overnight the soup was being sling by pop - ups , food trucks , and high - oddment izakayas .

But , much like you would n’t only eat spaghetti with all that tastyrigatoni out there , you ’re sell yourself scant if you hold fast to just one East Asian noodle . These are the ones you should get familiarize with now . Trust us . You ’ll be well ahead of the curve if and when udon becomes the next ramen .

Udon

JapanEach realm of Japan has its own expressive style of udon so induction are tough , but regardless of how and where they ’re eat , these noodles are fatter and spongier than their counterparts and make for an even more vehement slurp than ramen ( especially when served in a thick curry sauce ) .

Udon is the most likely next ramen rival , as there are already plenty of ramen shops that offer variation on the dish . Be on the lookout for the hot pot version ( nabeyaki udon ) , since everything is expert when serve in stoneware , or take Nguyen Tran from theStarry Kitchenin LA ’s suggestion and order bukkake , which in improver to a Google search full term that could get you fired , is actually a cold udon dish with duncish dashi broth . The name alone makes it a attractive feature for insistency and the character of food phenomenon that Yelpers would swoop on .

Hand-pulled noodles (lamian)

ChinaTo make a bowl ’s worth of Chinese manus - pulled noodles , a master noodlesmith has to give close attention to the balance of flour , water , and external factors like humidity or else they lose the all - significant springiness for which the noodles are noted . They begin as a thick ropethat ’s knead and swung aroundin the cooking equivalent weight of a game of cat ’s provenance , then pull into filament and traditionally served in a bitch broth . Although , stateside fusion - minded chefs vary the broth and thickness of noodles . The spectacle adds a level of showmanship to the dining experience , which mark this kind of dome shop from more incline - of - the - mill takeaway joints .

But the takeaway places are n’t to be scoffed at – there ’s been impulse behind hand - pulled noodles ever since Anthony Bourdain stopped by Xi’an Famous Foods in a shopping plaza in Queens , New York in 2008 . The proprietor ’s son , Jason Wang , has since amplify the shop class into a mini NYC empire . No worries if you ’re not in NYC though ; Andrew Zimmernhas a recipe for the on - the - rise noodles .

Knife-shaved noodles (dao xian mian)

ChinaA specialty of the northerly Chinese province of Shanxi , these start from a block of pelf ( Elmer Reizenstein or wheat ) , and the difference between these and the hand - pulled ones , is that the cook use a peculiar knife to shave them right away into boiling water . It requires a speedy - fire stride to keep the noodles misrepresent comparatively equally , but there ’s a built - in tolerance for error given that these flat noodles err towards the chewy side .

Like their hand - pulled cousins , dao xian mian typically end up in a spicy beef stock , but are also used in stir - frys . Even though the P.F. Chang ’s crowd is already intimate with this style of noodle , which often score it into dishes like dan dan noodles , the technique is still for the most part unknown by the foodie world . But it ’s tooYouTube - worthyto remain cloak-and-dagger for recollective .

Sweet potato glass noodles

KoreaCellophane or glass noodles make appearances throughout Asia and are similar to rice vermicelli , but fitting to their name , are more transparent . Varieties made using sweet white potato starch take on a slightly brown tone and are most often base in the stir - fried Korean dish japchae . With the surge in popularity ofKorean barbecue , a attic dish could easy be the next boastful Korean craze .

Fusion spaghetti

JapanHighly urge by Shion Aikawa of Austin’sRamen Tatsu - ya(one of our33 best slurp shops ! ) , fusion Nipponese spaghetti is rarely seen in the US outside certain pocket of California , but it ’s ubiquitous in Japan , and seen in everything from upscale eating place to to - go bento boxes . " reckon a public where one can get salted pollack hard roe ( tarako ) pasta , creamy sea urchin carbonaras , and topping such as roast seaweed , umeboshi , and pickle mustard greens on the regular , " he say .

Also weirdly common is " ketchup spaghetti " ( aka spaghetti Neapolitan ) that combines a protein , ketchup , and roasted seaweed for garnish . It ’s the type of nuclear fusion reaction that could sop up a line around the corner in Williamsburg , Brooklyn , but is also accessible enough that it might just make it to middle America .

Soba

JapanSoba dome stand out amongst other Japanese noodle because they ’re made with buckwheat dough that ’s rolled matt then sliced into thin strand . The Western Japanese prefecture of Nagano farm much of the country ’s Fagopyrum esculentum and is nearly tied to the noodles ' identity , but they ’re institute throughout Japan .

They ’re more potential to be served insensate than the other noodles on this inclination , and are most commonly served plain alongside a clear dashi- and soy - based dipping sauce , but can also be accompanied by tofu , in the buff egg , or tempura . They ’re already on the menu at most Nipponese restaurant , but it ’s only a issue of time before the ramen - obsessed start to take notice .

Somen

JapanAs oppose to most of the noodles on this tilt that sway both way on the temperature spectrum , ashen somen noodles are typically function cold and sometimes even iced . They ’re the fragile of all the styles mentioned , and the serving fashion most associated with them is a alone communal dining experience where the noodles are streamed down a bamboo shoot and diners utilise chopsticks to snag bit directly from the flow . wellness codification concerns might keep this out of American restaurants , but it ’s the type of spectacle that would work perfectly at a intellectual nourishment fete .

spicy noodles