Know Your Noodle

The ancient Chinese invention of the noodle still enjoys popularity in Asian cuisine to this day. The types of noodles available differ almost as vastly as the common dishes in which they appear. Here is a short guide to a select few of the most common noodle soups, as well as the various noodles found immersed in their broth.

Soba Noodle: Served hot or cold, these noodles are made from buckwheat flour giving them an unmistakable brown hue and hearty, nutty flavor.

Pictured Top Left:  Hot broth with seaweed, bean sprout and egg. From Kamatori

Ramen Noodle: Probably the most identifiable wheat noodle, these are a long, narrow noodle, mild in flavor and readily available down to their dried, packaged brick form.

Pictured (top right and bottom):

Tokyo (house-made noodles and miso broth, seaweed, pork and fried chicken thighs) From Tokyo Ramen

Shoyu Wakame (bamboo shoot, corn, seaweed, pork, green bean) From Toshi’s Ramen

Rice Noodle: In most popular instances, these noodles are narrow and flat. They tend to cook up softer and take on the flavor of their soup more readily.

Pictured:

Spicy Pho (spicy beef, lemongrass broth and vegetables) From Bon Mi

Phnom Penh (pork stock, ground pork, pork meatball, roasted garlic, bean sprout) From Angkor Cambodian Café

BBQ Pork Pho (in chicken broth) From Yi Shen

Udon Noodle: The thickest of the common wheat noodle is chewy yet mild in flavor. 

Pictured  (above): Oddeng Udon (noodles and fish cakes in shoyu broth) From Sushi Ya

Kamatori 1044 Willamette St. | Sushi Ya 5 E 8th Ave. | Tokyo Ramen 1733 Pearl St | Toshi’s Ramen 1520 Pearl St. 
Angkor Cambodian Cafe 1810 Chambers St. | Bon Mi 153 E Broadway | Yi Shen 1915 W 11th Ave.