5 Asian noodle dishes to try in Orange County

Each Asian culture and subculture has its take on how they serve different types of noodles. I have tried at least 50 different Asian noodle dishes, but I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface. As a Korean American and food fanatic, here are five noodle dishes to try that will begin your introduction to the different kinds of Asian noodles.

#1 Xishang Roodle: ‘Crossing the Bridge’ Roodle

3396 S Bristol St – Santa Ana

@xishangroodle

Xishang Roodle is a Yunnan (province in southwestern China) style roodle (rice noodle) restaurant. They specialize in a dish called “Crossing the Bridge” roodles. As I took my first bite of the pricey $19.99 meal, I felt like I was crossing the bridge into another dimension of warm broth, crunchy vegetables, and long noodles. Xishang Roodle had the best presentation out of all the restaurants I tried. My favorite part was cooking the ingredients myself, it was like dinner and a show. All the ingredients for the bowl are on a separate wooden tray with mini plates and dropping each item into my soup brought me back to when I was a child dropping marbles and playing mancala. The star of the show was the minimal broth made fresh daily out of pork and chicken bones, the simplicity of the soup is my new prescription for any hangover. They offered half a dozen proteins including raw thinly sliced chicken, pork, and snakehead fish. The crunch of the fried crispy pork, chopped bean curd, and sauerkraut satisfy the craving for umami flavor as the quail eggs await its turn in your stomach. The combination of bean curd, a slice of meat, and a mouthful of noodles is the best way to eat this dish.

The thin smooth texture of the noodles allows for the broth and meat quality to shine through. Photo by Kaitlyn Han / el don

#2 Pho Akaushi: Pho Akaushi Combo

3522 W 1st St – Santa Ana

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Down an empty street in Little Saigon, filled with industrial buildings lies a hole-in-the-wall Pho Akaushi, run by a very sweet old Vietnamese couple. For $18.99 their Pho Dac Biet was a meat lover’s dream come true, including bright pink rare beef, thick brisket, and chopped flank in small cubes. The three different kinds of meat create a mountain of beef that settles on top of an almost endless supply of thin rectangular noodles. The flank soaked up the well-seasoned umami broth flavor and was tender, soft, and melted in my mouth. On top of the meat and noodles rested a pile of fresh herbs including Thai basil, lemongrass, and fresh limes. Classically, the restaurant provided chili oil, vinegar, chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and sriracha on the table with little sauce dishes. This small unsuspecting restaurant is worth visiting for a meal that will leave you feeling satisfied.

Mazamen is a Japanese ramen dish that means “mix noodles”. Kaitlyn Han / el don

#3 Mogu Mogu: Curry Mazemen with pork chashu

2969 Fairview Rd – Costa Mesa

@mogumogu_la

I am no stranger to O.C restaurant Mogu Mogu. At Mogu Mogu their must-try dish is the $20.50 Curry Mazemen with a side of pork chashu. The flavor combination and mixture of the dishes is a delicious explosion on my tastebuds that leaves me missing the meal as soon as it’s done. Although a bit pricey, this bowl of goodness is worth every penny with the perfect kick of spicy minced pork mixed with Japanese curry powder, followed by the crunch of kale. The udon noodles are perfectly chewy and gummy and they are the perfect vessel for that sauce. At the end of the meal, the restaurant also gives you a bowl of rice to soak up the leftover sauce which is my favorite part of the experience.. This restaurant is always packed with people, so make sure to get there early to avoid a long wait. This dish would definitely be my death-row meal.

The buckwheat noodles have a soft bite that is nutty and earthy in flavor, unlike typical wheat noodles. Photo by Kaitlyn Han / el don

#4 – Tanakaya: Cold Soba Sampler

654 El Camino Real – Tustin

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Tanakaya is a Japanese soba restaurant that was founded in 1948 in Takasaki Japan. The restaurant opened a location in Tustin and is a hidden gem for anyone looking for authentic handmade Japanese soba or udon. Tanakaya’s $17.95 cold soba sampler has a variety of toppings including tempura flakes and nameko mushrooms on six bundles of matcha or plain soba noodles. In a separate cup, the restaurant provides a side of fishy and smokey concentrated dipping sauce which is a combination of dashi, mirin (Japanese vinegar), soy sauce, and sugar. The sauce allows the noodles to shine and the portions of noodles given are quite generous for the price. At the end of the meal, you are given a kettle of hot water with a little bit of dashi powder in it to put into your leftover sauce to make a hot broth. This experience was very unique and is very authentic Japanese soba.

Yukgaejang or spicy beef noodle soup is good for when you want a dish that’s spicy and comforting. Photo by Kaitlyn Han/ el don

#5 – Yigah – Yukgaejang

8562 Garden Grove Blvd – Garden Grove

@yigah_gardengrove

Yigah is a Korean comfort food restaurant that specializes in traditional stews and soups. Yukgaejang is made up of the Korean words ‘yuk’ meaning beef and ‘gaejang’ which means dog meat soup. In Korean history, beef was a rare protein, and typically the only meat easily accessible was dog meat. Yigah’s $17.99 dish includes shredded beef brisket, Korean thin rounded glass noodles, steamed egg, shitake mushrooms, and garlic. The broth of this dish is rich with lots of flavors from the gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), soy sauce, and sesame oil. The glass noodles are typically made out of sweet potato starch and water and don’t taste like much but that’s fine because they soak up the flavor of the broth. The ingredients of the soup mingle with one another to create a perfect slurp. I can always count on this soup to leave me happy, slightly sweating, and full. Just how I want to be.

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