Happy National Noodle Day! Whether you’re craving Italian, Japanese or Thai food, each country specializes in its own style. Here’s a brief 4-1-1 on each noodle — and several spots where you can find them on Oahu.
Cake Noodles, Chow Mein, Chow Fun // China
When it comes to Chinese noodles, the sky’s the limit. Popular picks include cake noodles, chow mein, dandan mian, wonton noodle soup and chow fun.
A local fave, Chinese cake noodles feature crispy noodles in a thick, savory sauce served with fried vegetables on top. “Chow mein” usually refers to thin eggs noodles that are fried then topped with stir-fried veggies or meat. In contrast, chow fun uses flat, wider rice noodles with a chewier texture. They can be stir-fried with bean sprouts, soy sauce, onions and beef. Originally from Chinese Sichuan cuisine, dandan mian literally means “carrying-pole noodles” and typically features a spicy sauce made with chile oil, Sichuan pepper, scallions, minced pork and preserved noodles. A Cantonese dish, wonton noodle soup typically features egg noodles in a hot broth, topped with dumplings and vegetables.
Where to find it: Mian, SXY Szechuan, Little Village Noodle House, Joy Cup Noodles Mean, Chengdu Taste, Simply Sichuan
Saimin // Hawaii
We couldn’t do a noodle roundup without including Hawaii’s comfort food. This iconic local dish features soft, wavy wheat egg noodles cooked in a dashi-based broth.
Saimin noodles are often topped with char siu, kamaboko and green onions.
“Everyone considers saimin as a comfort food,” says Joann Shigeoka, who co-owns Shige’s Saimin Stand with her husband, Ross. “It’s something simple that you can eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Saimin — besides the fried saimin — is one of the bestsellers at our restaurant. We’ve always made our own noodles, and we add char siu, Spam, eggs, fish cake and green onions.”
Where to find it: Shige’s Saimin Stand, Shiro’s Saimin Haven, Sekiya’s Restaurant, Zippy’s
Spaghetti // Italy
A staple of traditional Italian cuisine, spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina. This long, thin noodle became popular throughout Italy after the spread of spaghetti factories during the 19th century.
Spaghetti can be used in a variety of pasta dishes, including spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese (tomato sauce with minced beef) and spaghetti aglio e olio (with garlic and oil).
“Most of our pasta is made fresh every morning in house,” says Christopher Lord, general manager of Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar. “Our spaghetti and meatball is famous for its perfect pomodoro sauce, Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy and beef, pork and veal meatball.”
Where to find it: Angelo Pietro, Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar, La Cucina Ristorante Italiano, Bernini Honolulu, Mediterraneo Italian Restaurant, Mio Pastalogy, Win-Sputino
Ramen // Japan
Ramen originated in China but made its way to Japan in 1859, according to the Yokohama Ramen Museum. This adaptation of Chinese wheat noodles uses four basic ingredients — salt, wheat flour, water and kansui (alkaline mineral water). This kansui ingredient gives ramen noodles their firmer texture and yellowish hue. These noodles are usually paired with shoyu, miso, kare or shio broths.
Where to find it: Onoya Ramen, Ramen-Ya, Tanaka Ramen & Izayaka, Wagaya, Ramen Santouka, Goma Tei Ramen, Golden Pork Tonkotsu Ramen Bar, Menya Le Nood, Manichi Ramen
Jajangmyeon // Korean
This Korean dish has roots in Chinese cuisine and is derived from the Chinese zhajiangmian. These heartier, handmade noodles usually feature a thick, fermented black soy sauce and often come topped with zucchini, meat, onions and potatoes. The dark paste is commonly referred to as “black bean sauce.” In Korea, jajangmyeon is traditionally eaten during special events like birthdays, but it’s also eaten on Black Day — an unofficial holiday (April 14) dedicated to single people.
Where to find it: Lobster King, Ondong Chinese Restaurant
Beef Noodle Soup // Taiwan
Beef noodles is one of the most popular and iconic dishes in Taiwanese culture, according to Ellen Lin, manager at Fooki Restaurant. The dish has three main components — noodles, meat and broth. The noodles are typically chewy, white flour noodles, while the broth is made with gelatinous beef ribs, shanks and tendons, along with an abundance of spice and vegetables.
Where to find it: Fooki Restaurant, Seasons Ice & Eatery
Pad Thai // Thailand
Pad thai is a dish that was influenced by Chines fried noodles but was adapted to Thai flavors, according to Tayawadee “Koi” Ford, general manager at Noi Thai Cuisine.
“Its name literally means ‘Thai-style stir-fried noodles,’” Ford says. “Although there are many versions of pad thai, the traditional recipe is lightly stir-fried rice noodles, shallots, eggs, shrimp, chile flakes, tofu, bean sprouts, garlic chives, sweet preserved daikon radish, peanuts and lime. The sauce is made with palm sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce and water.”
Where to find it: Noi Thai Cuisine, Thai Issan Cuisine, Siam Garden Café, Olay’s Thai Lao Cuisine, Maile’s Thai Bistro
Udon // Japan
It’s said that the Japanese were introduced to udon more than 1,000 years ago by a Japanese monk who discovered it during a trip to China and brought it to Japan, according to Alonzo Cudd, CMO of Marugame Udon USA.
“The noodle is characterized by its thick, long, square shape, but it has many different texture styles,” Cudd says. “Udon has three simple ingredients — wheat flour, salt and water. Despite this simplicity, the process of making it is quite involved.”
In Japan, the simple kake udon, which is noodles paired with a savory dashi broth that’s blended with seaweed and shoyu, is especially popular.
Where to find it: Marugame Udon, Tsurutontan Udon Noodle Brasserie, Restaurant i-naba Honolulu, Shingen
Pancit // Philippines
This traditional Filipino dish is usually eaten for lunch, merienda (in between) and dinner. Pancit usually features noodles cooked with soy sauce and served with an assortment of chopped vegetables or meats. While pancit refers to “noodles” in general, there are many variations of it. Pancit canton and pancit bihon are the two most popular versions; the noodles used in each is the main difference between the two.
Pancit canton features flour stick noodles (similar to lo mein noodles), while pancit bihon uses bihon noodles (thin rice vermicelli).
“Pancit is a staple in Filipino food,” says Mellissa Cedillo, owner of Elena’s Filipino Restaurant. “It’s within the top three dishes when a customer tries Filipino food for the first time. Our pancit is made with bihon and long rice noodles, but there are many different preparations.”
Where to find it: Elena’s Filipino Restaurant, Shay’s Filipino Café, Max’s Restaurant
Pho // Vietnam
Pronounced “fuh,” pho is considered Vietnam’s national dish. This soup features a beef bone-based broth and rice noodles; it’s typically served with thinly sliced raw beef, bean sprouts and fresh garnishes like cilantro, lime, basil and chiles on the side. There are many variations of pho, including pho bac from North Vietnam and pho nam, which originates in Southern Vietnam. Pho bac features wider noodles, a clearer broth and green onions; Pho nam has thin noodles, a variety of herbs and a bolder broth.
“Our pho was taught to us by our mom, who is originally from Hanoi but emigrated with her family to southern Vietnam when she was a child,” says Andrew Le, chef and owner of The Pig & The Lady. “It’s those two styles of pho that influenced her to create our original ‘Pho 75,’ which was created in 1975 when she and my father escaped the fall of Saigon.”
Though pho is Vietnam’s signature soup, the country boasts a variety of regional soups. The Pig & The Lady’s sister restaurant, Piggy Smalls, has a rotating noodle soup program that features the different broths Vietnam has to offer.
Where to find it: The Pig & The Lady, Piggy Smalls, Ha Long Pho Noodle House, Pho Bistro 2, Pho Saigon
