Everyone loves noodles, whether they’re part of a larger dish or just something you’re picking up with chopsticks and letting slide down into your stomach. East Asians make up about 6.5% of London’s population and as with any culture in the city, London’s Asian cultures are well represented for dining choices. Just about every kind of noodle is available across the city and we have identified five restaurants from different Asian cultures where you can find the best noodles. Whether you’re into ramen or Pho, Pad Thai, or chow mein, we’ll help you get your noodle fix. If we skipped a great restaurant, you can share it with us in the comments.
Ippudo (Japanese)
Ippudo is going to be your best bet for traditional Japanese ramen in London. Ramen has Chinese-style noodles with fish or beef broth and any variety of meats, vegetables, and spices. Ippudo has three locations in London (St. Giles, Canary Wharf, and Villiers St) where you can get your ramen fix. Their menu includes three categories of ramen (shiromaru, akamaru, and karaka-men) and you can build on them with an egg and extra portions as well as adding toppings. Other meal options include rice donburi (a favorite of mine), hirata buns, gyoza, edamame, and more.
Xi’an Biang Biang (Chinese)
So good it’s named after the dish itself, Xi’an Impressions opened up Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles in Spitalfields is the best place to get this classic Chinese noodle dish. Xi’an Biang Biang noodles (the food) are thick noodles often seasoned with chili, garlic, and Szechuan peppers. Xi’an Biang Biang (the restaurant) offers several variations of the dish, either without meat or with chicken, beef, or lamb. They also do several thin noodle dishes in broth as well as street foods, appetizers, soups, and mains.
On the Bab (Korean)
Korean noodles are one of the oldest and simplest dishes on the planet, dating back to possibly 6,000 BC, and are used in a variety of different Korean cuisine. On the Bab is the best place where you can sample a wide variety of noodle meals at either of its two current locations in Shoreditch and St. Paul’s (with two more coming in the future). You can get beef, spicy pork, spicy chicken, fried chicken, mushroom fritter, or breaded prawns either with noodles or as a bun. If you’ve got someone alone who isn’t a noodle connoisseur, On the Bab also has world-famous Korean Fried Chicken, rice, and bibimbap with a good selection of sides.
Song Que Café (Vietnamese)
London’s home to authentic Pho since 2002, Song Que Café is a top destination for Vietnamese in the city. Pho is a traditional dish that comprises broth, veggies, meat, herbs, and rice noodles, and you don’t have to wonder about the bonafide of the folks making it here since Mr. and Mrs. Pham (the owners) hail from Ben Tre City. The Phams take special pride in their Pho, simmering the broth for hours, and they offer any number of meat and vegetarian options. If you have someone with you who doesn’t care for noodles, the menu here is absolutely enormous, so they’re sure to find something they’ll like.
Rosa’s Thai
Pad Thai is a dish that involves stir-fry rice noodles, peanuts, scrambled egg, veggies, and some form of chicken, pork, prawns, or tofu. Rosa’s Thai has about twenty five locations throughout London and has been hailed as one of the most authentic places for Pad Thai in the metropolitan area. Chef Saiphin oversees the quality of the menu and tries to bring a taste of her family farm in Khao Kho to the people of London. In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, Rosa’s Pad Thai also includes brown sugar, tamarind, and roasted chili flakes. The restaurants also offer stir-fry flat noodles or drunken noodles (for those with an iron stomach) amongst their wide selection of Thai meals.
Author: John Rabon
John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.