Noodle Dish

Hokkien mee is a dish usually consisting of round wheat noodles and thin rice noodles that are fried together with prawns, eggs, pork, and bean sprouts. While they stir-fry, all the ingredients are coated in a flavorful stock usually made from prawns, pork, and other types of seafood. Standard additions include fish cakes, prawns, squids, spring onions, pork lard (optional), and chives, while sambal sauce and lime are typically served on the side. The exact origins of the dish are believed to be among the Hokkien community, a dialect group that mostly came from Fujian province. It is said that the dish was invented at Rochor Market and that it was initially known as Rochor mee, only later gaining its current name. Although a similar dish with the same name exists in Malaysia, it is significantly different than the classic Singaporean version.

Hokkien mee

This popular noodle dish hails from Malaysia, and it should not be confused with the similar Singaporean version or significantly different variety that comes from Penang&mdash;but which curiously share the same name. Malaysian Hokkien mee that is mainly associated with Kuala Lumpur usually consists of egg-based wheat noodles that are braised with sliced pork, pork lard, prawns, and cabbage. The whole dish is generously coated in a thick and dark sauce that is based on soy sauce and prawn stock. It is usually served with sliced scallions and chili or shrimp paste (belacan) on the side. Because of its name, Malaysian Hokkien mee is also believed to have its origins among the Hokkien community, an ethnic group native to Chinese Fujian.

Hokkien mee Malaysia

Japan

Usually regarded as a variety of the popular udon, hōtō is a comforting Japanese dish which consists of flat noodles cooked in a flavorful miso broth alongside various seasonal vegetables such as squash, potatoes, taro roots, or carrots. It initially appeared in the Yamanashi region in the wake of WWII, at a time when rice crops were traded for silk, which was more profitable, and the locals began to cultivate wheat instead. Soon after, they started producing wheat noodles and created hōtō, an invention that is today regarded as the signature dish of the entire region.

Hōtō

Vietnam

Hủ tiếu kh&ocirc; is a traditional noodle dish originating from Southern Vietnam. The noodles in this dish are dry, without the usual broth that accompanies them. The dish is usually made with a combination of white radish, shrimp, ground pork, boiled quail eggs, garlic, soy sauce, oil, scallions, shallots, salt, sugar, and pepper. The broth is served on the side, in a small bowl, and it&rsquo;s made with shrimp, white radish, sliced pork tenderloin, and pig bones. Roasted peanuts and chili sauce are also often served on the side, along with the accompanying vegetables such as herbs, chives, cabbage, bean sprouts, and curry lettuce.

Hủ tiếu khô

Hủ tiếu Nam Vang is a popular Vietnamese street food with Cambodian-Chinese roots. The dish is named after the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh (Nam Vang), and the recipe is tweaked to adapt to Vietnamese flavors. The noodle soup should have a clear and rich broth made from pork bones, pork, and dried squid and shrimp. The noodles can be transparent rice noodles, chewy tapioca noodles, or thin Chinese egg noodles. Toppings include a combination of sliced pork liver, cooked pork meat, saut&eacute;ed ground pork, quail eggs, fried shallots, garlic, and poached shrimp. The dish is typically served with an assortment of garnishes on the side &ndash; Chinese chives, Chinese celery, green onions, cilantro, and lettuce.

Hủ tiếu Nam Vang

India

Putu mayam is a popular street food dish with origins either in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu or Kerala. Although it is south Indian in origin, it is also extremely popular in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Indonesia. The dish consists of rice or idiyappam flour noodles which are topped with desiccated coconut and sweetened with sugar blocks. The noodles are made by passing the dough through a sieve (usually a traditional rattan basket with holes), and then they are steamed in the same basket, imparting a wood-like aroma to the noodles. Traditionally, putu mayam is served on a banana leaf, for easier consumption. It can be used as an accompaniment for meat dishes or curries. The name of the dish stems from two words, putu, Malayan for rice cake, and mayam, which is derived from the word mayang, meaning desiccated coconut.

Idiyappam

Ise udon consists of thick and chewy udon noodles served in a rich soy-infused sauce. Unlike other udon varieties, this regional specialty of Ise is characterized by a small amount of the flavorful broth that does not cover the noodles, but merely functions as a thick dipping sauce. It is believed that Ise udon initially appeared among the local farmers, who used available ingredients to create what would become one of the signature regional dishes. Nowadays, it is still prepared at many local households, but the dish is also enjoyed at traditional udon restaurants throughout the city.

Ise udon

Ita soba is a traditional type of Japanese soba noodles, made from buckwheat. This type of soba noodles is a specialty of Yamagata Prefecture. The soba noodles are cut slightly larger than your regular soba noodles, and they're very reminiscent of soba noodles that are made in the countryside. This is also known as the most simple soba style. The buckwheat noodles are traditionally served on large boards called ita, hence the name of the dish. Due to the fact that unpolished soba flour is used for these noodles, the aroma and texture of buckwheat is greater than in other soba types. Once served, ita soba is often accompanied by a broth in which the noodles are dipped before eating.

Ita soba

Jaengban guksu is a traditional cold noodle salad originating from South Korea. This versatile communal dish is usually made with a combination of soba noodles, chicken stock, soy sauce, lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, onions, sugar, sesame oil, and wine vinegar. The stock is mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil, and the noodles are cooked, drained, rinsed, and left to cool. The noodle salad is then arranged on a circular platter &ndash; cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and onions are pushed to the edge of the circular platter, while the noodles are placed in the center. Before serving, the dressing is poured over the salad and each person takes a desired portion from the platter. Jaengban guksu is often served as an accompaniment to Korean barbecue.

Jaengban guksu

Janchi guksu is a Korean dish consisting of somyeon wheat noodles served in a clear anchovy or beef broth, which is occasionally flavored with kelp. The dish is typically garnished with thinly sliced egg (jidan), seaweed (gim), carrots, shitake mushrooms, or zucchinis, and it usually served with yangnyeomjang &ndash; a spicy, soy sauce-based dip. The name janchi translates as a banquet, suggesting that the dish was once traditionally served on special occasions.

Janchi guksu

Japchae is a South Korean dish made by stir-frying glass noodles and vegetables. The dish is often served with beef and additionally flavored with sugar and soy sauce. The name of the dish is translated to a mixture of vegetables. The original japchae did not contain meat nor noodles, and it was invented by King Gwangaegun's servant, who prepared the meal for a royal celebration. The king loved the dish so much that the servant got promoted to an upper rank. Since many Korean foods feature five colors, japchae also meets that criterium: green for spinach, red for carrots, black for mushrooms, and yellow and white for a fried egg, typically used as a garnish in japchae. Nowadays, japchae can often be found at numerous Korean birthdays or wedding parties, sometimes in varieties such as gochu japchae with chili peppers and vegetables, or haemul japchae with seafood and vegetables.

Japchae

Jjapaguri is a Korean dish that consists of two types of instant noodles. It's also known as ram-den, a made-up word popularized in Boong Joon-Ho's movie Parasite, denoting a combination of ramen and udon. Jjapaguri combines Korean instant noodles such as Chapagetti (jajang ramen noodles) and Neoguri (udon noodles in a spicy seafood broth) for a budget comfort food item, while in the movie Parasite, the dish looks a bit fancier because it's topped with premium beef (hanu), showing how affluent the upper-class family really is. In order to prepare ram-don at home, just combine Chapagetti and Neoguri, then top it with a well-marbled sirloin steak and garnish it with chopped green onions, if desired.

Jjapaguri

Kagoshima ramen is a variety of tonkotsu ramen prepared in southern Japan's Kagoshima prefecture. It is beloved by the locals, but not so popular in the rest of the country. A base of this ramen is a cloudy tonkotsu broth made with pork bones, enriched with chicken bones, vegetables, anchovies, kelp, and dried mushrooms to make a mixed broth. Two types of noodles can be used: the thicker ones, influenced by Okinawa, or extra-thin noodles similar to the Taiwanese vermicelli. This mellow, full-bodied ramen pairs nicely with pickled daikon or radishes.

Kagoshima ramen

Kake udon is a simple Japanese dish consisting of thick udon noodles served in a flavorful mixture of mirin, soy sauce, and dashi stock. It is one of the most basic versions of the ubiquitous Japanese udon dishes, typically served sprinkled with sliced green onions. Found throughout Japan, kake udon is enjoyed as a nutritious warm dish at many traditional udon restaurants.

Kake udon

Kalguksu is a favorite summertime dish of many South Koreans, usually served during rainy seasons and on windy summer days. It consists of handmade wheat flour and egg noodles in a broth that is usually made with shellfish, dried anchovies, and kelp. The noodles are cut with a knife, giving the dish its name, kalguksu, which literally means knife noodles. Although seafood kalguksu is the most popular variety, there are other versions of kalguksu such as spicy (jjanppong kalguksu), chicken (dak kalguksu), and mushroom kalguksu (beodeot kalguksu). Typically, kalguksu is served with side dishes such as kimchi or barley combined with cabbage and soybean paste sauce. Kalguksu originated during the Joseon Dynasty era, and the first recipe for the dish was found in an old cookbook called Eumsik Dimibang, written by Lady Jang in 1670. Traditionally, kalguksu was consumed during the Yudu holiday, when barley and wheat were harvested. It was also a custom to serve the dish on a child's first birthday, as a sign of longevity, virtue, and health, but today, kalguksu is enjoyed by everyone as an inexpensive, hearty, and nourishing dish.

Kalguksu

Kamaage udon is a Japanese noodle dish in which thick and chewy udon noodles are served in a bowl with some of the hot cooking water, and the dish is always accompanied by a hot dipping sauce (dashi tsuyu) in another bowl on the side. The customers consume the dish by dipping udon noodles in the sauce. The accompanying sauce is sometimes enriched with ginger and green onions. It should be noted that the noodles should be slurped loudly if one wants to eat kamaage udon in the most authentic way.

Kamaage udon

Kamonanban is a Japanese dish prepared with soba noodles in a broth flavored with duck meat, leeks, green onions, and a savory-sweet sauce. There are many variations, so the dish can also be enriched with mushrooms, spinach, and orange zest. Due to the fact that the fatty duck meat is used in kamonanban, the dish is especially popular during the colder days of winter in numerous soba restaurants.

Kamonanban

Curry udon consists of thick Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, served in a bowl of Japanese curry. Since it is a warming dish, curry udon is extremely popular during winter, and because things can get quite messy while consuming it, some curry udon restaurants offer disposable dibs to customers. The dish can vary in levels of spiciness - from mild to hot, depending on the curry. One of the most popular toppings for the dish is Shabu Shabu meat, thinly sliced so that it combines extremely well with the thick and chewy udon noodles.

Karē udon

Thailand

This fiery Thai fish curry is usually associated with Central Thailand, although similar varieties can be found throughout the country. The most popular version consists of fresh rice noodles (khanom chin) that are served with a thick and spicy curry which is based on coconut milk, white fish, and a thick curry paste that usually combines freshly ground chilis, lemongrass, shrimp paste, turmeric, and garlic. The dish is traditionally accompanied by fresh vegetables, lemon basil, and fried chilis. Traditionally, it comes topped with hard-boiled eggs.

Khanom chin nam ya

Khao poon (also known as lao laksa) is a spicy rice noodle soup originating from Laos. Over time, it has garnered extensive popularity in most of the Southeast Asian countries and in the US. It is considered a healthy and comforting dish due to a small amount of fat and a wide array of flavors. The classic recipe is made with boiled vermicelli noodles, shredded chicken, red curry paste, lemongrass, coconut milk, garlic, shallots, galangal, and bamboo shoots. The spiciness depends on the amount of curry paste and (optionally) fresh chilis used in the dish. For garnishes, fresh local greens are used - cilantro, shredded cabbage, mint leaves, and bean sprouts. The soup is typically served as a first course in Lao weddings and similar festive events.