There is no better comfort food than a bowl of steaming noodles. In New York City, the diversity of cuisine offers the opportunity to sample how noodles are interpreted around the world. From spicy Chinese dan dan noodles to classic Italian pasta dishes, there is something for any noodle lover in New York. Here are some of my favorites that I seek during my trips to NYC:
Rangoon: Burmese Garlic Noodles
Located in Chelsea, Rangoon has a comfortable, inviting interior and sensational menu full of classic Burmese dishes, including crispy squash tempura, served alongside a garlicky tamarind sauce, and Burmese egg curry, where boiled eggs come swimming in a chunky tomato sauce. The real highlight on the menu, however, is the garlic noodles, called kyarsen si chet in Burmese. Made with light and fresh thin rice noodles, the dish is bursting with the flavor of garlic in every strand. Shards of stir-fried cabbage, a handful of chopped green onions, and a sprinkling of fried shallots bring color and texture to the dish, serving as just the right contrast to the silky noodles. Garlic lovers, this dish is calling your name.
Le Bernardin: French Truffle Pasta
The truffle pasta at Eric Ripert’s French Le Bernardin is nothing short of extraordinary. The house-made tagliatelle is infused with Perigord black truffle, cooked to perfection, and then swirled in the most sinfully creamy black truffle butter sauce. The noodles will literally melt in your mouth. Savor every single bite.
Soda Club: Italian Bucatini
Soda Club offers up a host of delicious pasta (insider tip: you can sample all of them if you do their six-course pasta tasting, which is $75 AND includes a bottle of wine!), but the most comforting of them all is their bucatini. The hollow noodles are smothered in a bold arrabbiata sauce and then topped with crispy breadcrumbs and shards of vegan parmesan cheese. It’s a classic comfort dish that never gets old.
Hao Noodle: Chinese Dan Dan Noodles
The sunlit, plant-filled dining room at Hao Noodle is the perfect spot for enjoying a bowl of dan dan noodles. The thin noodles are tossed in a gorgeous, heady sauce comprised of peanuts, sesame, chili oil, and scallions. Each bite is full of the nutty flavor of peanut and sesame, the spicy warmth of chili oil, and the chewy goodness of the noodles.
Suram: Japanese Impossible Tan Tan Ramen
There is nothing not to love about ramen, and the impossible ramen at Suram is particularly divine. The chewy, springy ramen noodles are soaked in a smooth miso broth and crowned with spicy impossible meat, meaty mushrooms, and crunchy bamboo shoots and scallions. It is so warm and flavorful that you will keep eating well beyond being full!
