This is me eating noodles in Japan, Italy, and Thailand in order to uncover the best noodles in the world. Have you ever met anyone who doesn't love noodles? We're talking handpulled noodles. You could actually use this noodle as a belt. Spicy noodles, fried noodles, soup noodles. Oh man, this is spaghetti paradise. And after eating my way through over 100 countries in the last 20 years, I've been lucky to eat a lot of noodles. like this bowl of the greatest noodle soup in Vietnam. Yet, no one talks about it.

A noodle dish that's eaten cold like a slushie. And we'll even travel to the island of Sardinia to eat the rarest pasta on Earth. That's impossibly thin. And that's just the start. In this video, I'm going to show you the world's 50 best noodles you have to try in your lifetime. And pay attention because as we progress, I'm going to be highlighting my 10 absolute favorites, including one that's the best bowl of noodles I've ever had in my life. And to kick things off, we're in the birthplace of noodles, China, where noodles were invented over 4,000 years ago. First up, we're in Yunan, home to the longest noodle you'll ever see. I had never seen anything like it. And

we're here to eat what is called one noodle because it really is one strand of noodle. They won the record for the longest noodle in all of China. It has to be one of the coolest bowls of noodles that I've ever seen being made ever. You can see on the wall some of the photos that they have on display. They made a noodle that was a couple kilometers in length. In order to eat this bowl of noodles, you have to eat it all in one bite. You know what I mean? You can break the noodle. It's acceptable. But look at that. It's just coiled around a million times. That's all just a single blob.

M. Not only is it one noodle, but that one noodle is amazing. Let me taste some of that broth. On the top is kind of some chili oil, but then it is a kind of a meaty kind of a thick broth. Oh, with that garlic in there. I love that garlic in there. That fresh garlic. The most impressive thing about that bowl of noodle was watching her make it and boil the noodle. That was that was a sight to see. And if you love noodles, Xian is a city you have to visit. So, I'm in the kitchen now. We're going to see them as they make the bang noodles. Okay, so she's getting started on the noodles. One of the most

legendary famous noodles of Shian. I can't wait to try their noodles. Oh man, that bang. That's the sound that it makes. They get their name gangyang from the slap from that sound that it makes as she slaps them against the countertop and directly into the water. And after about a minute, I think they're ready. Oh, immediately some vegetables go on top. Some of the tomato egg sauce, I think some of the pork, some vinegar, some garlic goes on, green onions. Oh yes. And chili. And the hot oil goes on. So you got to loosen it up. It's important to keep the noodle intact so that you preserve the single noodle all in one piece. It's hoping it doesn't slip out of your chopsticks. There it is.

1 and 1/2 m long. Oh, that's amazing. Oh. Yeah. Oh, it's great. M the texture of the noodle, the doughiness, the stretchiness in your mouth. But we could definitely use some more chili oil. There's also some garlic that you can garnish with. Cloves of garlic. I love how they have the whole heads of garlic here. Okay. All those toppings, the oil, the juices. Then need to taste with the raw garlic. Absolutely love how there's always raw garlic on the table. You just bite into cloves of garlic. Enhances the

entire experience. There's a reason why they call the bang gang noodle the king of noodles in Chian. Also in Chian is an extremely popular noodle which is called leangpi or cold skin noodles which are made from the starch extracted when making gluten. So, first he grabs some of the noodles, tops it with bean sprouts, I think some salt, some seasoning, might be sesame oil, and then you take some more noodles, dips them into the chili oil, and then onto the top of your noodles. Oh, what a move.

Oh yeah. I mean, that's just pure carbs, but it's so tasty. I think they gave me less of the chili oil and the Sichuan pepper oil. I asked them for more and they hooked it up. Oh yeah, that color is much darker now. The actual noodles, they're very neutral in flavor. It's all about that seasoning, that tingly spicy seasoning. Oh yeah, now we're talking. This is extra flavorful. Now, that nutty sesame oil, the chili oil, not too spicy, but just really good chili oil flavor. That is simple and tasty, and it goes down so easily. Leang pee are really tasty, especially with that extra chili oil, and you will be

surprised how easily they slurp down. Shanghai is also a noodle paradise. And we're going to a spot loved by locals that's known for having a very long line. This is the spot. One of the ultimate culinary experiences in Shanghai where the chef is an absolute master. Oh, the scallions. Oh, scallions into the oil. Oh, they go into the hot water to boil. all the scallions go on top already. Well, you got to keep on stirring it so it doesn't stick together. Infused with those fried scallions and that sauce.

They're so fragrant. It's unbelievable. Although you must eat it immediately otherwise it will stick together too, right? You have to make sure the noodles are loose and hydrated. The scallion is crunchy and the aroma strong. The texture of the scallions, they're kind of like a little bit chewy and crunchy at the same time. Scallion noodles are one of the signature dishes of Shanghai, but this is insanely good. While the toppings and noodles were great, the real secret of these Shanghai noodles is that scallion oil.

China is never ending with incredible noodle options. And actually, there are still more Chinese noodles coming up later. But for now, let's head over to Europe to a country that's home to some noodles that are loved around the world. It is said that pasta is a type of noodle, but not all noodles are pasta. Think about that. Because in Italy, pasta must be made from Durham wheat, water, and sometimes eggs. And it's the foundation of all Italian food. Rome is at the pasta center of it all, where you'll find some of your favorites like carbonara and kacho pepe. We met up with Valentina and Antonio and we have come to a restaurant called Pantoria Deino and it specializes

in especially Roman style dishes. But we have decided to combine Italian food with Asian eating style. So we're going to have a bunch of dishes and share them all together so that we can taste all of the different dishes. This one is kacho ee and then this one is the carbonara. Oh yeah, there's little pieces of pork chicken here and that gives a lot of flavor to the entire dish. And also you can taste that black pepper in there as well. I'll try this one next. Okay, that one is incredible. The combination of that cheap cheese complimented so well just coating that pasta. That is just a superb combination.

Adding a little extra pepper. I think I really love that. That one with the sheep's cheese and pepper. Incredibly rich and creamy and just packed with flavor. Those butter, the eggs, the pig cheek. And I definitely need to work on my pasta. Twirl. Carbonara is many people's favorite pasta, but for me, there's another Roman pasta I can't get enough of.

M. Gracias. Wow. Oh, here we are. It's an honor to be in the kitchen with Chef Hito where he's going to make us one of my absolute favorite Roman pastas with a twist. Oh, what is this, Chef? Yeah, this one is a chick pork. This a guanchali. You see this one is fed with meat and this one is fat. We're going to use two kind of pork cheek. one like this and we make really crispy here. So that's going to reduce down in salt and there's now alone become really crispy and then we put on top of the pasta just a little bit more just we give it to give the sauce tomato very thin look like that different from before. Huh?

Without seed. Yes. This is going to be the spiciest Roman pasta ever. The mix of chilies. Oh, those chilies are You can smell the aroma. Wow, that smells incredible. The white wine goes in there with So that's just garlic. Garlic and tomato. Garlic and tomato. Okay, look. Now we put here fresh few minutes. make the best pasta. And we're going to put the pasta here in the sauce that we're going to sit and we're going to drink a nice pegino cheese.

Oh, great. Pecarino cheese directly in the past. Look. That is amazing. Look, there's no way. Yeah. Ready? Chef. Wow. Beautiful. Yes. Cooking skills, innovation, traditional yet extra spicy. I love the tomato shash. I love the al dente pasta. The garlic in there, the pecorino, the cheek. Oh man, the chilis. That is

stunning flavor. Greatest pasta ever. And we're still in Rome. Next up is probably the most controversial of all Italian pastas. You've heard of it. You've probably eaten it. But mention fetachccina alfredo to many Italians in Rome where it was invented and you'll get an immediate negative look. It's not real Italian food. Many say it's a pasta that originates in Rome back dated back to the 15th century. Around the world you'll find a lot of poorly made bad versions of fetuccina alfredo with soggy pasta and cheese gone wrong. And that's exactly the reason you'll get

those negative looks when you mention it to most Italians. But when you go to the source, the way they've been making it in Rome for over a century, guaranteed, it's a pasta you'll never forget. We're getting ready now to make the fetuccini alfredo in the kitchen. Fetuccina. And this is our butter in the plate. Now we go to put fetuccina in water. Oh, nice move. Oh, onto that butter. Voila. Follow me. Okay, guys. Follow that. Oh, that's a 24 months Parmesan cheese. That's a lot of cheese goes on. Okay.

I didn't know there was truffle on top. Wow. Oh, I should probably eat it this way. Pasta twirl. Okay, here we go. That is unbelievable. Mhm. the butter cheese combination and how it's whisked into a sauce on your plate. He literally, the chef, literally used a whole block of butter within that sauce, within the pasta. And it's so simple, but it's so good. So rich and hearty. This is a pasta that's changed the world. That's arguably the most well-known pasta dish on Earth.

Oh, here noodles. Oh, okay. After spaghetti. Heading south, we're in Naples, a city full of history and something fascinating everywhere you look. But we came for the pasta. Oh, what a restaurant. You just see pictures on the wall representing the history of Naples. This is a classic. An institution restaurant. Oh, we're coming into the kitchen now. Louis Antonio. Okay. Chef Antonio. Oh, the fresh seafood.

Boiling octopus. Wow. Oh, the aroma of that tomato sauce. This one is a mix of seafood. Spaghetti. That's the spaghetti. Oh, that octopus broth goes in. Oh. So, he waits for the seafood to cook perfectly. Then he takes it out. Then he takes the spaghetti out. He puts them into the pan. Drains the juice, the tomato juice. cooks the noodles, the spaghetti until they're through. Parsley goes in. Waff twirls directly onto the plate.

Oh man, this is spaghetti paradise. This is a mix of seafood with the cops, bongola, octopus, and canoli. Oh, octopus. There's razor clams in here. Yeah. And then the tomatoes, the olives in here. Oh, this is another beautiful spaghetti. Okay, try that spaghetti first before trying that octopus. Oh, wow. the tomato, the chili oil, that mix of seafood, the flavor just completely released into the spaghetti.

Okay, I know we got to try that octopus. Octopus is so tender, so meaty. Oh, this is really, really something spectacular. Pod Belvadier is a restaurant in the mountains of Tuscanyany that serves food unlike anything you've ever seen. Oh, no way. Hey, deer has entered the room because that's incredible. They specialize in wild meat and preservation, and you're greeted with the latest catch. But of all the dishes I tried, it was their wild deer tagel

alagu that really stood out. Thank you. All for you. Thank you. And this is for me. 10ear deer. 10 years old deer. 150 kg of marvelous animal. No salt. Oh wow. The meaty savoriness is on the next level. And that is due to the deer itself, but also cooked in the garham. And garham is similar to a soy sauce, but made with the bones of the animal. cannot almost believe the meatiness that is embedded into this pasta. The intensity of the meat is just insane, Wow.

Just some sheep in the middle of the road. Welcome to Sardinia. Y Sardinia is a gorgeous island within the Mediterranean Sea. And after getting my fill of Sardinian maggot cheese, we drove into the remote mountains to try a pasta so rare only a handful of people on Earth have the skills to make it. Let's get started making it. Paula, very nice to meet you. Regular water. Whoa, she's already She doesn't lose time. Yes. So in order to make the sufilendo pasta, she has to stretch it either six or seven times and in the end she's left with 256 threads of pasta. This is one single

strand that's impossibly thin. She was mentioning that it takes her about 20 to 25 minutes to complete the three layers of the Sufi Lindell and then it takes about 2 hours at the sun to dry. And here's the dry pasta. It's been dried for 2 to three hours in the Sardinian sun on the rock and then broken apart into little pieces. Cheese. Cheese like nuggets of cheese melted in. Oh, that smells unbelievable. Wow. All of that work for this bowl of sufilendo. The noodles, the mutton broth, and the cheese. And it translates literally to the threads of God. Tiny

threads broken into bitesized pieces melted with the cheese. The rarest pasta on earth. It just totally melts in your mouth. You taste the pastures in that bite with the underlying tone of that mutton broth. And you taste the creaminess of the cheese soup. You have like nuggets of cheese, but then it's sort of also dissolved into the broth a little bit. The threads of God. Truly a pilgrimage destination to taste this once-ina-lifetime pasta dish. But it's not only Italy that has pasta.

Germany has a pasta you have to try as well. And the best one I've had was surprisingly at Suring, a two Michelin star German restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. German pasta. Yeah, we call it spetszeta which comes from south of Germany. The spetszeta dough looks like that. So you see it's very uh sticky. Actually in order to do pasta out of it, we put it on a cutting board frying some mushrooms. cheese. So we also have cheese from Germany from South Lola Mates. Just sprinkled it with that beautiful truffle. That smells unbelievably good. The noodles are kind of short because they're hand cut. So it's kind of hard to swirl. You kind of got to stab at the same time.

It's so rich. And that sauce is so fragrant with that truffle and that mushroominess. And then the noodles, they have this wonderful gummy yet firm texture. As a chocolate, you see so rich. So good. We're moving on to Spain. And you've definitely heard of paella, but that's rice, isn't it? Meet Paco Alonzo who's written a book on paella and he took us to a traditional restaurant in Valencia where everything is cooked over open fire. The paella was incredible. But the dish that came next was even more surprising. Fidwa. Yeah.

Fidwa, which is the noodle version. Almost a similar kind of cooking process, but with noodles instead of rice. There's squid at the bottom here. There's topped with the sigalas and also some of the local shrimp. It goes to London. Mut the restaurant is This is amazing, too. It's more tomato sauce based. You taste the flavor of the squid and then all of that seafood. Oh, refreshing tomato. Delicious. Is there an extra uh wooden spoon? You are a wise man. Like a link. Oh, look at this.

Yes. Pop the head. Oh, it tastes like ooni on the inside [snorts] and then eat the bun. That'll be good. It says mountain bus. Wow. Right across the Atlantic Ocean is the United States, where Italian immigrants completely shaped American food culture. And one pasta became the ultimate household staple. I'm here in the kitchen with the amazing chefs here at Rhino's Place. The sauces are going, the aroma of the tomato, the homemade pastas boiling.

Oh yeah. Oh, okay. I think this is We ordered it. I think so. Spaghetti. Wow, that is beautiful. Amazing kitchen. The aromomas, the garlic, the cheese, and these portion sizes are huge. I'm going to dig into the massive bolognese. Oh, it's so hot. Way too big of a bite. The taste of the meat sauce, the bolognese, the tartness of the tomato, that sprinkle of parsley on top, the parmesan folded throughout that's just bursting with flavor. It's so fresh.

It's so incredibly good. And I can safely say that's one of the best plates of spaghetti I've ever had in my life. The garlic, the aromatic bay leaves, and then just that parmesan folded throughout. And that's on top of the quality handmade pasta. Welcome to Peru. And for this next bowl of noodles, you have to navigate your way deep into the central market in Lima, where you'll find an extremely popular restaurant serving a dish which is called Calo de Ga, an ultra flavorful hen soup with noodles. And I think it might be one of the best chicken noodle soups on Earth. They have a number of different soups, I think, but one of their main soups is a chicken soup. They add in the different

ingredients. He ferociously squeezes in some lime and then puts on the chicken, the herbs. It smells so good. You can smell the citrus, the lime, the zinginess of that. You get one bowl of noodles with chicken soup with the egg. And then you get a separate bowl that comes with the chicken in a broth that he seasoned with lime juice and chilis. And it just looks like the ultimate Peruvian comfort food. Oh yeah. And you can kind of season also with some of that, some of the chili sauce. A spectacular chicken soup. And those are like hearty noodles.

Oh, the noodles are amazing, too. They're alente. And with those herbs, the green onions, you can eat the chicken pieces, but you can also drink that soup. And the soup is already seasoned. The soup is different. You won't ever have a better chicken soup than this. Our noodle journey is taking us to somewhere you might have never imagined. A small island off the coast of Madagascar in Africa. Welcome to Mauritius. It's just so incredible to see all these different recipes and ingredients going into the dishes that truly represents Maitius. It's incredible.

First, we're trying a dish called bowl reverse because the toppings go into the bottom of a bowl, noodles go on top, and it's flipped over onto your plate to eat. Oh, that sauce is so good. The noodles absorb all of that gravy. So saucy. And then the egg just starts to also break into the mixture. That is delicious. And that's like straight up comfort food. And there's mfrit, maician style fried noodles, the homemade garlic sauce, and then a dollop of the green chili. I love how dry fried it is. You can smell the smokiness, has the smokiness of the walk, and she just kind of scratches it. She adds in

some toppings, some sausage, scratches it around in that big walk to give it that amazing flavor. It's such a combination of foods that I haven't had before and such a representation that you'll only find in Mauritius. All right, on to central Asia. And in Ka, which is a historical town in Usbekiststan along the Silk Road, they have a very special noodle dish, Shivet O. They are noodles, but they look hand cut like a dough that's just been sliced, but they're bright green because there's so much dill in the noodles. They top it with a beef stew or some kind of a meat stew. There's potatoes in there, there's onions, there's tomatoes, and there's carrot. And then served with

a little bit of cream yogurt on the side. Hi guys. Good morning. Oh, that's amazing. It just explodes with this like refreshing dill flavor. The noodles are gummy and it's unlike any other dish. I'm going to try to fork it this time so you can see the strands of the noodles. Iran is an ancient country with incredible traditions. We're in the beautiful city of Shiraz. And you'll never guess how they use noodles. It's something that's legendary. I've eaten it in many different locations

throughout this entire region, throughout Asia, throughout India, the entire Indian subcontinent. It's called a faluda. Shiraz is the home, the original, the first faluda. So to make Shirazi falude, he takes some of the ice cream, he puts it into the bowl and then on top of that is that mix of vermicelli noodles and then on top of that you add fresh lemon juice How's that? You can't find it anywhere in the world. That's incredible. Just in Oh, that's cold. In the machine they have butter and sugar churning it like white in color.

The butter sugar mixture falls out of the machine and they kind of slosh it around. They add in the vermicelli which is made from a wheat starch and they're almost like transparent little noodles. Mix that around and immediately it coats the soft little vermicelli in that butter sugar and freezes them into the little vermicelli palude noodles that then go onto the ice cream. Yeah, the Shirazi Palude is something truly unique and special. I like it without the ice cream cuz you just taste the puress of it, the crunchiness, but then it just at the same time dissolves and melts in your mouth. It's amazing.

The next noodles are in Myanmar, a diverse country in Southeast Asia, and their national dish is called Mohinga. Now, as you can tell, this was filmed quite a few years ago, but it's so good that I still remember it clearly. It starts with rice noodles, then some fried dough sticks, and finally, the star of the show is a flavorful fish broth to bind it all together. Just pull up a makeshift mini table and chairs on the side of the road, and it's about to be another unforgettable bowl of noodles. We have rice noodles, and then there's like a fried

uh doughut patangal in it, as well. And the broth is like a fish type of soup. So, I'm just gonna garnish it with a bit of chili first. A little bit of uh cilantro, but garnish with some cilantro. And stir that. Okay. And grab a bite. Mohena. I think it's it's mostly a mixture of a bunch of different spices and fish. And it's almost like it's almost a little creamy but rich. It's like a rich soup. And paired with those noodles and that extra bit of chili, it's wonderful. And

I really like the cilantro that garnishes it. Oh, that's that is so good. I could eat this every day. I'm in Hong Kong now. Another noodle paradise. And the place I'm going is famous for serving a noodle dish that's loved around the world. And they are most famous for their one-tonon noodles that they still use the bamboo pole to knead the dough. So it's fresh. This one is the classic. Just the egg noodles with the shrimp one tons. They contain a whole shrimp. So if you can see, there's a whole shrimp.

Oh, that's hot. And now for the noodles. Mhm. That is the texture you want when it comes to egg noodles. When it comes to one ton soup noodles, they're so thin. They're so bouncy and so springy in your mouth. Almost a hint of elasticity in them. Just silky soft and smooth. Outstanding. So all of that topping, all of that, that's all shrimp row. And then we've got some pieces of braised beef here. Some of the tendon with that brazing juicy sauces. Let's try these dry noodles first though.

It's the same noodles that have the same texture. They're really thin. Then with that shrimp row topping, that's so much flavor. Has a little bit of a seafoodiness, but at the same time, it has this well-rounded kind of sweet aroma to it that is so tasty. Big chunks of beef. So tender and fatty. Thank you. Oh, that was incredible. Fantastic. One noodles are something you have to eat when you come to Hong Kong. We are just actually a couple blocks down from Taipei main station. I can already smell the aroma of dish that we're going to eat. It's probably one of

the most famous of all Taiwanese foods. I'm talking about Taiwanese beef noodles. It's really one of the national dishes of Taiwan. Two different versions. One is the brazed beef and then one is just that expertise of beef that's just boiled within the bone broth. Both of them are extremely popular. But then uncle said he wanted me to try that broth first with no green onions just to taste the purity of the broth, that beef flavor. Wow, that is so beefy. So pure. Oh, so boiling hot. You can taste all of the flavor that just been unleashed from the bones. The marrow has seeped out to make it rich and oily. Let's move into that other broth real fast before we jump

into the all the goodies and the noodles. That's so good, too. Oh, man. One of the things I love about food and I love about this place and uncle is just how particular he is about everything. He has a way. He has a method and I so respect him. He's really a hero of beef noodles. Oh, those noodles are superb. They're chewy and doughy and thick. Really tasty. And I think it's perfect with the beef noodles cuz they're thick enough to kind of absorb some of that broth while remaining chewy at the same time. This one that's just like the pure taste of beef.

Whereas the brazed one, you taste all those I mean the stariness, the cinnamon in there. Wow. Back over to the other bowl here. This is the different type of beef. More of that brisket that's been brazed that's been cooked down without the spices. You got that burst of umami from the fermented bean. A little bit of chili in there mostly for flavoring. mixes with that beef, mixes with that broth all together in your mouth as a harmony. You cannot make a bad choice between the two. Lassa, Tibet is a beautiful city within the Himalayas, home to the Patala Palace. And it also happens to be at an elevation of 3,700 m. And there's only one thing that will

help you combat the elevation and cold. Tukpa. And I stepped into a local Tibetan tea house for a bowl of yak noodles. These are like thick hearty noodles and very kind of a clear broth with just a few onions in it. Maybe the noodles are very doughy and very soft. The yak is a little bit chewy and fatty and it tastes like a little bit of Sichuan pepper. Kind of has that fruity citrusiness to it. I think you can just pick it up and drink the soup. And I just noticed over on my table there's also a little cup of chili oil which I think is for the noodles. I'm

going to add that to my noodles. Add a little bit of this. Oh yes. Maybe a little more on top of the noodles. You can feel the crunch of the dried chili. And it's it's not too spicy, but just very fragrant. We're flying back over to Southeast Asia to a country where people are slurping down noodles 24 hours a day, everywhere you look. This is noodle obsessed Vietnam.

[bell] This place is extremely popular and we got here right as they're about to sell out. We're going to get the beef and another famous one that they have is with the raw beef. I mean, she just kind of has that minced up and then smashes it and then puts it into your bowl. They add on herbs, there's coriander, there's green onions and then that broth. Oh man, you can see the bones in that broth. It looks so rich. I'm going to try that broth first. M. Wow. Sweet from brawn. Yes. Yeah. I can taste the ginger in the broth. Oh, that broth is amazing. Oh, that beef remains raw on the inside there and just slightly cooked from the scalding broth on the outside.

Oh wow, that beef is so fragrant. This is about as happy as you can be in Hanoi. We are moving on. The next bowl of noodles happens to be just down the street, tucked within a secret courtyard. Welcome to Noodle Paradise. Whoa, it opens up. It's packed. What a spot. Here's the owner. Her name is Juan. Yeah. Okay. Very nice to meet you. Are they famous for here? Bunil. Bunio. Bunil. Say hello to a steaming hot bowl of bunio. What I think is one of the greatest of all Vietnamese noodle soups.

A hearty broth made from patty crabs and tomatoes served with mantis shrimp and a selfservice mountain of herbs and condiments and like boom and a bowl is ready. Unbelievable attention to detail and strategy. Oh wow, there it is fully loaded. And we've got beef. We've got all the mantis shrimp. I love the flavor. I love how many things are going on. And we haven't even added condiments yet. There's still more condiments to add if you want to enhance your broth a bit more. I think I'm ready for some chili.

Thank you. Okay. Yes, that's good. Thank you, Qu, for hooking me up with some of that chili. This is a special type of vinegar, which Wow. Almost has a little alcoholic aroma. Almost like alcohol aroma. Wow. Like a cider. Yeah. A little bit. Not much. Yeah. Just good. Okay. And then you want to stir it up again as well. Oh, with the fried chili. Oh, the vinegar adds like this sweet and sourness to it. It has more smell.

Yeah. You have even transforms it a little bit more, if that's even possible. Makes it even more complex. I mean, from beef to duck embryo to mantis shrimp to crab. Incredibly satisfying. Another testament to the deliciousness of the noodle culture in Vietnam. You already know Vietnamese are absolutely spoiled with incredible noodles. But the first time I tasted an authentic version of the next dish, it was a bit of a life-changing moment. I really, really love this flavor.

What's the name of the restaurant? Buncha is a quintessential noodle dish originating from Hanoi. And it all begins with slices of fatty pork belly and meatballs which are grilled over hot charcoal until smoky. Then they're combined into a bowl with pickled cucumbers and submerged in a garlicky sweet and tangy broth made from fish sauce. Separately, you get a plate of rice noodles and on your table you'll find a mountain of raw vegetables and herbs. But the real joy of eating buncha is how you combine it all together. And then you can see how everything is charred for a reason on the fire so that it brings out the smokiness and that goes into the broth. Try that soup with

chilies. There's garlic in there as well. Different taste. Yes. Sweet and sour. And then this undeniable smokiness. You can add the noodles as you go. Let them soak in and absorb. So, it's almost like a soup, but a dipping sauce at the same time with some of the pork. Delicious. And they just totally like the noodles just fill up with the flavor of that smoke. Oh, it's so rich, so sweet and sour and balanced. And then you can start to add more vegetables. and just let it absorb that briny fish sauce juices.

They just slightly welt in the broth. That even brings out the flavor. But I love the pepperiness of the mint and the pill leaves. Okay, I'm going to try one of the meatball meat patties. That is Oh, yeah. M crap me. So smoky and fatty. And then again, it just absorbs that broth. It's like a juicy meatball and the garlickiness. Yeah, that was absolutely delicious and a place that you should definitely check out and eat at when you are in Hanoi.

Welcome to the Philippines, a country as diverse as its thousands of islands. And there's a noodle soup which is called bachoy. Originally from Iloilo, but I tried it in Bakalod. Here we are. This is a very popular place. We just uh there's two types of uh two main types of damage. Oh man, that looks so rich and thick. All of that fat. Oh, and the chicharó, the liver in there. Wow. Okay, here we go. Wow, that is meaty. The bone marrow just melts in your mouth. You've got the crispiness of the chicharó. And the meatiness of that broth.

That's my [snorts] first bowl of macho in bakala. I like those noodles, too. Similar to a ramen. Yeah. like a extra meaty. Oh yeah, that was a really good just warming soup noodles. The meatiness of the broth, but then the cleanliness of it as well and just how like pure tasting it is and then all those different components together with the pepper with the soy sauce. That's what made it really good altogether. A harmony of meatiness. Indonesia also has a strong street food noodle culture. a dish called baso. Noodles blanched and often served with your average

meatballs, but we're going extreme. Beefy aromas coming out of this cart are unbelievable. And the way they set up their box is they have this pan which is heated and they have all the different assortment of different sized meatballs and organs and beef parts all around in this doughnut shape. In the center is where the broth is boiling and they include all the organs in there. There's pieces of the throat, pieces of lumps of fat which have just been boiling away creating that broth in the center. So then you choose, mix and match your meatballs. If you want the dino bone in meatball, if you want the

regularized meatball, mediumsiz meatball, they have it. Your choice of meatball, any size you want. Bako is common throughout Indonesia and it's this pounded beef paste which then is formed into meatballs. These are the regular sized. But then this is almost 1 kilogram. 1 kilogram of meat onto a rib. It's huge. It's a family sized meatball. Yeah. Meatball on a rib bone. I'm going in.

You got to put your entire face into it. It goes up your nose a little bit. Oh, the beefiness, the sponginess, the oily juices of the beef just come out of it. The beef has been pounded into a paste, then reformed into a ball onto the end of the rib. That's just so cool. I mean, what a food. And then I'll try some of the regular sized meatballs and some of the noodles as well. Got to add on some chili. Oh yeah, I like it with that sambal. Little extra chili flavor and with the squeeze of lime juice also to contrast the briskety beef. Going to add on a little more of that sambal.

I love it with that sambal. I'm not sure you could ever go back to eating a normal meatball. Every part of the entire cow just cut up into different pieces, made into different forms, shapes, textures, balls of all kinds. This is a beefy experience. Next up, Thailand, another country with pilgrimage worthy noodles. And we're eating a dish called Koy. Yellow egg noodles combined with a rich coconut milk-based curry common with either beef or chicken. So, she quickly just blanches off those egg noodles. Then she has a technique where she adds in a scoop of coconut milk and then

after that adds in the curry. Joel and I are both getting beef. Then she tops it with some of the crispy egg noodles, a little sprinkle of coriander and green onions. And koi is one of those dishes is when it's made right, it's one of the greatest dishes of Thailand. Cheers, Joel. Oh wow. Yeah, that's as meaty as it looks. Oh, it is rich. The coconut cream contrasted by those herbs. That's superb. But we should do some seasoning. Got the pickle mustard greens. We've got the Indian onions. And then of course got to have some of the chili.

He makes this himself. He even sells the chilies because he has a friend who grows them in this village. So he says, "Watch out. These are serious chilis." All local. Yeah. Mhm. That goes into your bowl. Giant sliced onions. Fully commit now. I love those pickled mustard greens. That chili magnifies everything. One of the meatiest versions of kasai. Mhm. This is worth coming to this village just to eat. Without a doubt. There's a dish you'll see on every Thai restaurant menu across the world. Unfortunately, it's usually pretty bad. But when you get a good one,

you'll discover why it's so famous. So, yes, we are eating pad thai. And as soon as she opens at 5:00 p.m., she's already busy frying non-stop. And I love her entire display here on the cart. She has all the different components of a pad thai laid out. All the colorful ingredients from tofu to pickled turnip to dry shrimp to sugar to peanuts to chilis to chives. But I'm going for the pai gungot which is pai with fresh shrimp. Despite pai being the most famous of all Thai dishes, it's hard to find a good version of pad thai. We are about to eat what is undisputedly the most famous stir fry Thai noodle dish on earth.

Okay, so it's fresh ready right out of the walk. Oh wow. Yeah, the sweet and sour flavor, the smokiness of the walk. One of the things that I noticed, she sizzles down the tofu and then she throws in a spatula full of garlic and red onions or maybe they're shallots and she sizzles that down in the oil and that just releases the aroma. But it does need that extra squeeze of lime. That's why they give it to you. And then yes, we will add a little bit of chili. I can't resist. Oh wow. I love the texture, the chewiness of those noodles. This is one of the best plates of pai I've had. As famous as Pai is, there's another fried noodle in Bangkok that I

actually like quite a bit better. This is an old school restaurant where Auntie has been stir frying, has been cooking for over 43 years. And we specifically came here to eat a dish which is called padkima and pkima sai which is directly translates to drunkards noodles or drunken noodles with the thin wide rice noodles. And auntie makes one of the greatest versions that I've had and she is the person you can trust to make padima. Oh man. So she's getting started on our dishes. She cooks only over charcoal, over fire. Oh, that is a perfect harmony of gooey wide rice noodles. They have a little bit of a bounce and a little bit of a

stickiness to them as well and a little bit of an elasticity, but then they've just absorbed all of that smokiness from the iron walk and the fire, the soy sauce, the chilies, a hint of sweetness also from that dark soy sauce as well. Also, the one of the great things about her padkimo is she added in a bunch of basil as well. That's an incredible plate of pimal. In the south of Thailand, and we happen to be in the beautiful lush province of Krabby, you'll find a noodle dish called kanum jin. Soft rice noodles served with your choice of spicy curry. But the real highlight are all the different toppings. And at the front here is where you come

to self serve your kanum gene, your curry. There's about five different curries that you can choose from. I'm going to grab a bowl of kanjin. These are the soft rice noodles. And then I'm definitely going to go for the genai pla. And then also get some of the namya pu for sure. Okay. I'll actually go for the namya pla coconut milk with fish. Again, from here you go to a table of your choice. They have tables just surrounding this entire jungle with tables overlooking the pond, overlooking the cliffs, but we got a table right here in the front with all the vegetables set out. So, let's go eat. Okay, she's opening the all the

different toppings right there. They keep a cloth over it to keep the flies away, I think. Okay, let's try the curry with the noodles straight. Okay, I'm going in for the gen, which is a curry which is made with fermented fish and trails. Oh wow. So much flavor. And one of the reasons I love kanji is that they're so light and silky, the noodles. And they just slide down so easily, but they have so much flavor with that curry. And you can garnish with so many fresh vegetables. Literally a jungle of vegetables and condiments. This one is some looks like some cabbage and some morning glory marinated in coconut milk.

Add some of this. Add some of the luclang. I'll go for some basil. Oh, that was so good. Next, we're in Malaysia where people live to eat. And this is a dish that people absolutely are crazy about. Chariel and we got to get it with the duck egg. Oh, some shrimp go in. Bean sprouts. Okay. Garlic. Oh, some of the Chinese sausage. Okay, great. And then those are the rice noodles. Okay. And then you got to have that sauce. Look at the way it all goes up in smoke. Oh, the sambal goes in. scratches that around. It really is an art, a technique, a skill for frying turquoise peel. And then finish it with some chives. A

little more salt. A little more drizzle of lard. Okay. And we got it with cockals. Fresh coacals go in. Excellent. Maybe about 20 minutes about 25. Okay. Oh man. Fresh out of the walk. Hot and smoky. I love the char, the cockals, the bean sprouts are all folded in. That is spectacular. The flavor of the wa. It's so perfectly salty and smoky with the eggs scrambled in. the flavor of the cockals in there, the flavor of the shrimp, a little bit of garlic just to balance the flavor. That is very, very tasty. Dangerously tasty. One of the reasons that I really wanted to get

it with cockals is because I believe that the history of chakio has to do with fishermen and it has to do with coacals. And so they would be selling on the docks or on the coastline throughout the Malay Peninsula. Chinese fishermen, they would fish, they would get coacals and in order to supplement their income along the docks, they would then start frying noodles in the evening and they would toss on some cockals or toss on some other seafood that they got for the day. And that would help them to not only make income from fishing, but also from frying up some noodles. That was the history of Chakatio, how it started in Malaysia. But fast forward until today, and it still remains a favorite,

something that people just cannot get enough of. And once you taste this fresh plate right out of the walk, you will know why. You can't have a noodle tour in Malaysia without trying Laka. A fusion of curries influenced by both Malay and Chinese flavors. Some including rich coconut milk and cockals. Others heavier on fish and bursting with aromatic herbs. And one of my favorite versions of laka is in pinang.

Okay. Thank you. Let me just taste that broth first before adding anything. Oh, that's so good. It's thickened from the shredded fish, which I think is mackerel. It's well balanced. It's nice and herbal. Again, you taste the Vietnamese coriander or the laka leaf. You taste that sourness coming from the torch ginger, which is kind of a sour gingery flavor and also the freshness of the mint. Oh, that broth is delicious. Now we want to mix it a little bit. Get some of those noodles, some of those chilis. Oh, that's incredible. When you get the full spoonful with the tangly noodles, with the fish, with the chilis, that's the full mouth experience.

That is superb. Also in Pinang, there's a noodle that's a fusion of India and China. And unlike any other noodles you'll ever taste, and the way they make it is pretty unbelievable. Okay, so the recipe begins with bean sprouts. He's making a fresh batch right now. All the yellow noodles go in. Oh, and the red gravy sauce. This is the key. Oh, he keeps ladling that in. Oh, he's totally flooding it out with the red gravy. Oh, it's really saucy. Oh, that's potato that goes in. Okay, looks like some variety of meats go in.

Bean sprouts. Oh, and a squeeze of lime juice goes in next. The noodles are just absorbing all that gravy and that sauce. Okay, and that batch is ready. The noodles get the first fry, but the recipe is not over yet. Eggs go in. Oh, the walk swirl is incredible. Oh, the noodles go back in. No way, man. What a recipe. And once that egg is super scrambled, then he tosses the noodles back in. That's a fresh batch of the misaton.

Okay. So now he comes over to this station where he now tops it with looks like green onions, scallions, fried shallots. Fries. Is it fried shallots? Fried onions. Okay. And then this serves it with a Oh, and this is the sautong. Sautong squid. Squid with sambal. Yes. Okay. Yeah, man. What a what an incredibly distinct look to this dish because it's so orange. It's so red and it's just saucy. So saucy. So he instructed that I have to squeeze the lime before taking a bite.

Hot and fresh squid, bean sprouts. There was potato that he added in. Potato. A variety of tofus and meats and things unknown. There's so much going on in your mouth at once. I think that's the flavor of Malaysia on a plate in a single bite. You're not sure if it's Indian, it's Chinese, it's Malay, it's everything all absorbed into noodles with the flavor of squid, the acidity of lime juice. I've had a variety of migorang, but this specific with the sautong, with the

squid, with all these toppings, this is something totally unique. And with a color like that, how could you resist? Would not be tempted to order a plate when it's that bright orange. All of that gravy has been totally absorbed into those noodles. It's almost like you could add in anything and it would all still have the flavor of that sauce, which is a good thing. Malaysia's capital, Koala Lumpur, is home to the next noodle, and this dish is for spicy lovers. So it starts with all the fresh noodles which are called penme handpulled noodles which they make here inhouse.

Okay. So this is the noodle making machine. All the fresh dough goes in and then it slices out fresh noodles. Every day you're guaranteed fresh noodles here. Okay. So you starting on the noodles now. These are the fresh noodles, the pani noodles. They go directly into the pot. And so the first thing is just simmering off boiling those noodles. to perfect chewiness. Yeah. Coming along nicely. It's always a good bowl of noodles. When it foams up a little bit, you know those are going to be good. Noodles are ready. Transferring it over to your bowl. So, here comes the minced meat, the eaniscoco on.

Oh, the crispy shallots and green onions. Okay, there it is. The poached egg. Oh, and that goes directly on top. Thank you very much. I wasn't going to miss the original location where they invented this dish. Just going to go ahead and hit that with the chili. And additionally, this is a main component of the dish. You can't eat it without the chili. And then we're going to mix it all together with the minced beef with the anchovies, the dried anchovies.

The egg is kind of like the sauce because it's the dry version of the noodles. The egg just kind of hydrates the noodles, keeping them moist, keeping them individual, and also just coating them in that incredible chili. Oh, you can smell the spiciness of it. Oh, wow. That flavor. You immediately get the crunch and the flavor of those crispy shallots that come in so nicely. Then you've got the protein, the richness of the beef. The egg just kind of hydrates everything and wraps it up with the yolk and gives every noodles like a coating of sauce. But it's so addictive. Like once you taste that flavor, guaranteed you won't be able to stop.

Singapore is also crazy about noodles. And one dish you have to try was actually invented in Singapore. I never said it was a healthy dish. 22 eggs go in. Bean sprouts in yellow noodles. Yeah. The rice vermicelli and the first round of stock. In the words of uh Alex the founder of this uh place he says so that the noodles are long. So when you pick them up it comes

long noodles. You don't break them a little bit. So it's very irritating to pick up noodles with chopsticks when they are short. Oh that's good old lard croutons. Large croutons. Praise the lord. He puts a bit of special soy sauce. That's a blended soy sauce in there. Okay. Oh, wow. Now comes the shrimps. Beef. Squid. Oh, no. Belly pork. Oh, already. I hear a lot of Singaporeans talk about fried hoki and me with such passion.

Gusto. Why is it one of those dishes that you are so passionate about? You only probably hear it from those who have eaten at the masters. You see a lot of hawkers employing that technique. They just fry the noodles, they bless it with the stock, and then out it goes. This guy fries it a couple of rounds, steams it, bakes it, and then he does blah. You know, I've been observing all this Tahhei, we call it Tahi masters for years, and the good ones really employ that technique. They're very patient. And I'm sure this is the type of noodle that if you overcook it, it will be bad.

Yeah. This is just short of mushy. The flavor of the prawn, the garlic, the seafood, and then just knocking finishing off with that sambal with that squeeze of lime. I had actually almost forgotten about the eggs. So many eggs in there. That was the first thing that he fried. So, even the eggs are really giving it this kind of caramelized kind of like richness. Since you're holding a light, there we go, man. Cheers. Welcome to Singapore. Still in Singapore, this bowl of noodles tucked into a neighborhood hawker center is something worth seeking out.

Oh, thank you very much. the egg noodles. You can just see their expertise as he's making the bakturi and assembling your noodles. He takes all those different sauces, the sambals, there's vinegar in the recipe. There's pork lard cracklings in there as well. Um, then he boils up your noodles. I got the meep, which are the kind of like band egg noodles. And then he puts those in. And then he stirs it up, mixing all the chili, mixing all the vinegar, and then it's served with a signature soup on the side full of pork parts. But first, we got to mix up our noodles. those noodles. You got the minced pork on top. You got the piece of dried fish. And then all that juicy

sauciness. Oh, that's what you want. You want the sauce to kind of thicken onto the noodles, coating every piece of noodle. Rehydrate. Get the juices going. Oh, I am excited. I am excited is an understatement. Oh yeah. Oh, that's amazing. The sauce that just clings to those noodles, the meep. The meep have this delicious chewiness to them. Perfectly cooked. And you got that richness of the sauce, the pork lard, but it's so fragrant. It's not just pork lard to be pork lard. It's infused with this incredible fragrance that's not overpowering and doesn't even seem oily. It's just quality. And then

you've got the flavor of the sambal, which is not too spicy, just a little bit spicy. And just a little bit of vinegar to contrast to bring it all together. Not too vinegar either. Nothing is overpowering. It's all in harmony. It's all in balance. It's all coating those noodles. Oh, that's tasty. Baktomy is a dish that Singaporeans are passionate about. And this is one of the best versions of bakomi I've ever had.

Born from the fusion of Malay and Chinese cultures, the next noodles originate in the Katang neighborhood of Singapore. And it's something you have to try. Oh, what a spot. We're at the next place. And we're at a place that's called Katang Laka George. Legendary, highly regarded for their laxa. Serving one of the best in Singapore. I can't wait to try it. Okay, so all the toppings go on. Oh, the cockals shrimp. Okay. And this is the laka. The curry goes on top. Oh, you

smell it. Smells so good. Okay. Then the sambal goes on the side. Is that the laka leaf? Yes, sir. Nice. Okay. And this bowl of laka looks incredible. It is so thick. You see the coconut milk. But we have to taste it immediately while it's hot and fresh. Oh, that is rich and buttery from the coconut cream. The herbs in there like a lemongrassy seafood flavor to it. I got some kind of a clam in that bite with that brininess. Delicious, warming, comforting, perfect amount of richness,

but definitely you want to mix in with that sambal, with that laxa leaf to bring out the flavors even more. But we've got the noodles down below there. There's shrimp, there's cockals, there's some kind of clam, and then mixed in with that laxa leaf. And there's also bean sprouts. Okay, let's try the noodles. The best case scenario is to actually not use the chopsticks, but to use your spoon so that you get noodles and you get equal ratio of the curry all in one bite.

Oh yeah. With that lax leaf, that immediately brings out the flavor. And I believe laka leaf is the same as Vietnamese coriander. So it has this really strong very distinct flavor. Katang laka is a piranakan dish. So it's a combination of straits Chinese in the Malay peninsula combining with Malay cuisine and ingredients into a single bowl, a single dish of delicious harmony. And that is one extremely satisfying bowl of laka. We're in Soul, South Korea. But the next noodles we're eating actually originate across the border in the north. We made it right in. And this is one of Seoul's absolutely legendary Ningmun noodle

houses. Absolutely packed house. Oh, I am looking forward to this. One of my favorite dishes. There it is. I cannot wait to dig in. So, got two different versions. This one is the classic Ningman buckwheat noodles with the cold broth soup. Then this one is the bb, the mixed ning with the chili sauce on top and an egg. So the move you do, scoot over the beef and the egg. Do one chop because they're really sticky noodles. Vinegar, one circle, one circle of mustard, then stir it up a little bit. All right, here we go. Oh, I love the texture of the buckwe.

They're not as chewy as some versions that I've had, but you really taste the flavor. There's two different types of meat here. One is more lean, the other is more fatty. So, we'll try this lean piece first. It has this almost chewy texture to it, but it's really beefy tasting. And there's also a fattier meat as well. Mhm. Wow. You've got the skin, you got the fat, a chewy, hardened fat texture, which is good.

Should we mix it up? He's a pro. Yeah, he's a pro. Okay, I'm going to try some of the bib nan. This one is good as well. You taste the sweet flavor of the gou chang, a little bit of chili in there, and then it has a sesame oil nutty flavor to it. And the sauce is quite sweet as well as opposed to the other version which more of savory, salty, meaty. Icy cold nangmian noodles are one of my personal favorites. So refreshing. But in South Korea, there's another dish that is easily the most popular and loved noodles in the country.

We got two different dishes. One is the jajamyan, and we ordered the version with seafood. It comes with a bowl of noodles, and there's a fried egg on top with some shreds of cucumber. And then on the side is all the sauce. Like a very dark black sauce actually in there. You can see some onions in there. And then pieces of seafood. There's some shrimp. I think there's some squid as well. You're supposed to take the sauce and pour all of it onto the noodles. Oh yes. I'll have to admit it's not the most like attractive looking dish with a really black dark sauce. You don't really know what flavor to even expect.

Actually, they're very tangly noodles. Okay, I will scissor cut it real fast. Oh yeah, I got that egg. I want to maximize my sauce though on this bite. M. The first taste that really comes out nicely is the onions, which taste like they've been sauteed but are still crunchy. And then you've got the seafood in there. The soybean sauce. It's mild. It tastes like a raw soy sauce flavor almost. I got to say that was delicious. For the next Korean noodles, we're heading deep into the market to meet a handmade noodle master. Her name is Jun Cho. The main dish that she makes that

she's known for is her hand cut knife cut noodles. just amazing to be sitting right in front of her as she prepares the noodles. She actually she could do it with her eyes closed, but she actually does like she's like looking around at the market as she's chopping, as she's rolling out those noodles. She can do it like without even looking. And I remember one of the things that she said is that she loves the way the dough feels on her hand. It feels like a baby's bottom. There's nothing better than watching them being made, her preparing them fresh right before your eyes, right before your nose, and then just serving you the bowl of noodles.

M the like gummy texture of the noodles and then like what's amazing is that the soup is light, flavorful at the same time. You taste the seaweed. You taste the quality, the freshness of those noodles. You can tell how they've been rolled out, how she's kneaded them, how she has just sliced them. I would call it a very soothing, very comforting bowl of noodles. Next up, we're heading south to Chongqing for another noodle dish that has to be one of the most tasty in all of China. So, Hugh, where are we at first? Restaurant with no table. People just sit on the sidewalk because it's too steep.

Oh, so that's especially why people just eat on the side of the road cuz it's so hilly. And they put the noodles in, boil it with some vegetable. It looks kind of like a bok choy. In the meantime, they assemble all of the seasoning. You can get a couple of different variations and that goes all on the bottom. Then the noodles go on top and then they scoop toppings on top of the noodles. Okay. We got two different versions actually. I got the Xiaomi and you got the wanza. And so that one is more like a minced pork and peas and mine is more of a chili oil mala with the noodles with the bok choy with a fried egg on

top. Oh, I'm so excited. Oh, that's so good. The garlic, the chili oil, the Sichuan pepper, which immediately just sort of numbs your tongue. Oh, a little bit of vinegar making it a little bit sour. M. Oh, it's phenomenal. Oh, man. That's as good as it looks and smells. Okay, let's try that egg. M. It's spongy and absorbs all that flavor. Wow, that's good. That is comfort food in the morning. Next up, we're in Chandu, Sichuan, a Chinese city that's obsessed with eating. And we're going to a popular local spot for one of the city's favorite noodles, Chandu Zajang.

So, they have this massive like steaming walk full of boiling water and the fresh noodles. And we're just waiting for them to cook. But they in the bowls, they actually dish out the sauces, the chili oil, the green onions, the different seasonings, and then he's going to scoop that into the bowl. So all the toppings are the on the bottom as well. But that is just a again like a massive bubbling block of just floating stringy tingly tangly noodles. And that's going to be so good. Adding extra topping. Okay. It is absolutely crucial to mix the noodles fast because all that sauce is on the bottom and you want to mix it while it's hot and fresh so that otherwise you'll get a clump of noodles.

So we got to mix it fast. Okay, I think I'm fully mixed. I cannot wait for my first bite. Look at how juicy, oily, meaty that is. That's what this one is missing. Oh wow. Look, chewy starchiness of those noodles. Yeah, it's more of like a chili fragrance and like a oily meatiness. And I love the different textures of meat, too, that they top onto the noodles at first. Crunch is in your teeth. You've got the multiple textures with the gooey noodles. That's delicious. Yeah.

Slurp down the oil. Amazing. That was superb. There's this legendary handpulled noodle spot in Chian where they make all the noodles fresh. Load up your bowl with toppings, drop in the noodles, and it was one of the best bowls of noodles I've ever had in my life. So, in order to make the noodles, they hand stretch them, pull them, and they just slap it down onto the tables. Then, they go directly into the boiling water. In the meantime, they create all your bowls with all the different oils, chili sauces, vinegar, and the beef goes into your bowl at the bottom. And then once those noodles are finished, then they flop that the entire pot into your bowl. And then to eat

them, you got to stir it up, mix it all together, mingle it with all those ingredients. I cannot wait to slurp these noodles. Oh yeah. Wow. That's noodle paradise in your mouth. They're perfectly cooked. And all of that sauce, the chili oil, you really taste the flavor of the spices in there. It's a party of spices on top of some of the best noodles you might ever have. Oh man, this is a ridiculously good bowl of noodles. We're continuing to Japan. And first up is a dish that I respect as being probably the purest form of noodles you can possibly eat. I am so excited. Never

been so excited to eat soba. Actually, I just want to taste the soba straight on their own before we make the sauce. Look at the quality of these. Just taste it pure because I want to get the pure flavor. M. Oh, a perfect chewiness. You taste the quality, the handmness, the gummness of them. And you can tell that they're handmade because they're not all completely even. Some of them are a little thicker than others. From what I

was reading, they grow their own buckwheat and they also grow their own wasabi. But now it's time to make the sauce, which I'm very excited about. So, you put the green onions first. They give you your own piece of wasabi, your own little wasabi board on a leaf. Oh, the aroma coming out. And then you have this little brush to brush the wasabi into your dipping juice. That's when the flavor gets balanced with that saltiness, but not overly salty. A hint of like a smoky fish flavor, soy sauce, the fresh wasabi of the mountains. The green onions in there just giving a fragrance, but it's all about those soba. They have this really gummy density as well. It's incredible

texture. That's hands down probably the best soba I've ever had in my life. You'll need to travel to the base of Mount Fuji for our next Japanese noodle. And it's worth it. The thing that you absolutely come here to eat is called hoto, which is this is going to be the regional yamanashi style of udon served in an iron bowl kettle. Oh man, they have a system down here. You order your hotel and even though it's a busy restaurant, it comes out within 5 minutes. Oh man, I got the spicy version. And so you can see that broth which is said I think it's miso

paste broth based and then the noodles really thick like belt noodles. And from what I was reading it's a different type of noodle because it's it's made similar to a dumpling wrapper. So it's almost a wrapper style noodle rather than traditional noodle making. Um or other versions of noodle making. There's pumpkin in here. There's a variety of vegetables and leaks and almost some pickled kimchi looking cabbage plus some other vegetables. Oh and the wild boar is there too. I got the wild boar version. Oh, this looks extremely hearty. Anytime in Japan when you're served the ladle spoon, you know it's going to be a delicious broth.

Oh, that's hot. Oh, man, that's good. Oh, it's thick. Oh, the flavor of the miso is incredible. Plus that kind of fermented the fermented flavor of the bean miso. Plus that kind of chili fermentation coming from that pickled cabbage. Oh man, that's a thick and hearty and a warming broth. That broth is incredible. And it's so thick, it's almost works like a gravy. And there's so many goodies in here. I love how it's just completely fully loaded. Slices of wild boar, massive noodles, vegetables, pickles, everything in a single bowl. But let's try these noodles next.

Wow, they are thick and hearty. Oh, man. I love the texture. Soft and gummy and really thick and hearty and kind of doughy. And I think the broth needs to be so thick and so hardy because uh these noodles just kind of absorb it almost like a gravy. Oh man. Yeah. Wonderful. And let's try some of that wild boar while we're at it. M. And it's sliced really thin, but the wild board is actually very lean. Not fatty, not Oh man. And the flavor keeps on coming.

Not too tough either. It's a great texture. It's cut thin. Has incredible flavor. Oh, the bore is amazing. I love the display. I love the presentation of this dish and the assembly of this dish. Really is an entire meal in one bowl. Japan is home to one of the greatest single noodle dishes in the history of the universe. ramen. There's over 10,000 ramen shops just in Tokyo, and [snorts] chefs spend their entire life perfecting their single ramen recipe. But ramen is not just ramen. There are so many different varieties and styles. So, I'm going to show you a few of my favorites, starting in Tokyo. Like many ramen shops, you pay at the vending machine, you get a ticket. In order to keep

everything running smoothly, it's only one person that can enter at a time as somebody finishes their ramen, then another person. So, we may or may not be sitting together. Even if you're like on a date and you want to sit together, when one seat opens, you got to someone has to fill that. Hey, man. Your date here is the ramen. So, Abram is in and I should be next. Hopefully, there's going to be a seat right next to him. Hi. Hello. Nice to meet you. This is kind of like traditional style ramen, but done in a modern way with modern techniques. Some people kind of

call this like neocclassic where it's like rooted in tradition but just updated. What a bowl of ramen. Yeah. Look at that broth. Oh wow. Dude, that broth is Yep. Oh, that's insane. Oh, it's a flavor overdose. This is a breakfast bowl of ramen. Let's try those noodles. Oh yeah. Oh man, they're bouncy, you know.

Yeah, that texture is incredible. Bouncy, not too doughy. A perfect texture. Just a sensational bowl of ramen. The blend, the harmony of those fresh noodles with the broth, with the bamboo shoots, with the pork. Yes. Okay, we're moving on to the next bowl. In Fukuoka, it's all about tonkatsu ramen. One of the most famous types of ramen, which you'll immediately notice from its thick, milky colored bone broth. The signature of tonkotu ramen is made with pork bones, which are boiled for hours, sometimes 15 or even 20 hours, to release all of their flavor potential, all of the collagen, all of the milky broth. It's

known to be extremely rich, extremely flavorful. It's topped with chashu, cho topped with woody mushrooms, some green onions, and bamboo shoots. But look at these noodles. One of the highlights here is definitely the noodles, which are handmade. [snorts] All the noodles are incredible. Tangly, thin, fresh, not so chewy. Quite soft, but not like mushy whatsoever. the quality, the freshness of the noodles, all that [snorts] that stands out. And then they just sort of absorb that porky broth. Let's move on to the chashu. Some of those bamboo shoots and mushrooms.

You've got the salty pieces of the pork belly. Kind of has a smoky salted overdose of flavor. And you've got the woodier mushrooms which are kind of spongy kind of a little bit rubbery on your tongue as well. What a combination. What a bowl. This is just the real deal. Just an iconic bowl of ramen happiness.

Wow, that was a spectacular bowl of ramen. Also in Fukuoka, you'll find Japanese street food stalls serving yaki ramen or fried ramen. So she first boils the noodles fresh. And those are good-looking noodles. Then he adds some oil. On goes some slices of pork, pickled radish, carrots, onions, and bean sprouts. And more oil. And he sautes all of that down. Once the ramen noodles are cooked, he adds in a pool of miso soup broth and their secret panoo sauce and cooks it all until all that sauce absorbs into the noodles. There's the finished product. That's something

magical and spectacular. The yaki ramen and the ramen master. He is third generation. This is where you get the original fried ramen. And they finish it off with a scoop of it's like boiled pig organs and I think that's simmered down along with miso. It almost looks like a cheesy gravy, but that's miso. Okay, here we go. Oh, that's so good and so hearty. As opposed to being a like stir-fried noodle that it has that smoky walk flavor. This is more like a fried soup. So warming and so comforting. And finally, you can't miss sukmen or dipping ramen, where the noodles are blanched separately, and rather than a broth, you get a thicker soup, almost like a sauce that's more intense

in flavor, which you dip the noodles into before you take a bite. And this place in Osaka is extremely famous across Japan. It's not just a dipping sauce. That's an entire bowl of soup and broth and the entire pig leg in there. Now, we can slurp it. That is such a rich broth. So full of collagen and skin and flavor. And it's definitely salty, but that's what makes it so good. So, that's 50 of the world's best noodles you have to try in your lifetime. And now, I want to hear from you. What's your favorite noodle dish in the world?