The 21 Best Noodle Dishes in the World

From steaming broths to fiery stir-fries and silky pastas, this lineup spans continents and centuries — street-cart staples rubbing shoulders with slow-simmered classics. Where do you stand?

1

Chow Mein

Crispy or soft Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat, seared for a distinct charred flavor.

1000pts

2

Yakisoba

Japanese stir-fried wheat noodles with pork and cabbage in a tangy Worcestershire-style sauce, a festival food staple.

953pts

3

Ramen

A Japanese noodle soup of wheat noodles in a savory broth (tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, or shio), topped with pork, egg, and scallions.

811pts

4

Udon

Thick, chewy Japanese wheat noodles served hot in dashi broth or cold with dipping sauce.

771pts

5

Pho

Vietnam's iconic beef or chicken broth soup with flat rice noodles, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and lime.

771pts

6

Bun Bo Hue

A bold, spicy central Vietnamese beef noodle soup made with lemongrass, chili oil, and thick round rice noodles.

750pts

7

Khao Soi

A Northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup topped with crispy fried noodles, chicken, and pickled mustard greens.

680pts

8

Mie Goreng

Indonesia's popular sweet-savory fried noodle dish seasoned with kecap manis, garlic, and chili, often topped with a fried egg.

680pts

9

Lo Mein

A Chinese comfort-food staple of soft wheat noodles tossed with vegetables and meat in a savory soy-based sauce.

600pts

10

Spaghetti Carbonara

A Roman pasta classic of spaghetti tossed with egg, pecorino cheese, guanciale, and black pepper.

508pts

11

Drunken Noodles

Thailand's pad kee mao, a fiery stir-fry of wide rice noodles, basil, chili, and meat, bolder and spicier than pad thai.

507pts

12

Naengmyeon

A refreshing Korean cold noodle dish of chewy buckwheat noodles in icy broth or spicy sauce, popular in summer.

507pts

13

Biang Biang Noodles

Hand-pulled, belt-wide wheat noodles from Shaanxi, China, doused in hot chili oil, garlic, and vinegar.

507pts

14

Laksa

A spicy Peranakan noodle soup from Malaysia and Singapore, built on a rich coconut curry or sour tamarind broth.

507pts

15

Singapore Noodles

Thin rice vermicelli stir-fried with curry powder, shrimp, char siu pork, and vegetables, a Hong Kong-Cantonese invention despite the name.

507pts

16

Pad See Ew

Thailand's wide rice noodles stir-fried in dark soy sauce with Chinese broccoli and egg.

400pts

17

Japchae

A Korean side dish of chewy sweet potato glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and beef in a sesame-soy glaze.

400pts

18

Tagliatelle al Ragu

Bologna's celebrated pasta dish of ribbon-like tagliatelle tossed with a slow-cooked meat and tomato ragu.

273pts

19

Dan Dan Noodles

A fiery Sichuan street-food dish of wheat noodles in a spicy chili-sesame sauce with minced pork.

273pts

20

Pad Thai

Thailand's stir-fried rice noodle dish with egg, tofu or shrimp, bean sprouts, peanuts, and a sweet-tangy tamarind sauce.

273pts

21

Pancit

A Filipino noodle dish, often pancit canton or bihon, stir-fried with vegetables, meat, and soy-calamansi flavors, traditionally served for long life.

273pts