Where to Eat Boston’s Most Delicious Noodles

• Must-Try Meals: Around the world in 18 perfect Greater Boston noodle dishes.
• Make Your Own Noodles: Where to go to learn from the experts.
• Noodles by the Numbers: That’s a lot of dough.

Must-Try Meals

Around the world in 18 perfect Greater Boston noodle dishes.

Jahunger’s namesake Jahunger noodles, a spicy, hand-pulled, Uyghur-style noodle dish. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Jahunger noodles at Jahunger

At this acclaimed Providence spot’s recently opened Cambridgeport outpost—one of Greater Boston’s only Uyghur restaurants—the eponymous noodles arrive with a tingling punch, courtesy of Sichuan peppercorns. The rustic, hand-pulled beauties—a staple on the Providence menu since the early days and unsurprisingly a winner here in Cambridge—cradle spicy, saucy beef, sliced red onion, and chives; keep a can of creamy coconut milk nearby to put out the fire.

272 Brookline St., Cambridge, 617-801-9725, jahunger.com.

Hand-pulled noodles and a lamb skewer from Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

#4 hand-pulled noodles at Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café

Tucked inside an unassuming downtown storefront, Gene’s has nearly made it to cult-like status on the strength of its hand-pulled noodles—thick, chewy bands that showcase masterful technique. Sure, the Xi’an-style flatbread sandwiches get top billing, but regulars know to zero in on #4: those super-long, super-wide strands topped with a generous amount of minced garlic and crushed cayenne (skip it if you’re hoping to kiss someone later). Add a cumin-crusted lamb skewer and a tea egg or two, and you’ll understand why noodle lovers keep this place near the top of their list.

86 Bedford St., Downtown Boston, 617-482-1888, genescafeboston.com; 466 Main St., Woburn, 781-938-6888, genescafewoburn.com.

Prima’s spicy pici. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Spicy pici at Prima

Often referred to as “fat spaghetti,” pici feels like udon’s Italian cousin—thick, hand-stretched noodles that could double as a climbing rope. At this Italian steakhouse, they’re covered in a sauce with a touch of heat, combining cream and ’nduja, a spicy Calabrian sausage, that turns tradition on its head. A scattering of mint helps tame the wild ride.

10 City Sq., Charlestown, Boston, 617-804-7400, primaboston.com.

Birria ramen at Abuela’s Table. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Ramen birria bowl at Abuela’s Table

Skip the line at your favorite taco joint—J.P.’s latest newcomer is serving up the season’s cleverest comfort-food mash-up. The birria soup at Abuela’s Table pairs Mexican slow-braised beef and its flavorful consommé with classic squiggly ramen noodles for the perfect cold-weather cure. Slivers of fresh radish, red onion, and cilantro cut the intensely savory broth. Pro tip: For extra-cozy vibes, order the café de olla, a cinnamon-spiked Mexican coffee.

416 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, 617-524-6464, abuelas-table.com.

Squid ink pasta at the Daily Catch. / Photo by Joe St. Pierre

Black pasta aglio olio at the Daily Catch

This old-school North End spot’s most dramatic dish arrives in a large, well-worn cooking pan heaped with jet-black squid-ink linguine. The aglio olio version—our pick—hits all the right notes with its bracing mixture of fresh garlic, olive oil, ground calamari, and briny anchovy (alfredo and puttanesca versions are also available). Spring for the scallop or shrimp add-ons if you like, but remember to hit the ATM first—this joint’s strictly cash-only.

323 Hanover St., North End, Boston, 617-523-8567, and other locations; thedailycatch.com.

Peruvian Taste Restaurant’s sopa wantan special. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Sopa wantan special at Peruvian Taste Restaurant

Talk about the best of both worlds: Chicken noodle soup meets wonton soup in this chifa (Chinese-Peruvian) dish at a hidden gem near Sullivan Square. Go for the “special” version, a deluxe combo that includes slices of chicken and smoky-sweet char siu pork, shrimp, quail egg, Chinese cabbage, wontons, and, of course, noodles—thin, plentiful, filling. This is what
you order to soothe those early-spring sniffles.

78 Arlington Ave., Charlestown, Boston, 833-998-6334, peruvian-taste-restaurant.com.

The Eaves’ noodle soup. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

The Eaves noodle soup at the Eaves

True to form, the Cicada and Saigon Babylon crew deliver another winner—this time focusing on an homage to the central Vietnamese soup bún bò Huề. The scratch-made rice noodles swim in a lemongrass-forward broth alongside locally sourced beef that’s sliced so thin it curls. And we love how the playlist almost always comes around to some thumping disco selections—the perfect backdrop for a nightcap from the tightly curated sake and whiskey lists. Finally, a spot that understands sometimes you need high-end Japanese whisky and spicy noodles late at night.

1 Bow Market Way (Bow Market), Union Square, Somerville, instagram.com/midnight_eaves.

Rice-noodle rolls and other treats from May’s Cake House. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Rice-noodle rolls at May’s Cake House

Nestled on the outskirts of Chinatown, this small bakery is best known for its elegant fruit-topped cakes and light-as-air mousse-cake slices in flavors like mango and matcha. But don’t skip the savory fare, most notably the cheung fun, a.k.a. rice-noodle rolls, with various fillings. Our fave? Zhaliang, which wraps up bits of fried dough (youtiao) in the wide noodle. It’s this double-carb knockout, kissed with cilantro and dunked in soy sauce, that keeps us coming back.

223 Harrison Ave, Chinatown, Boston, 617-350-0210.

Lê Madeline’s Viêt Cajun crawfish noodles. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Viêt Cajun crawfish noodles at Lê Madeline

This must-try Vietnamese-meets-Cajun dish serves umami to the max: A sprinkling of salmon roe adds an ocean-tinged pop of flavor to luscious garlicky egg noodles with basil-buttered crawfish, and a take on spicy XO sauce adds oomph (and another cuisine reference—Chinese). The dish nods to executive chef Peter Nguyen’s time in Texas, attending crawfish boils at his fiancée’s family gatherings, and winks to the Italian restaurants in the earlier part of his culinary résumé: He’s made a lot of noodles over the years.

409 Hancock St., Quincy, lemadeline.com.

Guay jub from Sugar & Spice (via delivery). / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Guay jub at Sugar & Spice

Some of Thailand’s greatest soups can be found on any Greater Boston Thai restaurant menu (looking at you, tom yum), but the oh-so-satisfying and mild guay jub, with its cigar-rolled rice noodles, is maddeningly scarce around here. Fortunately, Cambridge’s Sugar & Spice offers a knockout bowl. The noodles swim in a deeply umami five-spice-and-soy broth, loaded with crispy pork, lightly fried tofu, boiled egg, and herbs.

1933 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge, 617-868-4200, sugarspices.com.

Neighborhood Kitchen’s Haitian spaghetti. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Haitian spaghetti at Neighborhood Kitchen

Traditionally a breakfast dish, the pure comfort food known as Haitian spaghetti is available morning, noon, and night at this local haunt in a residential nook of Medford. The hefty plate arrives with hot dog bits (trust us) scattered through pasta, peppers, onions, and hard-boiled eggs, all slicked in chef and co-owner Eddie George’s “secret” tomato sauce with slow-burn heat. (The key, he tells us, is fresh spices—not dry—including habanero, onion, garlic, and cloves.)

84 Spring St., Medford, 781-391-9001, nkboston.com.

Phở đặc biệt at Phở Lê

How to choose just one favorite phở among Dorchester’s many options? Phở Lê, open for nearly 15 years, never disappoints, and the phở đặc biệt—which means “special phở,” and it is!—is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. The beefy combination includes a symphony of textures and flavors, with thin, rare slices of eye-of-round roast, well-done flank, and brisket complemented by toothsome tendon and tripe. The usual accoutrements—cilantro, basil, lime, etc.—lighten things up a touch.

1356 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, Boston, 617-506-6294, pholedorchester.com.

Mida’s bucatini all’Amatriciana. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Bucatini all’Amatriciana at Mida

This pasta paradise’s bucatini all’Amatriciana is the real deal. At Mida—now with four locations in and near Boston—hollow pasta strands arrive perfectly al dente, tossed in a simple sauce of bright San Marzano tomatoes and studded with jewels of salty, fatty guanciale that would make any Roman nonna proud. The pecorino dusting? Chef’s kiss. (A gluten-free option is available, too.) This is the closest you’ll get to the Eternal City without springing for airfare.

782 Tremont St., South End, Boston, 617-936-3490, and other locations; midarestaurant.com.

Dakzen’s khao soi with crispy pork belly, via delivery. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Khao soi at Dakzen

It’s all about the interplay of tastes in this Northern Thai curry noodle soup: Sour-bitter mustard greens, pungent fresh red onions, and an acidic squeeze of lime pop against a sweet, mildly spicy broth. The richness of your choice of protein complements the rest. (Our favorite, ultra-crispy pork belly, is nontraditional but so tasty; chicken is the more classic pick.) Egg noodles prepared two ways—boiled and served in the soup, and a crispy fried bundle as garnish—bring it all together.

195 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville, 617-718-1759, dakzen.net.

Seoul Jangteo’s jjajang noodles, via delivery. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Jjajang noodles at Seoul Jangteo

Thick, savory black bean sauce—packed with onions and little bits of pork—is the star of the popular Korean-Chinese dish jjajangmyeon, and this homey Allston spot serves an irresistible rendition. Thin, springy wheat noodles, made in-house, stand up to the deep flavors of the sweet-meets-salty sauce, which adds an almost caramelized flavor to the pork pieces. Balance your palate with something lighter: a fruit soju or sake, perhaps?

151 Brighton Ave., Allston, Boston, 617-254-2775, instagram.com/seouljangteo_boston.

Cold niku udon from Yume Ga Arukara. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Spicy cold niku udon at Yume Ga Arukara

The original no-frills udon shop in Cambridge has moved to flashier digs in the same building—and expanded to an even flashier second location in the Seaport—but the slippery, chewy noodles remain as inimitable as ever, worthy of the local and national acclaim they’ve received since the restaurant’s 2017 debut. We think the spicy cold version of the dish showcases the noodles best, letting them sing through a simple—yet delicious—combination of hot-but-not-too-hot chili paste and oil, tempura, dried shrimp, thin strips of beef, scallions, and a squeeze of lemon. But for those looking for something less fiery and more refreshing, try the classic version (pictured above) with grated ginger and dried seaweed.

1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge; 70 Pier 4 Blvd., Seaport District, Boston; yumegaarukara.com.

Tasca’s Fideuà. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Fideuà at Tasca

While Boston has plenty of paella, its noodly cousin fideuà, a Catalan stew, is harder to find—but not impossible, thanks to a 30-year-old Spanish restaurant in Brighton. Angel-hair-like noodles dance in a lush lobster-and-shrimp-based broth, jam-packed with giant shrimp as well as calamari, mussels, and clams. It takes a little extra time to cook, so start your meal with tapas: gambas al pil pil, shrimp in a spicy garlic oil, and chuletas de cordero, chimichurri-topped lamb chops, should whet your appetite.

1612 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton, Boston, 617-730-8002, tascatapasrestaurant.com.

Gankara miso ramen at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen

The eye-catching red broth gives it away: This one’s a bit fiery. This petite Brookline hot spot (with a new Braintree offshoot) is one of the best places around to experience Sapporo-style ramen, a miso-rich version of the noodle soup. Plentiful toppings—ground pork, sweet corn, an egg—absorb the heat a bit. Long line? Head across the hallway to sibling spot Gantetsu-Ya for a snack of gyoza while you wait.

318 Harvard St., Unit #3 (inside the Arcade Building), Coolidge Corner, Brookline, 617-730-8100; 224 Quincy Ave., Braintree, 781-428-3276; gankoramen.com.