Ramen breaks out of the package

Ramen breaks out of the package
Noodle bars crop up around the city
By Ben Muessig
Special to amNewYork

In the East Village, it’s hard to walk a block without passing a noodle bar. Considering that these low cost eateries serve tasty fare in huge portions, it’s no surprise that they’ve become so popular. After all, only a noodle bar make slurping soup a life-changing experience.

Kampuchea Restaurant
78 Rivington St. (at Orchard St.)
212-529-3901
$15-$19
This downtown Pan-Asian bistro has an extensive menu that highlights Cambodian, Vietnamese and Laotian cuisines. You’ll find vermicelli, egg noodles, flat noodles, wheat noodles and vegetable noodles served in chicken, beef, pork and vegetable broths. Try unique toppings such as mussels, fresh water prawns, Berkshire pork, braised brisket or Chinese eggplant.

Sobaya
229 E. 9th St., Ste. 3 (bet. Second and Third Aves)
212-533-6966
$9-$18.50
Sobaya offers 24 varieties of soba — a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. This East Village eatery serves cold soba topped with shrimp and veggie tempura, or mushrooms and grated radishes. You can order hot soba soups with fried bean curd or grated yams. If the grayish soba noodles aren’t your favorite, try any of their delicious udon dishes.

Super Taste
26 Eldridge St. (at Canal St.)
212-625-1198
$4.50-$6
Super Taste doesn’t look like the other noodle bars on this list. It doesn’t have mood lighting, sleek modern furniture, or ambient music. Whether you order in or take-out, your food comes in a plastic bowl. No matter the aesthetics, Super Taste’s soups are topnotch. The Chinatown destination specializes in hand-pulled Lanhzou noodles, which it makes from scratch and serves in a spicy broth with beef and vegetables.

Minca Ramen Factory
536 E. 5th St. (bet.Aves A and B)
212-505-8001
$8.50-$12.50
At Minca, a bowl of miso ramen starts with a creamy broth. Fatty cuts of pork, kernels of corn and a hardboiled egg float on the surface. Beneath the accoutrements, you’ll uncover some of the most authentic Japanese noodles in the hemisphere. Minca’s wheat noodles are the perfect compliment for the smooth, filling soup.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave. (bet. E. 10th and E. 11th Sts)
212-777-7773
$9-$17
While foodies crowd Momofuku Ssam Bar, the original noodle bar continues to attract the crowds for its fantastic fusion fare. Momofuku’s noodles come in complicated broths that combine traditional Japanese ramen recipes with contemporary gourmet tastes. While some deride the eatery for breaking the rules of ramen a serving of Momofuku’s noodles will convert even the loudest of critics.