Eat The World in 10 Noodle Soups, at Parramatta

Few dishes comfort like a bowl of noodle soup, from clear and delicate to deep and fiery, and everything in between. It’s an idea first sparked some 4,000 years ago in China, then carried steadily through kitchens near and far, seeing nearly every culture in the world take up a pot and tune the same three things (broth, noodles, topping) to its own taste, climate and table.

Each one turned out different, and the best bit? You can taste a whole world of them without leaving Parramatta. Here are ten of the best noodle soups in Parramatta to seek out, from long-simmered classics to a few you’ll be glad someone pointed you to.

1. Korea: Naengmyeon

Cold buckwheat noodles served in a chilled, tangy broth (typically made from beef and/or Korean radish water kimchi), Korea’s solution to the heat, both the summer and the spicy Korean barbecue kind. Zungle BBQ serves theirs to cut through and refresh between rounds off the grill.

Try it: Zungle BBQ, 329 Church St, Parramatta.

2. China: Fishball Noodle Soup

Handmade fishballs in a clear broth, a Hong Kong street classic. The best bit is the texture of the fish balls, at its best when the fish paste has been pounded until it bounces, a step many kitchens skip, but not Fishboy Private Kitchen. Both their shrimp, shallot and mackerel balls are made fresh in-house and cooked to order in clear chicken broth with vegetables and corn.

Try it: Fishboy Private Kitchen, 55 Adderton Rd, Telopea. 

3. Mongolia: Bantan

Bantan is a traditional Mongolian noodle soup with a twist. The broth is rich and meaty, but the noodles aren’t what you’d expect. They’re handmade dough crumbs that cook into a kind of scrambled noodle, thickening the soup to something closer to congee in texture. Warm and restorative, bantan has long been Mongolia’s favourite hangover cure, the bowl given to anyone feeling under the weather. Mongol Shop Café is one of the few places in Australia you’ll find it on a menu, so head there the next time you could use a pick-me-up.

Try it: Mongol Shop Café, Shop 301/22 Footbridge Blvd, Wentworth Point. 

4. Thailand: Tom Yum Noodle Soup

Thailand’s famous hot-and-sour soup, and the name says exactly what it is: tom means to boil, and yum means to mix. It’s flavoured with lemongrass, galangal root, kaffir lime leaf and chilli.

Try it: Holy Basil, Shop 5/330 Church St, Parramatta.

5 & 6. Japan: Ramen and Udon

Japan’s two great noodle bowls. Ramen, the most famous, takes thin, springy wheat noodles and pairs them with a rich miso, shoyu or tonkotsu broth, piled high with toppings of all sorts. Udon is gentler; thick, chewy noodles in a lighter, cleaner, typically dashi or light miso broth. Kumiho cooks up a whole host of options in both, but tankui udon is a fun place to start, a dashi base with added crispy tempura pieces (tenkasu) that give the bowl an extra crunch.

Try it: Kumiho, 140 Marsden St, Parramatta.

7. Nepal & Tibet: Thukpa

A hand-pulled noodle soup born in Amdo, Tibet, and carried across the mountains into Nepal; wheat noodles, broth, vegetables and meat, made to warm you at altitude. Downtown MoMo makes theirs in a chicken broth with cumin and coriander, the recipe brought straight from Nepal.

Try it: Downtown MoMo, 12 Union St, Parramatta.

"Back home we like a lot of spice, and here, we go with our customers. We started out Nepal-hot, and now we cook it just how everyone likes it." — Downtown MoMo 

8. Indonesia: Laksa

A coconut noodle soup born of Chinese and Malay-Indonesian cooking meeting. The Indonesian version is typically lighter and more aromatic than the Malaysian or Thai styles you may be more familiar with. Kampung Laksa specialises in it.

Try it: Kampung Laksa, 1 Fitzwilliam St, Parramatta.

9. Vietnam: Pho

The most famous of the country's noodle soups: flat rice noodles in a beef broth simmered for hours with star anise, cinnamon and charred ginger finished with fresh herbs. Tam Tam is a local favourite for it, with a whole range of options for meat lovers especially: rare, brisket, tendon and wagyu.

Try it: Tam Tam, 41 Phillip St, Parramatta.

"It's a little different north to south. I'm from the south, so I like it with chilli sauce, hoisin, extra bean sprouts and a squeeze of lemon, mixed all together, plenty of spice." — Tam Tam

10. Vietnam: Bánh Canh

One Vietnamese noodle soup you may not have tried yet: thick, chewy tapioca noodles served in a rich pork or seafood broth thickened with tapioca for its signature gravy-like texture that clings to every noodle. Pho Pasteur’s got it.

Try it: Pho Pasteur, 137 Church St, Parramatta.