Where to Get Oodles of Noodles in Rhode Island

Photo via Getty Images/Shih-Wei.

Authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen were right: Chicken soup is truly good for the soul. Whether you’re facing a seasonal illness, looking for a little pick-me-up or craving some comfort food, soup is a wonder meal. Now, try spicing it up with Asian flavors and the lively umami notes of garlic, ginger, scallions and miso. Everywhere you look, it seems like ramen and noodles are taking over menus and restaurants throughout Rhode Island. So go ahead, celebrate National Noodle Day (Oct. 6!) with a simple yet filling dish that will leave you craving more.

NORTH

Providence Noodle Bar, Providence

When Han Chung graduated from Johnson and Wales University in 2015, he wasn’t sure of his next steps. The owner of Wok & Pot in Providence — a fellow JWU alumnus — asked Chung to join him on a new adventure. In May, they opened Providence Noodle Bar on Mathewson Street in the space that previously housed Fortnight Wine Bar.

“We had to expand, and we thought, ‘What should we do?’” Chung says. “We wanted something more cozy and we wanted to do something we wanted to eat.”

While Wok & Pot has a more traditional Asian feel, Providence Noodle Bar branches out into other cultures and incorporates offbeat techniques, recipes and ingredients: think flavors like chimichurri and cilantro.

Noodle dishes from Providence Noodle Bar. Photo by Kerri Tallman.

“This is pretty much our playground,” Chung says.

Almost every item on the concise menu is customizable, and each dish comes with the toppings on the side, so you can add as much or as little as you’d like. 

Front-of-the-house employee Nicole B. Garcia recommends diners start with the spicy scallion noodles with marinated tempura portobello mushrooms and dry Shanxi noodles with seaweed, mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, spicy garlic scallion sauce, pickled onion and sesame oil on the side. The bestselling PVD chicken ramen, meanwhile, features housemade shoyu chicken broth, ramen noodles, confit chicken (marinated in mirin, soy sauce and sugar) and a skewer of karaage, Japanese fried chicken. You can add an onsen egg — a slow-cooked, soft-boiled egg with a golden runny yoke — to break up into the broth. “People either love it or hate it,” Garcia says.

Most cocktails can also be tailored to your sweetness level. The sake special is a rotating cold house sake with seasonal fruit juices. Garcia designed each cocktail on the menu and presents a preview of the sake special of the day via Instagram. 

The portions are huge and great for sharing with others. Large parties will often order the whole menu, with the bill only coming to around $80, Garcia says. Each dish is under $20, making it reasonably priced for anyone with an adventurous palate. 

The restaurant also offers takeout for those looking to enjoy the noodles at home. 187 Mathewson St., Providence, 414-7729, pvdnoodlebar.com

EAST

Boru Noodle Bar, Newport

Chefs Casey Shea and Steve Lucier arrived on the noodle scene in its early stages, bringing the elevated ramen dining experience to Newport in the form of Boru Noodle Bar in 2013.

Back then, Newport County wasn’t entirely familiar with the idea of ramen at an affordable price. Shea was introduced to ramen culture through a friend who helped start up Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City. When the opportunity arose to bring this new style of restaurant to Newport, he was sold. 

“We wanted good quality food in a comfortable atmosphere,” Shea says. “We wanted to stand out and be a niche in this town.”

Developing the menu was all trial and error, Shea says. Neither chef is trained in Japanese or Asian cuisine but both have extensive culinary backgrounds in French techniques. Although they found applying Eastern style techniques to be much more difficult, they had the skills and ability to understand the recipes and adapt. This is best represented in their menu, which pulls from traditional Japanese techniques while adding their own spin.

Photo courtesy of Boru Noodle Bar.

“We’re not traditional Japanese-trained and we didn’t want to come across that way,” Shea says.

The noodles are sourced from Sun Noodle, one of the most recognizable ramen brands. Shea and Lucier visited production factories for tastings and met with young chefs from Japan who were passionate about expanding ramen culture to America. When chatting about technique, Shea says the chefs gave one piece of advice: “Make your ramen, don’t make our ramen.”

“Ramen is the one cuisine in Japan that doesn’t have traditional rules in it,” Shea says. “It is a food culture where you can be creative.”

While most ramen places allow for customization, Boru Noodle Bar constructed a small, thoughtful menu with intention. Each item is composed to be served the way it is based on the chefs’ research and recommendation. Of course, there’s room for substitutions and modifications based on allergies.

Photo courtesy of Boru Noodle Bar.

The most popular dish is the house ramen with a soy sauce base, pork broth, a soft-boiled egg and napa cabbage. It’s a great choice for ramen newbies, but if you want to step outside of your comfort zone, Shea recommends trying a seasonal special. (In August, the seasonal lobster corn ramen featured a lighter broth and locally sourced sweet corn. Shea called it “a bite of summer.”)

While the star of the show is ramen, don’t skip on the small bites menu. The Tokyo tater tots — drizzled with Kewpie mayo, takoyaki sauce and bonito flakes — are addictive, as are the pork buns and spicy banh mi chicken buns. And don’t miss out on the kimchi.

Being the first noodle bar in the Newport area, it may have been obvious to name their restaurant Newport Noodle Bar or something similar, but Shea and Lucier didn’t want to go that route. “Boru” means “bowl” in Japanese, which is fitting since the bulk of the menu — like most comfort foods — is served in bowls. 34 Broadway, Newport, 846-4200, borunoodlebar.com

SOUTH

Noodle Revolution, Westerly

Tucked into a neighborhood off Route 1 in Westerly, Noodle Revolution is a locally owned and operated noodle spot that doesn’t boast; it lets the food and community speak for itself.

Owner Jutharat “Kade” Feldman moved to New York City from Bangkok, Thailand, looking to follow in her family’s footsteps in the culinary world. Taking inspiration from her childhood and global travels, Feldman slowly pieced together dishes that would eventually end up in her restaurants and be loved by many. 

The small plates are sure to please anyone, offering pomme frites, classic Caesar salad and wings, but you can dip your toes into Asian flavors with steamed or pan-fried dumplings or the Thai charred beef salad. For soup lovers, the beef pho is simple yet comforting on a cool autumn evening. Everything on the menu is customizable to make it exactly as you want it. Want to add some protein or kimchi? Go for it. Not too big on spice? Order it mild.

Photo courtesy of Noodle Revolution.

The reason to go back time and time again is for the wok noodles. You can choose between flat rice or rice stick noodles, classic fettuccini, linguine, spaghetti, ramen or udon. The sauce is the most important part because it brings the dish together, so choose wisely. The drunken sauce — a classic — features chili, garlic, Chinese broccoli and basil. Black sauce incorporates an egg and Chinese broccoli tossed in a sweet soy sauce. The Bangkok street pad Thai is a great veggie option with tofu, chives, bean sprouts, eggs, tamarind paste and peanuts. You can also add chicken, pork, minced or sliced steak, tofu or seasonal veggies to your dish to bulk it up. 

My favorite? The drunken noodle. Yes, you can order drunken noodles nearly anywhere, but the chewiness of the flat rice noodles and the extra flavors crank it up a notch. Because Noodle Revolution highlights locally sourced ingredients, the bean sprouts are never wilted, and the veggies are always fresh and crisp. 

Of course, there are staples like Thai beef and rice, spring rolls and Thai green curry, but save those for a takeout night. Noodles are best enjoyed in person in the metal wok-style bowls to make sure the sauce doesn’t stick to the sides. Plus, the friendly servers will always stop to chat with you because, well, it’s all about community. 87 Oak St., Westerly, 596-9559, noodlerev.com

Spice Up Your Noodles with These Two Sauces

When cooking noodles at home, make your own peanut sauce or chili crisp oil to spice things up. The peanut sauce recipe can be added to noodles, salads, steamed dumplings (for traditional hot and spicy wontons) and more. You can find Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp oil at Good Fortune Market in Providence or Asiana in East Providence. However, this recipe is easy to make and packed with flavor.

Peanut Butter Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp black vinegar 

   (can be found at Asian markets)

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

Chili crisp oil or hot sesame oil
   (optional)

Whisk peanut butter and water together to thin it out a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Store in a glass Mason jar with a sealed lid and pour over noodles. 

Homemade Chili Crisp Oil

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups neutral oil
   (preferably avocado or vegetable)

2 shallots, thinly sliced

8 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ cup chili flakes

2 tbsp Aleppo pepper, gochugaru
   (Korean red chili flakes) or paprika

¾ tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp MSG (optional)

1 dash soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Heat oil in a small saucepan and add in the shallots and garlic. Fry until golden, remove shallots and garlic and set aside. Combine chili flakes, Aleppo pepper, kosher salt, sugar and MSG (if using). Pour over your fragrant oil while still hot to bloom the spices. Add a splash of soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Add back in the crispy shallots and garlic and serve over soups, ramen, eggs, pastas and more. Store best in small Mason jars with a sealed lid at room temp.