Top 10 Noodle Soups in Austin

Combination Noodle Soup at Chen’s Noodle House

Zhao “George” Chen’s hand pulled Shanxi-style noodles deserve all the love they’ve been given. Tiny cubes of soft tofu, potatoes, carrots, bits of pork, seaweed, cloud ear and enoki mushrooms, and chewy, hearty wheat noodles are all bathed in a velvety vegetable/pork broth kicked up with soy sauce and topped with fresh cilantro.

Ka Soi 360 at Titaya's Thai Cuisine

Khao soi gai, as it is usually known, is a Northern Thai staple that is the perfect dish, just this side of soup, but definitely more of a noodle stew. Titaya’s includes a braised chicken leg quarter and chewy ramen noodles in a rich turmeric-based curry, with red onions, pickled mustard greens (the perfect amount of acid), bean sprouts, basil, toasted peanuts, and egg noodle crisp for that texture.

Wonton Noodle Soup at Din Ho

Are wontons noodles? While flour, egg, water, and salt do not always combine to make a noodle, these hand-wrapped shrimp and pork wontons are the Cantonese equivalent of Italian ravioli. They come 12 to a bowl, perfect for sharing or a meal on its own, served in an incredibly complex, but very clean and light, broth of fish, shrimp, beef, chicken, pork, and spices. Din Ho is obviously not the only Cantonese restaurant in town, but it is the Cantonese spot for my money. (8557 Research #116)

Shoyu Ramen at Komé

Available at lunch only, the cleanest bowl of a classical-style shoyu ramen in town is comforting, filling, with an array of flavors at play without being muddled. Thank all the food deities that we can once again dine in at Komé.

Pho Tai, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach at Tan My

Fortunately, there is no shortage of pho shops in this fair city, and most of them are good. However, Tan My’s broths are great: clean and rich without being heavy or oily, with nourishing beef and chicken stocks. The noodles always have the proper chew, never overcooked, with generous amounts of cuts no matter what you order and fresh toppings. (1601 Ohlen Ste. E)

Beef Hand-Pulled Noodles at Xian Sushi and Noodle

Every noodle dish at Xian is hand-pulled to order. This dish features toothsome wheat flour noodles; a simple, elegant clear beef broth; green leeks; cilantro; bean sprouts; and plenty of tender braised beef. Adjust the heat and acidity to your liking with the chili oil and black vinegar.

Beef Noodle Soup at Sweet Chive

Taiwanese beef noodle soup is a gem, and while there are a handful of places in town to snag a bowl, Sweet Chive’s is consistently my go-to, with its rich beef broth and chunks of tender braised beef shank, baby bok choy, preserved mustard greens, fresh cilantro, and spaghettilike wheat flour noodles. Add as much chili sauce as you like to adjust the heat; the broth is mild, even though its origin is immigrants from the Sichuan province of China.

Mi-So-Not (Tonkotsu) at Ramen Tatsu-Ya

This miso'd-up version of their OG bowl of tonkotsu (pork bone broth, which Tatsu-Ya specializes in) is simply stellar. A proprietary straight-noodle and miso (basically fermented soybeans) blend and the rich, intricate pork broth play harmoniously together.

Spicy Beef Suan Tsai Noodles at Julie’s Noodles

This dish centers an elegant beef broth, rich and light, ratcheted up by fresh chile pepper, a generous amount of thinnish strips of well-done beef with some chew, but not overcooked by any means. A nice helping of pickled mustard greens add acid and crunch. And of course, Julie’s handmade noodles tie the whole thing together. I skip the chili oil with this preparation, but of course it’s there on every table.

Combo Pho at Pho Phong Luu

Along with Tan My, Pho Phong Luu stands out as one of the best pho shops in Austin, and some of the best pho I’ve ever had. Request the onion and vinegar and fatty oil, it’s a definite upgrade to a bowl of soup that is already out-of-this-world delicious.