Noodles are in vogue — but in truth, they’ve always been around and have a storied, extensive world history. These three noodle destinations offer wide variety and superior flavor choices.
1. TAKKII RAMEN
By far a most authentic, truly Japanese-style ramen is “done right” at Takkii Ramen West Reading — a wonderfully cozy noodle restaurant with an inviting, golden-warm ambiance, anime wall- artwork and blonde wooden tables and bar-counter akin to those in Hokkaido. Owner Uyen Nguyen and husband Alex Alfaro pride themselves on making deep bowls of four types of noodles whose aromas waft up enticingly as servers deliver them to your table. They do a brisk takeout business as well, with smartly crafted, ecologically wise takeout containers.
Definitely go to West Reading, though, to enjoy the atmosphere, and to try everything from edamame and gyoza to refreshing Boba drinks and noodles. The classic Shoyu Ramen is adorned with crisp sheet of nori lying near marinated egg halves, cuts of chashu pork, crunchy bamboo shoots, zesty scallions and a pretty piece of pink-and-white fishcake. The texture-rich noodles are prepared al dente in a savory sweet hot broth that embraces every single slurpy mouthful of long, chewy noodles. A personal wooden ladle helps you scoop up every bit. (Try the spicy version of this ramen, too.)
The Takkii Beef Ramen and Fried Chicken Ramen are also extremely popular. Each noodle dish uses different broths including pork, chicken and udon (long, fat noodles) broth. A vegetarian style uses mix-and-match toppings and gluten-free noodles. Beyond noodles, Takkii offers a much-beloved rice entrée called donburi: Unagi, Sukiyaki, Chicken Curry and more.
36 N. 6th Avenue, West Reading
610.370.7434 | takkiiramen.com
2. VIETNAMESE DELIGHTS
Another VERY authentic bowl of noodles! Vietnamese noodles are completely different, of course, but oh-so-traditional in flavor and heartwarming to experience. They’re easily enjoyed onsite at the Boscov’s Fairgrounds Farmers Market in Reading. Takeout is available, too, but do consider sitting down, because eating there is the closest thing to eating noodles in open-air Vietnamese markets!
Vietnam is famous for Pho, made with clearish-white vermicelli (rice) noodles — appreciated for its uniquely riotous flavors and unmatched textures. The mingled tastes of savory, piquant, sweet and salty blossom and erupt rapidly after Judy Nguyen fills your bowl with long, hot noodles in beef broth and delivers Pho to your table, along with that magical combo of toppings: crispy bean sprouts, basil leaves and lime. Add jalapenos, hoisin sauce and sriracha as you wish for heat and extra oomph. Diners select protein choices such as shrimp or chicken or vegetables, etc., but the House Special Pho sings a beefy high note with its tender slices of eye rib, morsels of homemade beef balls and beef brisket.
A fantastic variation featuring half-warm and half-cold noodles is Rice Vermicelli, layering fresh salad greens and a choice of proteins, such as grilled pork, shrimp and vegetables, spring roll and more. The combination of greens, meat and fish sauce comprise a perfect nutritious balance any day. The explosion of mint and basil leaves, cucumber, lettuce and carrot slices make up an entire mini-garden in your mouth, while a garlic fish sauce on top finishes off, tying together the pieces that transport diners directly to Vietnam. A treat of the Grilled Chicken Rice Vermicelli might include peanuts on top: their crunchy texture along with the veggies and the tenderness of the chicken plus glossy noodles yields a great mix to chew.
Boscov's Fairgrounds Farmers Market
2934 N. 5th St. Hwy., Reading
484.788.6506 | vietnamesedelights.com
3. NOODL
Noodl-ing around…Fun! GM Cody Schmidt explains the concept for this new locale on The Avenue: “Noodl is Asian-influenced, fast-casual dining, with a lot of design-your-own bowls — to give people different options. You can see all of the ingredients you can put into your bowl.”
Takeout or dine-in and outdoor dining — whatever works for you is what Noodl is all about. “Most popular is probably the signature bowl, Noodl Ramen,” Schmidt says, a dish embellished with pork belly, shiitake mushroom, soy-marinated egg, baby bok choy, scallions, nori (seaweed) and a chili crisp. The Veggie Ramen differs in that it contains miso broth, from a soybean paste commonly used for traditional Japanese soup, with tofu as protein, plus egg and crunchy bean sprouts. Vermicelli rice noodles provide a gluten-free option for a Design-Your-Own Noodl Bowl. That design feature is especially enticing to diners who wish to experiment with Asian flavors.
Culinary Director Jeremy Nolan is a 30-year veteran chef, having worked and lived from Berks to Philadelphia and back. “The rice noodles are all cooked in a separate water-bath so there’s no worry of cross contamination. I cook all sorts of different things and am familiar with all sorts of Asian cuisine and enjoy it. The ramen is not traditional at all, as we use ramen, lo mein noodles, kimchee — from Japan to China to Korea — in creative, Asian-inspired ways, for the fantastic flavors.”
428 Penn Avenue, West Reading
610.750.6160 | thenoodl.com
