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Korean naengmyeon, Japanese soba, Vietnamese bun, and more
For those looking to stay cool when summer’s heat reaches its peak in the coming weeks, give the air conditioner a break and order a bowl of cold noodles instead. From Korean naengmyeon to Vietnamese bun and Japanese udon and soba, Los Angeles’s restaurants are well-versed in the art of cold noodles. Here now are 15 perfectly slurpable renditions to fend off the hot days ahead.
Removed: Noodle St., Santouka Ramen, Meiji Seimen
Added: Lao Xi Noodle House, Ryla, Steep
This West LA sushi spot also features some of the best house-made soba noodles in the city. The freshly made buckwheat noodles are served cold on a tray or with a variety of toppings, like broiled duck, grated yam, and nameko mushrooms. Yabu also prepares cold udon noodles with similar toppings.
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The signature nikutama bowl at Sawtelle noodle spot Marugame Udon comes with a scant amount of sweetened broth, shredded beef, and chubby udon noodles. Ask for it to be served cold for the ultimate antidote to a hot day.
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Hermosa Beach hotspot Ryla recently launched a weekend brunch and on the menu are cold sesame noodles with shredded chicken, cucumbers, pickled carrots, crispy garlic, Sichuan peppercorn oil, and cilantro. Slurp up a bowl of tongue-numbing goodness and wash it all down with a strawberry spritz.
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Olympic Noodle’s konggooksoo — thin noodles swimming in a thick, ice cold soybean soup — always makes an appearance in the summer months. Grab a refreshing bowl before fall hits.
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The soba noodles at Ichimi Ann Bamboo Garden are made from scratch and beloved for its pleasingly chewy texture. Nearly every menu item can be ordered cold, including the yuzu oroshi with its citrus broth, grated radish, and fresh shiso.
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Classic Gardena Korean restaurant Old Time Noodle House features a chin naengmyeon, or cold arrowroot starch noodle soup. The broth won’t be ice cold but rather chilled to refrigerator temp in a tangy, umami-rich broth. The slightly chewy arrowroot starch noodles aren’t as substantial as the more common buckwheat, though equally fun to slurp up on a hot day.
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Otafuku crafts two different types of soba noodles: the signature milky-white seiro soba and a darker kikouchi soba made of buckwheat flour. Both are served firm in a variety of cold preparations.
Of all the naengmyeon spots in Koreatown, Yu Chun most closely resembles the kind of no-frills shops found in South Korean suburbs. Chewy noodles and a highly drinkable icy broth make this a favorite among naengmyeon neophytes and homesick Koreans alike.
Try the jjolmyeon at Myung Dong Kyoja, which features chewy noodles, a slightly sweet gochujang sauce, julienned vegetables, and a hard boiled egg on top.
The Corner Place serves LA’s very best bowl of dongchimi gooksoo — an ice-cold noodle soup with a vinegary kimchi-based broth.
The shady courtyard at Steep LA in Chinatown is the perfect place to cool down and slurp up some cold noodles. The Lao Gan Ma soba salad, which is a seasonal special, comes with soba noodles and fresh pea tendrils tossed in a chile crisp-spiked sauce. Every bowl is topped with tea-marinated beef shank.
Stop into Noodle Harmony in Monterey Park for Sichuan noodles and Hunan rice noodle soups. Perfect for summer are the cold chicken noodles and the mung bean cold noodles. Pair them with any of the excellent appetizers, including pigs ears or the chilled tofu.
Leave it to chef Chris Yang to hit it out of the ballpark with a dish as deceptively simple as sesame noodles. The version served at Yang’s Kitchen is made with Semolina organic spaghetti, Persian cucumbers, pickled carrots, crushed peanuts, cilantro, scallion, and a sesame sauce that’s wonderfully balanced and even better with the house-made chile crisp.
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Vietnamese bun is always a good call on a hot day, but for those looking to try something else, the banh hoi — woven noodle sheets topped with proteins and served with fish sauce — is equally compelling.
The fantastic hun yuan cold jelly at Lao Xi Noodle is just the thing on a hot summer day. Dig into a bowlful of bouncy potato starch cuboids submerged in sesame paste, vinegar, and chile oil with a heap of julienned cucumbers. The cold jelly is unexpectedly light with an unforgettable vinegary bite.
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This West LA sushi spot also features some of the best house-made soba noodles in the city. The freshly made buckwheat noodles are served cold on a tray or with a variety of toppings, like broiled duck, grated yam, and nameko mushrooms. Yabu also prepares cold udon noodles with similar toppings.
The signature nikutama bowl at Sawtelle noodle spot Marugame Udon comes with a scant amount of sweetened broth, shredded beef, and chubby udon noodles. Ask for it to be served cold for the ultimate antidote to a hot day.
Hermosa Beach hotspot Ryla recently launched a weekend brunch and on the menu are cold sesame noodles with shredded chicken, cucumbers, pickled carrots, crispy garlic, Sichuan peppercorn oil, and cilantro. Slurp up a bowl of tongue-numbing goodness and wash it all down with a strawberry spritz.
Olympic Noodle’s konggooksoo — thin noodles swimming in a thick, ice cold soybean soup — always makes an appearance in the summer months. Grab a refreshing bowl before fall hits.
The soba noodles at Ichimi Ann Bamboo Garden are made from scratch and beloved for its pleasingly chewy texture. Nearly every menu item can be ordered cold, including the yuzu oroshi with its citrus broth, grated radish, and fresh shiso.
Classic Gardena Korean restaurant Old Time Noodle House features a chin naengmyeon, or cold arrowroot starch noodle soup. The broth won’t be ice cold but rather chilled to refrigerator temp in a tangy, umami-rich broth. The slightly chewy arrowroot starch noodles aren’t as substantial as the more common buckwheat, though equally fun to slurp up on a hot day.
Otafuku crafts two different types of soba noodles: the signature milky-white seiro soba and a darker kikouchi soba made of buckwheat flour. Both are served firm in a variety of cold preparations.
Of all the naengmyeon spots in Koreatown, Yu Chun most closely resembles the kind of no-frills shops found in South Korean suburbs. Chewy noodles and a highly drinkable icy broth make this a favorite among naengmyeon neophytes and homesick Koreans alike.
Try the jjolmyeon at Myung Dong Kyoja, which features chewy noodles, a slightly sweet gochujang sauce, julienned vegetables, and a hard boiled egg on top.
The Corner Place serves LA’s very best bowl of dongchimi gooksoo — an ice-cold noodle soup with a vinegary kimchi-based broth.
The shady courtyard at Steep LA in Chinatown is the perfect place to cool down and slurp up some cold noodles. The Lao Gan Ma soba salad, which is a seasonal special, comes with soba noodles and fresh pea tendrils tossed in a chile crisp-spiked sauce. Every bowl is topped with tea-marinated beef shank.
Stop into Noodle Harmony in Monterey Park for Sichuan noodles and Hunan rice noodle soups. Perfect for summer are the cold chicken noodles and the mung bean cold noodles. Pair them with any of the excellent appetizers, including pigs ears or the chilled tofu.
Leave it to chef Chris Yang to hit it out of the ballpark with a dish as deceptively simple as sesame noodles. The version served at Yang’s Kitchen is made with Semolina organic spaghetti, Persian cucumbers, pickled carrots, crushed peanuts, cilantro, scallion, and a sesame sauce that’s wonderfully balanced and even better with the house-made chile crisp.
Vietnamese bun is always a good call on a hot day, but for those looking to try something else, the banh hoi — woven noodle sheets topped with proteins and served with fish sauce — is equally compelling.
The fantastic hun yuan cold jelly at Lao Xi Noodle is just the thing on a hot summer day. Dig into a bowlful of bouncy potato starch cuboids submerged in sesame paste, vinegar, and chile oil with a heap of julienned cucumbers. The cold jelly is unexpectedly light with an unforgettable vinegary bite.
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