WA’s noodle game is strong. After a bowl of the best? Here’s where to start
The queues for Tosaka Ramen Bar and Hifumiya show that these specialist Japanese noodle shops are unbeatable in their craft, from 10-hour simmered chicken ramen broth to hand-crafted fresh udon with umami-laden iriko-dashi broth. Delicately layered and aromatic Vietnamese noodles are sought after at stalwart Trang’s Cafe & Noodle House where you can’t go wrong ordering anything from their menu, but for something different, tuck into bánh canh, which sees thick and chewy tapioca noodles in a rich seafood and pork broth. The pho-nomenon that is the rich 24-hour braised short-rib pho remains at Thanh Daht or seek the combination beef pho offered by Uncle Lam Vietnamese Noodle House.
Perth is not short of Malaysian and Singaporean hawkers, with noodles being a popular order from plenty of purveyors. If it’s a bowl of fiery laksa you’re after, try the Penang white curry version at Uncle Eddie’s where noodles come swimming in a creamy coconut-based broth, topped with prawns and a spoonful of curry paste that you can adjust to your preferred level of spice. Hong Kei is still the go-to for Malaysian dry-style wonton noodles with barbecue pork, as is Two Hands Noodle Shop for its dry-style Sarawak kolo mee and kampua noodles. Other hawker specialties worth seeking out include ipoh hor fun – shredded chicken noodles in a full-bodied chicken and prawn broth – from Ipoh Hawkers, a comforting bowl of ban mian with noodles served in rich pork broth with meatballs from Singapore Eatz and the lau shu fen – short needle-shaped rice noodles in a claypot with pork mince and egg in a soy-enriched sauce at Hey Hawker.
Regional Chinese cooking is increasingly prevalent in Perth, with China Tang a great place to start, with its range of Beijing-style, Shanghainese and Sichuanese noodles. Try the zha jiang mian, featuring wheat noodles served with a rich bean paste and pork mince sauce and fresh sliced vegetables – not to be missed. Meanwhile, the opening of Perth’s first Lanzhou beef noodle bar this year, Qin’s Lanzhou Beef Noodle, has drawn crowds of people eager to try its silky, springy hand-pulled noodles in signature peppery, spiced broth slicked with chilli oil that hums with mild heat. Then there’s freshly opened Yip AU, which specialises in thin, elastic zhu sheng ‘bamboo pole’ noodles.
Finally, Mango Cafe continues to deliver the best representation of the many delicacies of Myanmar, including mi-shay, where rice noodles are covered with peanuts and minced pork marinated in chilli oil, peanut oil and soy sauce. Just one more fine example in WA’s delicious noodly repertoire.
