The thought of noodle soups may baffle many as the weather starts to warm up, but there’s nothing easier to eat during this transition stage. When dreary forecasts loom, a steaming bowl or plate of slippery strands in an aromatic broth hits the spot; when the sun beams lap at your brow, cold noodles and their springy textures do more than refresh the palate.  Toronto may not have an abundance of hawker stands like many SE Asian cities, but it does boast numerous eateries, both high- and low-end, that showcases this carb-y delight.  Below are a few noodle based courses that I had the luxury of consuming in the past year.

Hiro Sushi’s (171 King Street East) Soba Sunday offers authentic Japanese handmade buckwheat noodles made by Soba Canada may be topped (clockwise from upper left) with ikura (salmon roe), grated yamaimo (Japanese yam), snow crab, oroshi (grated daikon radish), fried buckwheat crackers, or just-done-Oboro tofu. Made with buckwheat cultivated from Manitoba, these toothsome strands are served cold. However the meal ends with a pot of hot soba water that can be seasoned with dashi.

The Spicy Beef Brisket Noodle Soup found at Ding Tai Fung Shanghai Dim Sum (3235 Hwy 7, Unionville) comes with handmade thick wheat noodles, a large tumble of melt-in-your-mouth tender beef brisket, and a dish of finely minced preserved cabbage.

E-fu Noodle braised in Abalone Essence is a popular choice that satisfies taste buds during any Chinese style banquet. This one pictured is from Ambassador’s Chinese Cuisine (280 West Beaver Creek Road, Richmond Hill).

Known for making their fish soups/stocks from scratch, Omega 3 (Unit A05-8362 Kennedy Road, Markham) satisfies any cravings for simple and clean flavours. With a fine selection of in house made fish balls, proteins, fresh noodles and soup bases, the above bowls feature slice sea snail and fresh fish, cuttle fish and chicken balls, or even fresh “fish paste noodles” with rice or cellophane/bean thread noodles. Best of all, this everything is MSG free.

Kenzo Ramen (6180 Yonge Street) is known for their noodle bowls that sport great Engrish titles like the large and spicy King of Kings or thick-hearty Satporo-style ra-men, but an order of Yakisoba (top of post) features pan fried mixed veggies, nuggets of chicken with ramen noodles, much akin to Edo Japan without the goopy sauce.

 

The curiously named Vegetarian Hot Pot from Monsoon (100 Simcoe Street) is actually a bowl of green tea soba noodles in a very light soy sesame broth. Topped with an assortment of just blanched organic vegetables and a couple cubes of firm tofu, the highlight of this wallet unfriendly dish is the mix of pickled vegetables topping the colourful mix.

Food court eats at Sun’s Kitchen (Heritage Town unit F5, Pacific Mall, 4300 Steeles Avenue East, Markham) is part meal and part show.

Cold Noodle Soup involves thin strands of freshly pulled noodles in a sweet and mildly tart, exceedingly refreshing chilled broth. The bouncy noodles are topped with a couple slices of braised beef shank and a tumble of chopped pickled cabbage (sweeter and less spicy than traditional kimchee). Or order the Pork and Preserved Cabbage Noodle Soup, a classic meal with stir-fried strands of pork and preserved cabbage piled on a hot bowl of hand pulled noodles. Wash it down with the complimentary cup of soy milk.

Jap Chae at New Seoul House (3220 Dufferin Street, North York) is a satisfying plate of tasty, sticky chewy noodles made from sweet potato starch. This version come with stir-fried beef and mixed vegetables and is slightly pricier ($20) than those found at other Korean restaurants.

As part of the multicourse omakase menu, Chef Daisuke Izutsu of Kaiseki Sakura (556 Church Street) may surprise diners with a bowl of buckwheat (though they taste more like ramen) noodles in a soy broth. The tart and crunchy shiso and purple shisho pickled eggplant sprinkled generously on top of the tender noodles helps to balance out the sodium-centric dish.

The set menu at Linda (335 Yonge Street) changes monthly, but diners may be treated to delightful eats such as the aromatic Malaysian Shrimp Noodle Soup featuring cellophane/bean thread noodles instead of the traditional egg noodles.

Homemade Soba from Tokyo Grill (582 Yonge Street), available on the last Saturday of each month, is a nice light lunch to eat in or take out.

Renée Suen is a graduate student at the University of Toronto, specializing in cardiovascular sciences. She has an insatiable appetite and can often be found with her camera, searching for something tasty to eat. Many of these culinary discoveries can be found on her Flickr site.