Best Noodle Restaurants in Melbourne
Noodles glorious noodles! Sometimes I feel like a huge bowl of noodles as the ultimate comfort food. What makes great noodles? We believe the best noodles are handmade. They also need to be cooked to perfection, not overcooked. Noodle dishes also need fresh quality ingredients including decent cuts of meat. Here are our favourite noodle restaurants in Melbourne.
1. Spice Temple - CBD
The World Loves Melbourne loves this Crown restaurant by Neil Perry with its chic ambience and fine modern Chinese cuisine. Spice Temple is known to give customers special treatment and personable service, and this is enhanced by the layout of the restaurant which can be described as intimate. Neil Perry takes Chinese cuisine to the next level and avoids Cantonese standard Chinese food. Noodles here are handmade and of the highest quality. Check out dishes such as Handmade yellow noodles with Wagyu braised brisket, chilli and Sichuan pepper or Handmade egg noodles, Hunan style with smoked bacon, black vinegar and chilli on current menu. Personally I enjoy how Spice Temple doesn't dumb down on spice and so you appreciate not just the "kick" of the dish but the nuances of spice.
2. Flower Drum - CBD
Come to Flower Drum for the great occasion, with lavish decor of reds and golds and the traditions of fine dining. Flower Drum is still considered one of the best Chinese restaurants internationally and they excels when it comes to noodles. Duck is a speciality here and the Roast duck rice vermicelli noodles braised with pickled cabbage is a recommendation. Also check out the Singapore noodles with prawns, BBQ pork, snow peas, shiitake mushrooms, onion & chilli. Or even E-Fu egg noodles braised with shiitake mushrooms, bean shoots & garlic chives.The legend lives on.
3. Noodle Kingdom - CBD
Don't go looking for swanky surroundings! One of the original and the best noodle houses in Melbourne. Having visited many times for lunch as a city worker, I find the handmade noodles compelling. Especially when you can see the chef making the noodles at the front of the restaurant - great theatre! Noodle Kingdom serves up delicious and affordable noodles, and this Chinese restaurant is usually packed out with noodle lovers. My favourite is dish no. 29 which includes beef, vegetables and those delicious thick handmade noodles. Some comments about the service on Urbanspoon but it's not a place to linger for hours - cheap noodle dishes at around $10.
4. David's - Prahran
David's Prahran is a classy Chinese restaurant which hums at night with enthusiastic locals and young lovers. For lunch, they provide several noodle options of note including seafood, chicken and mushroom noodle options at an affordable $12 (current menu). At dinner the Fat Shanghai Noodles are compelling. (Photo courtesy of David's). David's has a kitchen philosophy of handmade ingredients, and prides itself on the experience of owner David Zhou and his life in Shanghai. We enjoy the ambience at David's with trendy bar, high ceilings, white colour theme, and great use of timber and plants.
5. ShanDong MaMa - CBD
Another favourite of The World Loves Melbourne, much attention has been given to the brilliant dumplings cooked by Mama. But other dishes deserve acclaim, including the noodles. The simple Beef Noodles are full of flavour, with generous pieces of marinated beef, crispy vegetables and thin quality noodles. We've had an ongoing romance with ShanDong Mama who have never failed to deliver in the many times we have visited. It strikes us that every dish is quality with Mama not prepared to compromise in the kitchen. She visits the market herself to ensure the freshest quality ingredients. The dumplings here are amazing and some varieties you won't find anywhere else in Melbourne. Come to Mama!