Yen Ta Fo Noodle Soup

Type of Noodle: Vermicelli (thin rice noodles)

What's in it: Shrimp, Squid, Scallop, Fried Tofu, Lettuce, Bean Sprouts, Yen Ta Fo Sauce, Chicken Broth, Spring Onions, Cilantro

Price: $9.95

Where to Find it: Sila Thai, (Chantilly, VA)

Rating:

Summary: I was pretty excited to try this soup because I have never heard of it before. From the description on the menu, it sounded so "exotic". The first thing that caught my attention when the soup arrived was its pink hue. Immediately I thought this color was from the squid because it has a similar color as Adobong Pusit, a Filipino squid dish. Come to find out, this color comes from red tofu which is an important ingredient in Yen Ta Fo. I was expecting a zesty flavor, but it turns out this soup has a sweet flavor to it. I'm not a big fan of sweet tasting soup. According to the recipe, you are supposed to use 2tsp. of sugar. I'm guessing they went a little overboard on my particular bowl. 4 bowls for appearance, 2 bowls for taste. 3 bowls for overall rating. Yen Ta Fo = Ehhh.

"Sapporo Style" Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen

Type of Noodle: Egg Noodles

What's in it: Roast Pork, Bean Sprouts, Bamboo Shoots, Scallions, Ground beef, Soy Sauce Flavored - Pork Based Broth.

Price: $10.95

Where to Find it: Ren's Ramen (Bethesda, MD)

Rating:

Summary: Finally! A legitimate ramen spot in the DMV. The wife and I just recently discovered Ren's Ramen last month. It is the only place (that I know of) that serves authentic Japanese ramen. The only reason this particular soup did not receive 5 bowls is that it only comes with 1 piece of roast pork! You have to pay for extra slices of pork. You can also purchase other toppings like butter, or hard boiled egg. If I chose to add all the toppings, I could easily have a $20 bowl of soup. However, this is the closest thing to eating a bowl of ramen from Japan so I guess that beats a $1000 plane ticket! Ren's Ramen is a little back room in Daruma, which is a small Japanese grocery store in Bethesda, MD. Stay posted for reviews of the other delicious soups from Ren's!

Pho Chín, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sách

Type of Noodle: White Rice Noodles

What's in it: Well-Done Brisket, Well-Done Flank, Fat Brisket, Soft Tendon, Bible Tripe, Cilantro, Scallions, Bean Sprouts, Jalapeno Pepper, Thai Basil, Lime

Price: $7.98

Where to Find it: Pho 98 (Chantilly,VA)

Rating:

Summary: I used to like this spot a lot. Lately, the quality has been disappointing me. I find their broth is the best thing going for them. They have a flavorful broth which isn't too oily and heavy. I am more adventurous with my meat selection hence the selection of tripe and tendon in this particular soup. Pho 98 used to have one of the healthiest portions of meat in the area. As of late, they have been rather skimp in their portions. The noodles aren't the quality they used to be either and at times smells like they have been soaked in bleach. Don't get me wrong though. On a good day, this soup is phenomenal and hits the spot like no other. Somedays, it seems like they left out some TLC in making it and are just pushing bowls out. I'm giving 3 out of 5 bowls just because of their inconsistency.

Pork Tom Yum Noodle Soup

Type of Noodle: Thin Rice Noodles

What's in it: Pork, Bean Sprouts, Lemongrass, Spring Onions, Cilantro

Price: $7.95

Where to Find it: Sila Thai (Chantilly, VA)

Rating:

Summary: Tom Yum soup by itself is one of my favorite soups. It combines my two favorite flavors, sour and spicy. The thin vermicelli noodles are perfect for this soup because the amount they include compliments the amount of pork they add, which is a pretty healthy serving. The bean sprouts soak up the Tom Yum flavor even more and just like Pho, the addition of spring onions and cilantro enhance the taste. The price is right, the flavor is right, and the serving size is right. You don't get the bloated feeling from eating too much noodles and you don't feel like you should have ordered an appetizer. You can substitute pork for either beef or chicken. I could probably rotate each meat and eat this soup everyday of the week!

Jampong - Korean Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup

Type of Noodle: Wheat Flour

What's in it: Mixed Vegetables, Shrimp, Clams, Squid, Cuttlefish, Scallops

Price: $10.95

Where to Find it: Shanghai, Lotte Plaza (Chantilly, VA)

Rating:

Summary: I love me some Jampong! There should be a warning though. This soup is very spicy. Also, it has a really strong seafood smell to it. So if you aren't a fan of spicy foods or fishy smells, I don't recommend this soup. I found out about this spot during a random lunch trip to Lotte for groceries. Come to find out they got a pretty damn good food court there. You can find this particular soup at Shanghai, which is their Chinese influenced dishes. There is a cheaper version of Jampong there. I believe it is $8.95, but it doesn't come with as much seafood. At first I was a little pissed that this noodle soup broke the $10 mark, but as sooon as I saw the quantity and variety of seafood loaded in here, my stomach was more than happy. The noodles were nice and thick wheat noodles. They were a little squarish again. I guess its a Korean thing. So again spicy, seafood lovers...this soup is for you!

Curry Udon

Type of Noodle: Thick Wheat Flour

What's in it: Mixed Vegetables, Chicken, Naruto, Hard-boiled Egg

Price: $8.50

Where to Find It: Matsu Sushi (Centreville, VA)

Rating:

Summary: The first time I had Curry Udon was when I went to Kyoto this past spring. It was absolutely amazing. Ever since, I've been trying to find a decent Curry Udon in the DMV area. I discovered they had this wonderful soup at Matsu Sushi in Centreville. Although I was skeptical because Matsu Sushi is run by Koreans, I was surprised that it was quite delicious. The broth was very tasty and all the ingredients were well balanced. My only beef with their soup was the quality of the udon noodles. Not that they were bad or anything, but instead of perfectly rounded noodles, they had squared off edges. This indicates to me that they may have bought these things at Lotte or H-Mart. Not hating on Koreans at all, but literally with the noodles, they were cutting corners! Still try this soup for the overall flavor. You won't be disappointed.

Roast Pig, Roast Duck, Wonton Noodle Soup

Type of Noodle: Egg

What's in it: Roast Pig, Roast Duck, Wonton

Price: $7.95

Where to Find It: Mark's Duck House (Falls Church, VA)

Rating:

Summary: I absolutely love noodle soups from Mark's Duck House. They make pretty damn authentic Hong Kong style noodle soups. This particular combination has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. My parents used to love going to Mark's Duck House even in it's days in the Eden Center. You can get each of the goodies in their own noodle soup, but getting them all in one soup solves the problem of deciding which one you want to go with. Typically I like adding the hot pepper oil and just a dash of vinegar to the soup. My only suggestion is that they invest in bigger bowls. It's so full of goodies it can get messy until your soup level gets lower. Try this soup ASAP!