Asian food has exploded in popularity over the last decade and food-trend forecasters are predicting interest in this diverse cuisine will continue to grow.
Noodles, the main ingredient in Asian cuisine, have hit the Baltimore area in a big way recently, with several restaurants designing their menus to showcase the affordable, healthful food.
In places such as Manhattan, San Francisco and Honolulu, noodles have for the past few years been the trendy fast food, served in bowls of broth with a smidgen of meat or a pile of fresh vegetables. Who says fast food has to be artery clogging?
In Manhattan, noodle shops are the latest thing for harried New Yorkers, who can dash into a shop, pick out a noodle, pick out a topping and be on their way for less than $5. "Such a deal" has been rewarded. Noodle shops seem to be opening everywhere in the city.
In Baltimore, the proprietors of Tenosix in Federal Hill, Suzie's Soba in the Belvedere Hotel and Hoang's Sushi and Noodle Cafe on York Road in Towson all are capitalizing on the noodle trend.
Asian noodles are made from rice flour, wheat flour, wheat flour with egg, mung bean flour and buckwheat flour. The Chinese refer to noodles as "mein," the word that forms the basis for popular dishes such as chow mein or lo-mein. The Japanese call their thin buckwheat noodles soba, and their thick wheat-flour noodles are called udon. The Philippines are home to wheat noodles and rice vermicelli, called pancit Canton and pancit hTC Bihon, respectively. The Korean term for noodle is generally gougsou, although they make many different kinds.
In much of Southeast Asia, noodles are served at almost every meal.
"Millions of Vietnamese eat the pho [a dish of rice noodles, broth, meat and vegetables] every morning, because it is very easy to digest," says Nghia Hoang, who with his wife, Phuong, is co-owner of the new Noodle Cafe on York Road. The couple also owns Hoang Oriental Seafood Grill in Mount Washington.
"I'm bringing a new dish to Americans," says Hoang. "It is very good for Americans' health." He envisions Americans becoming as enamored with his national dish as he is. He equates the popularity of noodles in Asia to the popularity of pizza here.
