I stopped in Hallmark the other day, but after a fruitless search, I couldn’t find a card to send my favorite chef for National Noodle Month.



I believe the noodle deserves a month of celebration. Where would I be without the noodle (no pun intended, sicko).



Most foodies know that noodles originated in the Far East, not Italy. In fact, during an excavation along the Yellow River in Qinghai, China a few years ago, researchers found a 4,000-year-old noodle made from foxtail millet and broomcorn millet — the oldest noodle found to date. The discovery proves that noodles are timeless. They satiate. They are fun to slurp.

Noodle love

I wrote last year about a change in the food landscape. An addition to the menu that brings our area a little closer to the big city dining those in New York and Los Angeles enjoy — the ramen.



For years I’ve watched through the window at other cities landing Asian noodle houses, and more specifically, ramen. We’ve had yaki soba and pho here for years, but traditional Japanese ramen remained a no-show. Then, on a chance visit to Koto, a teriyaki joint in Lakewood, I discovered chicken and beef ramen a la extraordinaire — the only place I KNOW offering the noodles. 



It’s the best place to celebrate National Noodle Month. I did on Tuesday.



It may sound trivial to those OK with Top Ramen, but this discovery marks a significant development — at least for me. True ramen — well-crafted noodles and meat steaming hot with sliced vegetables is the lunch of champions. Koto (5700 100th St.) serves a large bowl with flavorful, hearty broth piled high with noodles, chicken, egg, mushrooms, and green onions — the ultimate chicken noodle soup.



Don’t get me wrong, I love Top Ramen too — but Koto is better. Still, if you can’t part with the freeze dried, tightly packaged, off the shelf variety, celebrate the month at nissinfoods.com — where the manufacturer features recipes for their fans. Or try fan sites dedicated to Top Ramen, like ramenlicious.com or mattfischer. com/ramen. Fischer even provides the recipe for a Cajun hangover ramen that may come in handy.

Noodleicious

The Oriental Noodle & Grill (1620 S. Mildred, Tacoma) opened in late September and while it neglects the ramen, I love the fact that in one place I may purchase everything else — pho, soba, etc. The upscale interior creates nice ambiance, and the large menu features just about every whim.



Other noodles I adore:



Mangano’s Ristorante (9323 Martin Way, Lacey), which took the place of A Little Bit of Europe, serves a spaghetti and clam sauce that rocks the boat. The noodles are al dente — firm and sturdy but refreshingly flavorful. The serving portion exceeds the average appetite, and the clam sauce is savory and mild. 



Maresol Restaurant (10505 Bridgeport Way S.W., Lakewood) offers outstanding Filipino cuisine buffet style inside cramped quarters. Typically, a noodle dish, such as Pansit takes a place in the line — always excellent.



DeCaterina’s Market Grill and Bar (328 S. Meridian, Puyallup) knows ravioli. When their crab ravioli hits the menu, grab it. I’ve indulged twice and both times the crab tasted sweet and fresh inside puffy noodles perfectly firm.



Old Spaghetti Factory (1735 S. Jefferson, Tacoma). OK, a bit cheesy, I know, but there’s something about the way their meat sauce flavor satiates a memory button in my brain creating overwhelming feelings of nostalgia that I like, so I keep going back despite the no reservation policy and sometimes crappy service.



Finally, if noodles scare you because they carry a “fattening” label, you can always celebrate noodle month at this site: 9thtee.com/pooltoys.htm.