This old school, no-frills shop in Thai Town may be known for their boat noodle soups (no, not for their coffee), but we return time and again for the jade noodles. A typical street food in Thailand, ba mee yok are thin egg noodles dyed green with spinach and then served with BBQ pork, roast duck and shredded crab meat. Give the noodles, ground peanuts, chili powder and sprinkle of sugar a good mix, and be sure to add a squeeze of lime to further brighten up the flavors.

The newly opened Kodo is a modern izakaya in the Arts District known for great sushi and robata – but don’t overlook the “shime” section of the menu, which means the last dish to finish a meal. This is made up of rice and noodle dishes, and we recommend the sesame somen. Perfect for people who love the nutty flavors of sesame, these thin noodles are topped with slices of raw hiramasa sashimi and tomatoes, then covered in a sauce made with sesame paste and dashi. Savory, but still light.

As the name suggests, Sulga touts their delicious, warming beef bone soup. Sulga adds a California touch to its dishes – for one, the addition of beets makes its cold noodles pink. On warmer days, you’ll find bowls of these being gobbled down by diners, most of whom are chatting away in Korean. These noodles are made with wild yam (which creates a bouncy texture) and served in a brisket broth with dongchimi brine made from radish and beets. It’s then garnished with slices of radish and pear.

When Simpang Asia first opened in 2002, it was a small grocery store in Palms selling Indonesian products. Now a restaurant, its menu showcases traditional and new influences on Indonesian cuisine, like Chinese-Indonesian staples such as kwetiaw goreng (stir fried flat rice noodles). Then there’s vintage Indonesian fried street noodles like Mie Tek Tek, or garlic noodles in multiple varieties, as well as Laksa, a curry noodle soup brimming with seafood.

When talking about Korean cold noodles or naengmyeon in LA, YuChun will always comes up. It’s a casual and traditional eatery that could be found on the streets of Korea. Though busy, service is brisk, and you can grab water and warm broth at the self-serve counter. Yu Chun’s chic mul naengmyeon noodles are dark and chewy and sit in an icy cold and tangy broth. Topping the stainless steel bowl are cucumber, radish, a couple slices of beef and half of a hard-boiled egg.

You may think that Omakase by Osen is all about the grilled meats and the A5 wagyu, but the restaurant actually offers a very refreshing lime somen. This somen is served in a cold, light dashi and tsuyu broth with lime slices, onion, ginger and wasabi (bonus: it’s vegetarian). There are quite a few lime slices in the bowl, but the sour flavor from the citrus is nicely balanced by the savory broth. It’s a great palate cleanser in between all the grilled meats, or you can have it a la carte for a

A small strip-mall joint with only a handful of tables, Northern Thai Food Club in Thai Town is often lauded as having the best khao soi in Los Angeles, and we tend to agree. It has an especially creamy coconut milk broth with deep flavors. The yellow curry noodle soup is topped with a large, braised chicken leg with meat so tender you can easily tackle it with your chopsticks. This family-run spot also offers very affordable prices.

Stepping into Otomisan in Boyle Heights, once home to a large Japanese community, feels like a step back in time. Here was one of the few places Japanese-Americans were allowed to live in LA after World War II, when they were released from the U.S. internment camps. Otomisan is a cozy diner with just three red booths to the right of the entrance, and a counter with five stools. Though known for the tempura, the menu is quite diverse, with pork katsu curry, oyakodon, and udon noodles.