Pho, Ramen or Soba?

P ersonally, the thoughts of having to choose only one of these three delectable options gives me heart palpitations. That said, you can’t always order three dishes for every meal (or can you..?), so it pays to know what you’re getting in your bowl. Here, we compare pho, ramen and soba noodle dishes to help you with your culinary choices! Both ramen and soba have their origins in Japan. Ramen is actually a Chinese-style wheat noodle generally served in a meat-based broth, though occasionally you will find fish-based broths served also. Toppings are included ranging from sliced pork to dried seaweed. Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat and are typically thin noodles and are, you guessed it, made from buckwheat! That said, sometimes a hybrid soba is made using both buckwheat and wheat flours. Their counterpart is the thicker wheat noodles, udon. Soba noodles are sometimes served chilled with a dipping sauce but more often in a hot broth, like ramen. Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’) is one of the most popular street food dishes in Vietnam though its exact origins within the country are vague. It is generally agreed though that the broth & rice noodle dish started its life in northern Vietnam in the early 20^th century. There are different styles of Pho using either beef or chicken (phở bò and phở gà respectively) and some use thicker or thinner noodles. Typically, Pho has a slightly sweeter broth than either soba or ramen and spice levels in Pho tend to be a little higher as well. In our humble opinion though, you’re not going to be sorry ordering and devouring any of these dishes. Happy eating!