Noodles are one of the few foods nearly every kitchen on earth has an opinion about. A bowl can take two days of stock or four minutes and a packet, and both have a place at the table.
So the first question is how much work you want to do. This guide gives seven books from named authors and established publishers, and says which of them rest on a named review and which on the publisher’s details.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a cookbook, the Amazon listing, publisher and author information and published reviews, which we name where we use them.
Quick verdict: the best noodle cookbook to start with
For most home cooks, start with Milk Street Noodles, with 125 recipes from around the world and a warm Publishers Weekly review. For Asian noodles shaped by hand, choose Brendan Pang’s This Is a Book About Noodles. To learn ramen in pictures, choose Let’s Make Ramen!.
The other four cover a playful blog book, a chef’s memoir, easy packet dinners and a compact Asian survey.
Five noodle books side by side
Five of the seven, one for each kind of cook. All seven are described in full below.
| Cookbook | Best for | Recipes | Length | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Milk Street Noodles, Christopher KimballBest overall
|
Noodles from everywhere | 125 | 304 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
This Is a Book About Noodles, Brendan PangBest for Asian noodles
|
Asian noodles from scratch | 60+ | 168 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
| Browsing and fun | 75 | 272 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon | |
Let’s Make Ramen!, Hugh Amano and Sarah BecanBest for learning ramen
|
Learning ramen in pictures | More than 40 | 192 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
Instant Noodles and Beyond, Robin HaBest for easy dinners
|
Easy packet dinners | More than 90 | 176 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
Cover images from Amazon. Page counts and formats are from the Amazon listings for the editions linked. Recipe counts are from the publisher’s copy.
Our picks for the best noodle cookbook, one by one
All seven were in stock, in print and new, and sold by Amazon when we checked. We have not cooked from these books; where we describe a strength, we say whose view it is.
1. Milk Street Noodles, Christopher Kimball – 125 Recipes, Worldwide
If you want one book that treats the noodle as a global subject, this is the one. Milk Street’s publisher describes 125 recipes from around the world, including pasta, ramen, spaetzle, lo mein and udon, along with quick weeknight meals, cold salads, soups, dumplings, baked casseroles and guides for making noodles from scratch.
Publishers Weekly, in its February 2023 review, wrote: “With handy tips and practical indexing, this welcome compendium does not disappoint.” Publisher copy also quotes Florence Fabricant of the New York Times calling it “in-depth and well-photographed.” We read that second line through the publisher.
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street is a Boston-based company with a TV show, a magazine, a radio show and a cooking school, according to the publisher. The title promises a spread from fettuccine Alfredo to pad Thai to miso ramen, so expect less depth on any one tradition than a specialist would give.
Why we like it
- 125 recipes, per the publisher
- Reviewed warmly by Publishers Weekly
- Covers pasta and Asian noodles together
- Scratch noodle guides included
Key specifications
| Author | Christopher Kimball |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2023 |
| Pages | 304 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 125 |
| Focus | Noodles from around the world |
| Best for | Curious weeknight cooks |
Why we recommend it
If your household eats noodles several nights a week and you want variety in one book, buy this. It is the safest first choice on the page.
Skip it if you want to study one tradition closely. It is a survey by design.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong PW review
- Very wide range
- Weeknight focus
Cons
- Not a specialist in any one cuisine
- Team-driven brand book
2. This Is a Book About Noodles, Brendan Pang – Hand-Shaped and Asian-Led
Brendan Pang appeared on two seasons of MasterChef Australia and created the dumpling kitchen Bumplings in Perth, according to his publisher. This book has 60-plus noodle dishes focused on Asian cuisine, with sauces and step-by-step guides to shaping homemade noodles from dough.
The copy names traditional family dishes such as Long Life Noodles and Grandmère’s Chicken Vermicelli, and modern recipes such as Spicy Chicken Tan Tan Ramen, Super-Speedy Garlic Noodles and Peanut Rice Noodle Rolls. It says there are options for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans.
We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN, and the praise in the copy comes from people who know him, including MasterChef host Melissa Leong. This pick rests on the publisher’s and author’s details.
Why we like it
- 60-plus noodle dishes, per the publisher
- Shaping guides included
- Meat, vegetarian and vegan recipes
- Family recipes alongside modern ones
Key specifications
| Author | Brendan Pang |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Page Street |
| Year | 2022 |
| Pages | 168 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 60+ |
| Focus | Asian noodles, shaping, sauces |
| Best for | Scratch cooks |
Why we recommend it
If you want to make noodles by hand and mostly cook Asian flavors, this is the most direct book here.
Skip it if you want Italian noodles too. Milk Street and That Noodle Life cover those.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Hand-shaped noodle guides
- Family recipes
- Vegetarian options
Cons
- No named review in our sources
- Fewer recipes than Milk Street
3. That Noodle Life, Mike Le and Stephanie Le – Playful, With a Caveat
Stephanie and Mike Le are the creators of the award-winning blog i am a food blog, according to their publisher, and this book has their playful tone. It offers 75 recipes inspired by Asian, Italian and American melting-pot cooking, from a savory Sunday sauce with tagliatelle to spicy sesame chili oil noodles, plus a lasagna bracket competition.
Publishers Weekly’s November 2021 review is the honest counterweight here. It calls this a “charming if scattered collection” and says “much sifting is required to slurp up the goods in this one,” because the layout makes recipes hard to find.
Publisher copy quotes The Washington Post calling it “a love letter to noodles,” which we read through the publisher. Take both views into account. If you browse for fun, the layout may delight you. If you cook from a plan, it may annoy you.
Why we like it
- 75 recipes, per the publisher
- Instant ramen upgrades included
- Pasta from scratch included
- Reviewed by Publishers Weekly
Key specifications
| Author | Mike Le, Stephanie Le |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Workman |
| Year | 2022 |
| Pages | 272 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 75 |
| Focus | Comfort noodles of all kinds |
| Best for | Blog fans |
Why we recommend it
If you enjoy cookbooks with jokes, games and a strong personality, and you browse more than you plan, this will keep you entertained.
Skip it if you want to find a recipe in a hurry. PW found the layout confusing.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong personality
- Wide range of comfort noodles
- Quick weeknight ideas
Cons
- Scattered layout, says PW
- Mixed review
4. Let’s Make Ramen!, Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan – A Comic Book That Teaches
Ramen has many moving parts, and a comic turns out to be a clever way to show them. Chef Hugh Amano and artist Sarah Becan cover the history of ramen, tares, broths, noodles and toppings, with more than 40 recipes, according to the publisher. It separates weeknight shortcuts from weekend project stocks and covers homemade noodles.
Publishers Weekly, in May 2019, called it a “fun and accessible graphic guide” that “will thrill ramen aficionados.” Publisher copy adds a line from Ivan Orkin, whose own book is also on this page, saying it lays out how to make ramen in an accessible way. We read Orkin’s line through the publisher.
Pictures also make an honest teacher here, since you see what each stage should look like. Readers who dislike comics may want the plainer treatment elsewhere, but that is a question of taste.
Why we like it
- More than 40 recipes, per the publisher
- Illustrated step by step
- Weeknight and weekend options
- Warm Publishers Weekly review
Key specifications
| Author | Hugh Amano, Sarah Becan |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Ten Speed Press |
| Year | 2019 |
| Pages | 192 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | More than 40 |
| Focus | Ramen, told as a comic |
| Best for | Visual learners |
Why we recommend it
If you learn by seeing, or you want a way into ramen that a teenager would also enjoy, this is the one to get.
Skip it if you want many kinds of noodle. It is about ramen.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Warm PW review
- Clear visual teaching
- Weeknight shortcuts
Cons
- One noodle family only
- Comic format is not for everyone
5. Ivan Ramen, Ivan Orkin with Chris Ying – A Chef’s Story and His Soup
This is a story first. Publishers Weekly, in July 2013, called it “one part compelling autobiography and one part cookbook,” and it enjoyed David Chang’s foreword. Ivan Orkin is a native New Yorker who spent 13 years in Japan and opened Ivan Ramen in Tokyo, according to his publisher.
The publisher says the book features 44 recipes, including the complete recipe for his signature Shio Ramen, along with master recipes for basic ramen types and variations. PW describes the rest as a handful of additional recipes, so do not buy this for volume. Publisher copy also quotes Anthony Bourdain: “What Ivan Orkin does not know about noodles is not worth knowing.” We read that through the publisher.
His later book The Gaijin Cookbook is on our Japanese cookbook page. This one stays with ramen.
Why we like it
- 44 recipes, per the publisher
- Full shio ramen recipe
- Part memoir, per PW
- Praise from Anthony Bourdain, via the publisher
Key specifications
| Author | Ivan Orkin, Chris Ying |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Ten Speed Press |
| Year | 2013 |
| Pages | 224 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 44 |
| Focus | One chef’s ramen and life story |
| Best for | Serious ramen fans |
Why we recommend it
If you want to understand why a person would give years of their life to a bowl of soup, and then try to make that bowl, buy this.
Skip it if you want quick dinners. The publisher’s detailed signature recipe suggests a real project.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Great story, says PW
- Full signature recipe
- Respected chef
Cons
- Few recipes beyond ramen
- Long project cooking
6. Instant Noodles and Beyond, Robin Ha – Upgrading the Packet
Not every noodle needs to start with flour and a rolling pin. Robin Ha, the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Cook Korean!, per her publisher, built this comic book around what you can do with a packet: more than 90 creative and easy recipes using Japanese ramen, Korean ramyeon, Southeast Asian noodles and mac and cheese.
The copy names basics such as kimchi, pickled radish, chili oil and a marinated egg, then transformations including kimchi jjigae, carbonara, pozole, mapo tofu and okonomiyaki. It even goes as far as instant noodle French fries and rice crispy treats, which tells you about the tone.
It is brand new, from August 2026 on the listing. We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN, and the praise in the copy is about her earlier book, so this pick rests on the publisher’s and author’s details.
Why we like it
- More than 90 recipes, per the publisher
- Illustrated in comic form
- Starts with shelf-stable noodles
- A noodle pozole among the ideas
Key specifications
| Author | Robin Ha |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Harvest |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 176 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | More than 90 |
| Focus | Instant ramen and mac and cheese |
| Best for | Students, busy cooks |
Why we recommend it
If you cook in a small kitchen or a dorm, or you just like a quick bowl after work, this gets the most out of the least effort.
Skip it if you want scratch cooking. Packets are the point.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very easy recipes
- Fun comic format
- Uses cheap staples
Cons
- New, with no reviews we could read
- Not for noodle purists
7. Asian Noodles, Maki Watanabe – Five Countries in 96 Pages
This is the smallest book on the page, and its title does most of the explaining: 86 classic recipes from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Korea and Japan, from Tuttle Publishing, a press with several Asian food titles in our search. At 96 pages on the listing, that is a lot of dishes in very little space, so expect each recipe to be brief.
We want to be plain about the evidence. We could not open a publisher’s description for this book, and Publishers Weekly’s page for it says it has not been reviewed. So we can’t tell you about the author’s background or name specific dishes, and this pick rests only on the Amazon listing and the title.
It is here because it fits a real need: a low-commitment way to cook across several Asian noodle traditions, without buying a large book for each. Look through a sample if you can before you buy.
Why we like it
- 86 recipes, per the title
- Five national traditions
- Very short paperback
- Published by Tuttle
Key specifications
| Author | Maki Watanabe |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Tuttle Publishing |
| Year | 2019 |
| Pages | 96 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 86 |
| Focus | Vietnam, Thailand, China, Korea, Japan |
| Best for | A compact Asian survey |
Why we recommend it
If you want a slim way into several noodle traditions, and you do not need long explanations, this fits the bill.
Skip it if you want to know who wrote your cookbook before buying. We could not find out much about the author.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Wide range for its size
- Compact
- Named recipe count
Cons
- Very little information to go on
- No named review in our sources
- Short recipes are likely
How to choose an Asian noodles book
Five questions will narrow this list quickly.
- Do you want to make the noodles? Pang and Milk Street both give scratch guides. For Italian-style doughs, our pasta cookbook guide goes deeper.
- Asian noodles, or noodles of all kinds? Pang is the Asian-led book here, and Amano and Orkin stick to ramen. Milk Street and the Les cross over to pasta, and Watanabe covers five Asian countries in a short book.
- Is the broth the point? If you love a long stock, Orkin and Amano are the books to read. Our soup cookbook guide also covers pho and ramen titles.
- How much time do you have? Packet dinners take minutes. Scratch ramen is a project for a day off. Ha is the quick end of this list.
- What is in your kitchen? A wide pot and good tongs carry most of it. If you stir-fry noodles, our best wok guide covers that pan.
How we chose these noodle cookbooks
We searched Amazon’s book listings first and kept print editions from named authors at established publishers, plain in stock with a new lead offer. We left out every title already on our other book pages, so The Wok, Japanese Soul Cooking, The Pho Cookbook and Homemade Ramen are not repeated here. Author, year, format and page count come from the Amazon listing. Recipe counts and descriptions come from the publisher’s copy, in some cases as carried by booksellers, unless we credit someone else.
Here is what stands behind each pick. Milk Street Noodles, That Noodle Life, Let’s Make Ramen! and Ivan Ramen have Publishers Weekly reviews that we read ourselves. This Is a Book About Noodles and Instant Noodles and Beyond rest on the publisher’s and authors’ details. Asian Noodles rests on the Amazon listing alone. We found no Publishers Weekly review at those three ISBNs, which does not mean none exists anywhere. We dropped one candidate, Noodle Worship, when it went out of plain stock during our final check.
Noodle cookbook questions, answered
What is the best Asian noodles book?
This Is a Book About Noodles if you want to shape the noodles too, and Let’s Make Ramen! if your interest is ramen.
What is the best noodle book for beginners?
Instant Noodles and Beyond starts from a packet, and Let’s Make Ramen! teaches in pictures.
Do these books include pasta?
Milk Street Noodles and That Noodle Life do. For a whole book on it, use our best pasta cookbook guide.
Do I need a pasta machine?
Not to use most of these. If you get serious about scratch noodles, a machine can help, but Pang’s publisher describes shaping guides from dough, so start there.
Are the recipes hard to shop for?
That depends on the book. Ha starts from shelf-stable packets. Asian-led books are likely to need a trip to a specialty store for some items, so check before you buy.
Which noodle cookbook should you buy first?
Buy Milk Street Noodles if you want one wide book. Choose Pang for shaping by hand, Amano and Becan for ramen in pictures and Orkin for the story. If you want more books built around the pan, go to our best wok cookbook guide.
Related guide: Best ramen cookbook.
And if you would rather let someone else cook tonight, see the menu or call to order.