Don't get us wrong, we do love our pho - whether it's in its or a you just can't beat silky rice noodles steeped in a rich beef broth. But that doesn't mean we forget about the other amazing rice noodle dishes around the world, either!
The secret to the success of this Malaysian dish is to incorporate the smoky flavour of the wok into the rice noodles. Make sure you've got all your ingredients ready to go, then heat your wok over a roaring flame and go for your life!
Penang char kway eow Source: Alan Benson
There are many versions of this Burmese dish that is, at its heart, really quite simple and features an intriguing combo of tomatoes, chicken, aromatics, fish sauce and peanuts. If you like, you could poach a whole chicken in chicken stock, shred the meat and add that to the sauce at the end of cooking to heat through, instead of using thigh fillets. With that option, you then have a delicious chicken stock, which you can serve with the noodle dish to the side. Win-win!
Shan noodles
Pancit palabok combines the quintessential flavours of the Philippines in one succulent stir-fried seafood and noodle dish. Here, the addition of tsitsaron (crisp fried pork rinds) adds a wonderful flavour and texture and tells of the Spanish influence on the cuisine.
Rice noodles with prawns (pancit palabok) Source: SBS Food
With dark tones and earthy notes, this is a simple, yet impressive, mid-week meal that you’d pay handsomely for in a restaurant. Use any kind of fresh mushrooms and, if cooking for vegetarians, simply omit the pork.
Black sesame rice noodles with pork and pickled mushrooms. Source: Benito Martin
A long ingredients list goes some way to explaining the sweet, sour and salty notes of this complex noodle soup, one of the national dishes of Myanmar. It typically includes banana stem, but we’ve used banana blossom.
Burmese fish noodle soup (mohinga) Source: Chris Chen
Is the peanutty soup in this recipe the original satay sauce? Hailing from the Fujian city of Xiamen, and meaning ‘sand tea’ in translation, the flavours in this seafood-and-spice-packed noodle dish certainly bear similarities to its distant Malaysian cousin. Which makes sense when you consider many of the Chinese migrants to Malaysia historically came from Fujian province. Either way, we're just obsessed with wide rice noodles coated in the nutty sauce!
Sa cha noodles Source: Sharyn Cairns
Thick with flaked fish, this sweet and sour take on laksa uses tamarind and pineapple to create a moreish soup that'll keep you coming back. Don't forget the prawn molasses - it adds a rich authentic sweetness to your laksa!
Asam laksa Source: Chris Chen
Thukpa is a popular soup in the northern Himalayan region of Nepal. Fragrant, hearty and simple to prepare, this satisfying soup recipe is an easy midweek winter warmer.
And of course...not forgetting the desserts!
Nepalese chicken noodle soup (thukpa) Source: Alan Benson
This tasty dessert showcases a little-known side to vermicelli and is enjoyed throughout South Asia during celebrations including Diwali and Eid al-Fitr. It features some flavours we know from rice pudding but with an all-new texture thanks to the light and stringy rice noodles.
Sweet vermicelli (seviyan)
This creamy Pakistani vermicelli pudding, sweetened with dates and raisins, is a popular breakfast and dessert option for Muslims during Eid al-Fitr.
Shir khurma
Featuring orange-blossom water, rice vermicelli and pomegranate seeds, the contrasting textures and flavours make faloodeh a unique frozen treat. This refreshing, dairy-free dessert is synonymous with the Iranian city of Shiraz, where it may be coloured yellow with saffron.
Have we got your attention and your tastebuds? airs every weeknight at 6pm on SBS followed by an encore screening at 9.30pm on SBS Food Network. Episodes will be available after broadcast via . Join the conversation #TheChefsLine on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter . Check out for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more!
Faloodeh
