That Noodle Life: Soulful, Savory, Spicy, Slurpy

by Mike Le, Stephanie Le

Oh, noodles! You’re so much fun. You’re so beloved! All your magical shapes, flavours, and textures. But no one obsesses over you quite like Mike Le and Stephanie Le, the husband-and-wife team who are superstars in the food blog world.

Their humbly named iamafoodblog boasts 186,000 followers on Instagram and receives 500,000 page views each month—and in it they profess their undying love for noodles in the most delicious, clever, and visually striking ways.

That Noodle Life is their 75-recipe celebration of the myriad pleasures of noodles. And let’s just say it goes way beyond spaghetti and ramen. Inspired by the noodle- and macaroni-crazed cuisines of Asia, Italy, and the global melting pot, they dish up the high-impact, soulful, slurpable flavour with minimal fuss. Gorgeous full-colour photographs of every dish enhance the lively and sophisticated spreads.

Dig into comfort noodles: Really Savory Sunday Sauce with Tagliatelle and French Onion Mac and Cheese. Quick weeknight noodles: Flash-Fried Ribeye with Crispy Chow Mein and Stay in Tonight Sesame Chili Oil Noodles—faster than takeout and far better. Sexy Date Night Noodles: Double Lobster Chitarra, Miso Clam Linguine, Bone Marrow and Beef Brisket Pho. And how to upgrade instant noodles to make them shine, recipes for making noodles from scratch, notes on essential ingredients, and noodle etiquette, including how to use a ramen vending machine in Japan. Plus, who wouldn’t want to participate in the Lasagna Bracket Competition?

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Asian Literature

272 pages, Hardcover

Published March 22, 2022

Reviews

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all noodles. I’d eat them every day if I could (and there was a time that I did, and I blamed it on pregnancy cravings, but here I am 8 years later wishing I had still had an excuse).
That Noodle Life is a 75 recipe love letter to the incredible noodle from the global melting pot of pasta-obsessed cuisines and most have a striking photo to make you drool! Comfort food, convenient weeknight meals, and some incredible from-scratch recipes make this a must for noodle lovers looking for creative meals and pro tips on ingredients.
Thanks to Workman Publishing Company and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. That Noodle Life is scheduled for release on April 12, 2022.

For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ A Vibrant and Fun Cookbook!

I was very excited when I came across That Noodle Life Cookbook, as I love Noodles and have always been keen to experiment more.
Well I can definitely say this book has inspired me.
There is so many recipes I've never heard of before including some of the ingredients.
So I'll be needing to do some research first.

The ingredients are in cups, spoons and ounces which you may find you need to do some conversions to get the right metric system for you.
What I loved was how much thought has gone into creating this Cookbook, the added details such as making your own Noodles, guides to different Noodles including visual pictures, information about fresh, dry & frozen Noodles all adds to the experience.


This Scrumptious Book is full of delicious recipes made up by the following chapters:
* Comfort Noodles, * Easy Weekend Noodles, * For Date Night and Other Fancy Times, * Party and Potluck Noodles, * Noodles to Soothe Your Soul, * Layers on Layers of Lasagne, * Noodles Worth the Extra Effort..... So as you can see plenty of exciting inspiration to sink your teeth into!

That Noodle Life is vibrant, eye catching and has plenty of mouth-watering illustrations.
It would make a wonderful gift for someone who either loves cooking, is a foodie, collects cookbooks, or absolutely loves all things Noodles...then this book is 100% the Cookbook for you!


Thank you to Workman Publishing Company and Netgalley for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
===
As a BIG noodle fan, this cover and title immediately caught my eye and I was super excited to receive an ARC! Though there is definitely some variety/inclusion of Italian-style and other noodles, I would definitely say the focus here is on a wide variety of Asian noodles, which had honestly been my expectation and hope, as those are the noodle recipes I'm least familiar with making at home and the most excited to try!

I really enjoyed the sections and how the recipes were laid out, with helpful tips and suggestions to change things up in the margins of each recipe. The photos and graphic design is gorgeous, and they had several cool graphic layouts breaking down things like making wok noodles or your own noodle bowl or gussying up ramen that was less a precise recipe and more guidance on how to approach building these noodle meals and tailoring them to your tastes/what you've got around. While I'm personally more of a fan of exact recipes, I could very much appreciate their function and thought it was cool to include a good balance of both.

At the end there's a breakdown of ingredients and equipment which I thought was super helpful, especially as there were definitely some ingredients that I've not used before. I thought it was all broken down in a way that was super clear and easy to understand, but didn't at all feel condescending. I've got a LOT of noodle recipes bookmarked and am super excited to make them all!

I honestly think this is a book I'll end up buying a hard-copy of when it comes out, which is rare for me to say if I have an ARC! But the book is beautiful and the digital copy does have a bit of formatting weirdness that I know is just a function of it being a digital/advance copy.

If you're a noodle fan, I definitely recommend!

Recipes I've Made:
Green Onion Oil Chow Mein - quick and easy to make, and a tasty side!
Wok Noodles - this was a fun recipe as it was sort of a choose-your-own-adventure approach to wok noodles. I did find myself wishing for a *bit* more specificity in terms of cooking the optional add-ins, and the sauce needed a bit more volume/salt for my personal preference, though that might have been due to the amount of ingredients I added!

[Cassandra Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a joy to noodle over! Pardon the pun. This books is vibrant, full of great recipes, and visually fun. We are a noodle-loving house and I’m always looking for more recipes, these fit the bill and more. It would also make a wonderful gift!!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. A cookbook that is all about noodles should be a book I love. Noodles are THE BEST. But sadly, I didn’t love this book. I do like it though, and copied many recipes to keep on hand when my library demanded I give the book back. Mike and Stephanie Le are the creators of iamafoodblog and have written a cookbook that is a love letter to all things noodle. There are deep dives on certain noodle dishes that are instructive as well as instructional.

This is a very visual book and it made me hungry – which is always a good sign with a cookbook. Stephanie Le’s beautiful photography is a strong presence and matched with fun, vibrant colors and a friendly voice that makes you feel empowered to cook. But like my time with Stephanie Le’s first cookbook Easy Gourmet the recipes looked delicious there were still a couple of boundaries to me jumping right in. The first is that some of these recipes are a little fancier than I traditionally cook or eat and while the authors make adapting recipes easy by writing the cookbook in a way that encourages adaptation and playing with your food, I will need to do some serious planning in order to tweak the recipes to my skill level and the equipment I have on hand. The other problem is that even though I live in the suburban megalopolis of New Jersey I am still over a half hour away from as Asian market that would allow me to purchase some of the ingredients I will need – which is a reality that isn’t particularly dealt with by the authors who assume that all the specialty ingredients, Asian or otherwise, or easily and affordably available without getting into how or where to source them.

full review: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 1 out of 5]

honestly
a. buy one book on italian cookery
b. buy some book(s) on chinese/japanese/vietnamese/asian cookery

and you don't need 97% of this book

---

the most interesting things
i can dredge up out of this odd little book

Really pretty soba with cucumber and avocado

dashi - Japanese soy sauce - mirin
bonito flakes - soba noodles - cucumbers
avocado - green onion

Steak and heirloom tomato noodle salad

beef rib-eye - oil - rice vinegar
toasted sesame oil - fish sauce - wide rice noodles
heirloom tomatoes - radishes - cucumber - mint

Chinese Bolognese pappardelle

oil - shallots - garlic
ground pork - sweet bean sauce - Chinese ground bean sauce
sweet soy sauce - pappardelle pasta

Roasted bone marrow and beef brisket pho

beef marrow bones - fresh ginger - yellow onion
beef brisket - cinnamon sticks - whole cloves
whole star anise - fish sauce - pho noodles
Thai basil - mung bean sprouts - limes
jalapenos - green onion

---

it's just a random book of pasta/noodle recipes
and i can't see someone buying the book unless it was dirt cheap
or you browse it and totally fall in love with three recipes in it

a third of the book seems to have okay recipes, but if you have one good book on italian or one style of asian cooking, it really makes much of the book not all that useful.

If you wanted one and only one asian noodle book, and never wanted to buy an italian cookbook ever, well maybe that is the 'niche market' for this book.

if such a thing exists

[Gabriella Crivilare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Workman Publishing, the authors, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on April 12, 2022.

I’m a big, big pasta and noodle lover, so when I saw that this book was available to request for review, I jumped at the opportunity; I’ve been anticipating its release for quite a while. Bear with me, though: I don’t really know what the best way to review a cookbook is, and it’s been a while since I had a look at the advance copy.

This cookbook had a great range of recipes, and I did select a few to test out, back when I originally downloaded it in September. These were the FOMO French Onion Mac and Cheese, the Secret Ingredient Noodles, and the House Special Beef Pho. Of those, the Secret Ingredient Noodles were hands down my favorite; I’ve made them twice, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. They are beyond perfect in all their garlic-y and buttery glory. (I will say that the formatting did make it a bit difficult to read, but I managed. I imagine that this problem will not be present in the physical version!) There are also several dishes I wrote down so I can try them out at a later date, once I get my hands on a copy, including the Let’s Taco Bout Noodles.

The introduction is also fairly informative, discussing how important noodles are to the authors, and gives an overview of noodle shapes, important steps in the cooking process, and other best practices. I do think that some of the ingredients will be difficult to find for those in small towns, but with the internet I don’t think that’s as much of a barrier as it could be otherwise.

This is a worthwhile addition to the pasta/noodle-only cookbooks out there, as it isn’t limited to one region’s cuisine, and it’s clear that the authors have put in the work in order to make the humble and beloved noodle shine.

[Jifu · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

I just love the rich variety of recipes that pack this book from beginning to end. There is a great range of cuisine styles that include the expected Italian, Chinese, Japanese standbys dishes and also a fair amount of pleasant surprises like laksa noodles from southeast Asia. There’s also a wonderful range of noodle dishes for all kinds of moods and occasions, including quick weeknight meals, fancier dishes requiring a bit more effort, dishes ideal for gatherings, to name just a few - and I greatly appreciate the fact that this such categories is literally how the authors have organized their chapters. Also, there’s probably nearly every single noodle-based flavor profile I could hope for and several that I didn’t know were out there until now.

Between the abundance of different options, plus the bountiful tips, pointers and other informative extras provided, I personally am as pleased as can be with That Noodle Life. I look forward to happily combing and re-combing its pages in the coming weeks for new ideas for tasty, slurpy, comforting dishes.

[Sara Rishforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pork Belly Pasta was fantastic!

[Floralindblueskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am shamelessly adding a cookbook about noodles to my read pile.

Recap of the last 24 hours: Drooling and plotting which recipe I'd be able to experiment with, gaming up my already noodles-once-a-day meal plan.

[Shelby Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already been making Mike and Stephanie's recipes for years, but to have them all in one place, beautifully photographed and explained step by step, is cooking gold!

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review on The Candid Cover

That Noodle Life by Mike Le is a cookbook that is chock full of every kind of noodle recipe that you can imagine. This recipe book gives fans of noodles lots of options as it takes us on a culinary adventure through many different takes on this delicious staple. If you love noodles and are looking for some inspiring ways to cook them, this is a book that you won’t want to miss.

What is really fantastic about this cookbook is the layout. The recipes are broken down into sections based on the mood that each type of noodle gives. Honestly, this is so unique, and the way the instructions are set out gives the reader a chance to be creative as well. While the book is not meant for novice chefs, the recipes are easy to follow and there are lots of suggestions for cooking and equipment.

❀ A WHIMSICAL BOOK

There are so many photographs and cute little poems that the authors have created to accompany the different noodles. It is also a whimsical book that will definitely spark some interesting creations in the kitchen. There is something in this book for everyone who enjoys a noodle, and it will be hard to choose just one of these recipes.

❀ CONTENTS: THAT NOODLE LIFE BY MIKE LE

Cozy Noods for Crazy Moods
Low Stress to Decompress
Please Send Noods
Noodle Fun for Everyone
Soup-er Noodles to the Rescue
The Ultimate Noodle
Living Your Best Noodle Life

❀ MAKES A PERFECT GIFT

That Noodle Life by Mike Le is a cookbook to try if you are a noodle fan and are looking for some different and unique options for cooking up an old favourite. It is a fun and different kind of book that will add some excitement to your day. This would make a perfect gift for a noodle fan on your list as well.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book full of noodle recipes?!? Ok!! My family is obsessed with any kind of noodle dish so I was super excited to give this cookbook a try.

This book gives you seven chapters of delicious and mouth watering recipes to fit any occasion.

Recipes include- Secret Ingredient noodles, Let’s taco bout noodles, and Cozy Chicken. I was able to try each one of these and each one did not disappoint!

This cookbook is an ode to noodles and satisfies all the cravings anyone has!

[Andrea]

I’m not ready to provide a star rating as you can see why below.

Mike Le’s and Stephanie Le’s primer on various types of noodles and recipes highlight the use of many types of noodles in recipes that range from easy to moderately challenging. What I appreciate about this book is how the recipes are structured to not only educate readers and cooks but also include aspects designed to make each recipe a success.
In many of the recipes, tips are provided on the bottom of the page making them easy to identify: some are specific techniques to ensure success and others are how to adjust or make a recipe more to your own tastes. Quick notes are found to the left of recipes to guide cooks. Each recipe begins with an introduction: sometimes its heritage, general information and components that will help cooks be successful (i.e., look for this particular ingredient and describes the image on the bottle so that those of us who don’t read the language on the bottle will be able to identify the correct one).
Recipes include easy, quick ones to more involved and also how to make your own components such as the noodles, homemade chili oil or garlic breadcrumbs. While most of the recipes skew toward Asian not all are and a handful include Italian, Mexican, and other types of cuisine. Some are basic enough to traverse specific cuisines, but the goal is to teach how to make, and highlight the various cooking skills from types of Far-East Asian cuisine, including but not limited to Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Unfortunately, because of life circumstances I was unable to try out any of the recipes, although I am an experienced cook and can discern from the recipes themselves the flavors complement each other, I was unable to confirm if the ratios and measurements were correct, thus we’ll have to look at other reviewers who had opportunities to try out the recipes and comment on that aspect of the book. Presuming those pan out the way they appear to this is a 4 star book with only the organization of the book leaving me wanting.

The one critique I currently have correlates to the issue of a more thorough table of contents (instead of just the overview name of the chapter) and a completely missing index, which are big issues in my opinion. Although it could simply be the advance preview copy doesn’t include those but they will be included in the final print and eBook copies. There is a label on the last page that says “Index” but not being able to see how items are indexed makes it difficult to assess its effectiveness and quality; same point with a complete table of contents, if to be included.

As a result of the lack of a complete TOC and a missing Index, until confirmed they are included and useful, I can only currently recommend with reservations for public library collections.

Thank you to NetGalley and Workman Publishing for the opportunity to preview and provide an unbiased review.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a major noodle lover, this book immediately caught my attention when I saw it on the site. I was so excited to get the opportunity to review it and I can honestly say it did not disappoint!

My boyfriend and I are both long distance runners, so pasta is life, and this book offers so many fun variations on noodle dishes from around the world. Many of the recipes will look familiar, but many have a fun twist or switch up that makes them more than just another noodle dish. Most of the recipes have fun names and really enticing photos. I'm a major stickler for good, abundant photos in cookbooks and this one scores a 10.

The authors really do the education aspect of this book well. They not only tell you about the different varieties of pasta that they recommend, some of which readers may not have experience with, they show you what they look like as well so you can have a better sense of what you're looking for at the store. They also throw in tips on how to improve the recipes, what ingredients are vital and shouldn't be substituted or skimped on, and how to prep the foods in advance and store them for the week.

So far I've made five of the recipes, three Asian and two Western, and they all turned out wonderfully. The ingredients were not difficult for me to source, although I'm sure the ease of finding ingredients will be affected by the reader's location, and the steps were easy to follow. I actually like that they group the recipes by "type" rather than by meal or geographic region, etc.

My only complaint, so to speak, has to do with formatting. I'm sure because I'm reviewing an ARC that this will all be addressed before the book is published, but there were some issues with words blocking other words on some of the pages, as well as a lack of a table of contents or an index. I'll give the book the benefit of the doubt that this will not be an issue in the final copy.

I definitely think I'll be recommending this book to loads of people. The book is fun and approachable, but doesn't talk down to the audience and isn't just a rehashing of the same recipes that you can find in dozens of different places. I am very likely to purchase this book for myself when it comes out.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is too big, unfocused, and specialized to be useful to most home cooks. Covering both Italian-style and a huge variety of Asian noodles, there's too much. When a cookbook prefaces a recipe to warn that it needs specialty ingredients and has numerous time-consuming steps, then you know it's going to be unrealistic. The number of recipes of the "spent my entire Saturday cooking this one bowl" make this a cookbook no one could actually cook their way through.

The cutesy, pop-inspired recipe names and hokey writing will make this age super fast. For a fun noodle cookbook, start with Let's Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook instead.

eARC from NetGalley.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Noodle Life went far beyond my expections for a cookbook with a main ingredient of noodles. I was expecting "souped" up ramen recipes, but there are bona fide, fine dining type dishes that stand out. The cookbook authors not only gave many great recipes, but also included items like a 2 page guide to noodles, ingredients and sourcing, substitutions, and tips.

The recipes are divided into sections with unique names, which I have listed below with some of my favorites.

Cozy Noods for Crazy Moods: Festival Yakisoba with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts; Slow Braised Sugo with Tagliatelle; Homemade Pasta; Spaghettoni and Roasted Garlic Fennel Meatballs

Low Stress to Decompress: Steak and Heirloom Tomato Noodle Salad; Garlic-Butter Bucatini with Oyster Sauce; Spicy Sesame Chili Oil Noodles

Please Send Noods: Miso Clam Linguine; Calamarata with Shrimp and Scallops

Noodle Fun for Everyone: Smoky Bacon Kimchi Fried Udon; Ramen with Slow-Braised Pork Belly Kimchi Stew; Charred Pork Meatballs with Vermicelli

Soup-er Noodles to the Rescue: Super Savory Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup; Ultimate Weeknight Chicken Pho; Accidentally Vegan Weeknight Laska

The Ultimate Noodle: The Ultimate Lasagna; Pumpkin Sage Lasagna; Creamy Chicken Lasagna

Living Your Best Noodle Life: Cracked Black Pepper and Pork Belly Fusili Bucati; Smoky Cumin Lamb with Biang Biang Noodles

Scattered throughout the cookbook are great tip pages like Soup Up Your Noods, which is how to take instant ramen to new levels. Additionally, there are helpful sections like How to Build a Bowl, including information and recipes for the components that you need.

That Noodle Life will keep any noodle lover happy, with great recipes that are elevated well beyond expectations.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of That Noodle Life by NetGalley and the publisher, Workman Publishing Company. The decision to read and review this cookbook was entirely my own.

[JoyReaderGirl1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of colorful photographs of noodle and pasta recipes for dishes that create appetite-stimulating appeal, “That Noodle Life: Soulful, Savory, Spicy, Slurpy,” by husband and wife team Mike Le and Stephanie Le, is a perfect cookbook addition for all ramen, macaroni, spaghetti, and noodle freaks everywhere. Nothing says comfort food like tucking into a hearty bowl of noodles—whether mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, angel hair Alfredo, Chow Mein, or Pho.

The Le’s discuss varieties of the most common noodles—Oriental and Italian— in “That Noodle Life.” You’ll find a variety of Taste-tempting noodle recipes for special occasions and family meals included throughout— sumptuous ribeye steak and lobster dishes, as well as lasagna and macaroni and cheese. There are noodle and pasta recipes for just about all tastes.

My only disappointment with this beautifully illustrated and crafted cookbook is the omission of a recipe for my ultimate favorite noodles—Singapore Mei Fun—Spicy Singapore Rice Noodles. I fell in love with this dish while living in London and am now a certified “Noodle Freak!” Please include an easy-to-follow and prepared recipe for Singapore Noodles in Volume II.

=====================///====================

The Book Maven’s Journal—Reviews for Word Connoisseurs
STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“That Noodle Life: Soulful, Savory, Spicy, Slurpy”
Author: Mike Le and Stephanie Le
Genre: Non-Fiction / (Cooking / Reference
Publication Date: 12 April 2022
Publisher: Workman Publishing

My sincere appreciation goes to NetGalley, Authors Mike Le and Stephanie Le, and Workman Publishing for Providing this Advance Reader’s Copy for Review.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Appealing pictures, a variety of recipes, & helpful tips & tricks make this a great recipe book for any noodle lover! My main quibble is the organization of the recipes; an index with other sorting methods would have helped.

[What I liked:]

•Appealing photos of the finished recipes, as well as photos of equipment, types of noodles, etc., help educate & whet the appetite.

•An assortment of classic recipes (spaghetti & meatballs) plus some twists on old favorites (pumpkin sage mac & cheese), plus recipes from a few different culinary traditions (mainly Italian & East Asian) gives options that can appeal to different tastes.

•There are nice tips on cooking noodles, how to cook noodles in sauce, different types of noodles, etc. Throughout the book are also inserts on using certain ingredients, how to dress up instant noodles, how to build noodle bowls, etc.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•The recipes are arranged by occasion (comfort food, potluck/large groups, quick & easy, etc. I would really appreciate an index in the back to look up recipes by main ingredient, style (cold or hot, etc.), cuisine, vegetarian, etc.

•This is a nit picky criticism because this book is not marketed as such, but there are few vegetarian recipes, & I think only one vegan one. Plus, again, having an index could help with finding those since they’re mixed in with the meat & dairy based recipes.

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

[Karen Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love pasta but need some ideas on how to make innovative pasta dishes at home? That Noodle Life: Soulful, Savory, Spicy, Slurpy by popular bloggers Michael Le and Stephanie Le, who created I am a Food Blog, is a delightful cookbook dedicated to everyone who likes pasta prepared in unique ways. This beautiful cookbook has a colorful chart with photos of different shaped pastas and many different noodles from China, Italy, Japan, and other foreign places.

That Noodle Life is very colorful, and includes beautiful, mouthwatering photographs of almost every recipe. This makes for a cookbook with universal appeal. However, the uniqueness of the dozens of recipes is the main focus of the book. There are recipes using homemade fresh noodles (a recipe and instructions are included), store-bought dry noodles, and even ramen noodles. Sauces include recipes for flavoring sauces as well as main dish sauces using vegetables, seafood, meats and poultry. The sections on equipment and ingredients are very helpful, especially for beginning cooks.

That Noodle Life has enough recipes that give everyone an excuse to eat noodles and pasta with different sauces every day for months, without falling into the same old-same old cycle. The recipes are written in standard form and are easy-to-follow; everyone can make these recipes.

All told, That Noodle Life is a wonderful cookbook that belongs on everyone’s shelf. This is a fun book and is highly recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for the best cookbooks on noodles ever I cannot recommend this book enough. Everything you can ever want to know about the greatest food ever made is in this book. This is the comprehensive noodle cookbook.

Not only do Mike and Stephanie Le give you a variety of noodle recipes from so many different types of places (Your typical Italian and Japanese noodles, but also Malaysian, Vietnamese, Southeast Asian and even dumplings, but they also have this amazing humor that makes the book as fun as the food in it. I loved the haikus to each noodle type which I think is just so original and the Lasagne bracket. I love the fun recipe names (shout out to Teenage Mutant Ninja Noodles). The book also just has stunning, bright, and happy photography that perfectly fits with the tone of the cookbook.

Not only is the book fun but the recipes are delicious and I have spent the last two weeks cooking a recipe from this book almost every night. Some of my favorites so far include Double Yolk (a fun new take on a Carbonara), Fomo (aka French Onion Mac and Cheese), Secret Ingredient Noodles (you have to read the book to discover the secret), and last but not least the Umami Bomb.

Overall, if you love noodles as much as I do you need to pick up this book.

*I received a copy from Netgalley for my honest review but I will be picking up a physical copy for myself.

[Megan Woldstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Workman Publishing Company, and Mike and Stephanie Le for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a major lover of noodles (and all carbs), I already knew from the description this was going to be a hit for me. However, I think this is one of my fave cookbooks ever! The recipes are so easy to follow, the layout is aesthetically pleasing, and there is a LOT of beginners info in the book. I love the Asian inspiration of this cookbook and I've learned so much about noodles that I didn't already know through Mike and Stephanie's comments in the beginning of the book, as well as their notes throughout on how to dress up noodles, different cultural traditions, and customizable meals. This book is absolutely informative and user friendly.

I am not a cook at all but one of my resolutions has been to make more of an effort this year, and this cookbook has already inspired me to try 2 of the recipes and they were easier than I imagined! I would definitely recommend this to ANYONE who loves pasta, and I'm buying a copy for my cookbook collection as soon as it releases.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to get an early read of this book. A book about Noodles and I was imagining all the different pasta creations I would be making. Sadly, I was a bit let down because it was not at all what I envisioned. True, there's a lot of delicious-sounding pasta in here, but many are hard to make. There are so many ingredients that would be hard to find at a local grocery store. Many of these pasta recipes were heavily Asian influenced, more so than Italy. This is a gorgeous book and there are photos of each recipe, which I love. I really appreciate it when cookbooks have pictures since I'm a visual person. Will this be a great gift for a college student or beginner? Nope. This is more geared to those who want to experiment with many flavors and ingredients than the average noodle dish. I would love to try so many of these if someone else was making them for me! I just don't have the time with a toddler to try involved recipes.


I want to thank the publisher, Workman Publishing Company, for providing me with an e-ARC to review. Thanks to Netgalley as well. It has in no way influenced my opinions.

[Kathy M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for inspiration for Asian noodle dishes (based on the cover picture). The pictures and catchy font used to introduce a specific dish gave me an idea that this book would be a great intro to noodle dishes for the inexperienced cook. The look of this book is very deceptive.

Inside there are recipes for both Italian and Asian noodle dishes that are very complex, complete with ingredients that are difficult to find. While I am a pretty avid cook, I had to look up the ingredient Guanciole (cured pig jowl). Which is listed in several of the Italian dishes. I expect as much from some cookbooks (like one on French Baking, or a book on regional recipes). I love learning about new foods, at the same time I had anticipated more simplified recipes from this book. There is no mention of the recipes origin or region and the book is poorly organized with recipes from different regions haphazardly presented throughout.

That said, as an avid cook I am going to attempt the Sunday Sauce recipe presented in this book. Yum.

[Abra Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Les bring the fun and flavor with this vibrant and information-packed cookbook. It's clever, conversational, and filled with gorgeous noodle deliciousness. I learned oodles about noodles and all that goes along with them, and I love the way this book demystifies dishes that I thought I could only get good versions of in a restaurant, like ramen and pho. I came away with new ideas for building bowls at home - and a ton of new dishes I can't wait to try. I started with more familiar noodles, and favorites so far are the Pumpkin Sage Mac and Cheese (and Lasagna), Cacio e Pepe Lobster Chitarra, and Kale and Mushroom Lasagna.

I received a digital pre-publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I'll be including it in a TBR round-up of new release cookbooks to broaden your culinary horizons in the spring. I will also be adding a hardcover edition to my permanent collection upon its April 2022 release.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very tasty!

If ever a cookbook could be entertaining and tasty, this would be it! Take a foodie topic dear to my heart, share the same love, and then provide recipes and tips and tricks on how to cook them in a variety of ways? Yeah, this was that and so much more…

For the beginner chef or the experienced food, each page was a testimonial. A treatise on how to create (or find) them, how to cook, flavour and eat them. If you want to know ingredients and how best to coax out every morsel of yumminess, then you have found the book. Clear, detailed information beside beautiful photos of tantalizing food were a feast for the cooking mind and the appreciative stomach. So much information. So much! Yet laid out in a way that didn’t feel overwhelming (for this not so successful cook).

At the end I wanted to rush to the store and buy all the ingredients and try each recipe one by one.

*I happily reviewed this book
**Thank you to NetGalley

[Asha Butterflys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love eating pasta and I loved finding new ways then just the traditional spaghetti and meatballs or Mac and Cheese. Now, do not get me wrong I love a good Mac and Cheese it is just every now and then I want to set out of my comfort zone to make a unique dish that I have never made before and I love that this book is all on pasta. Like the Skinny Vermicelli cold noodle salad. This is super simple to make and takes only a matter of minutes to make the meal. We found the Five Star Kimchi Ramen to be a family favorite and I am not one that likes kimchi. I loved how the book was organized for the most part. The only thing that I thought was really weird was that the ingredient and sourcing as well as the equipment for your kitchen is in the back of the book. It would have been better to have it at the front of the book so you can make sure that you have what you need before you start cooking.

[Cynde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I expected, but it is a very comprehensive look at every type of noodle and suggestions with recipes on how to use them. The recipes are world-wide and a great variety of meats, vegetarian and spice combinations are represented. My only dislike of this book is that like most cookbooks specialized ingredients that are often hard to find are included in most recipes. (Although there is a glossary with pictures and suggestion on where to find many of them.) They also use rib eye steak, lobster, scallops, lamb and other items which are not financially part of most peoples everyday budget or are not available in their local stores.
The book is an excellent collection of delicious sounding recipes.
The ecopy I received from NetGalley for my honest review was a really bad copy that was very hard to read.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC via NetGalley.

This cookbook is a colorful, appealing guide to a variety of recipes using a variety of noodles in a variety of forms. Whether you're looking for inspiration on making lasagna, ramen, or various other pasta- or noodle-based dishes, this probably has something worth looking at! The majority of the recipes seem approachable, and there is a guide to ingredients in the back that is helpful for items that may not be as generally available in any American grocery store.

My one caveat is that the formatting on the review copy was difficult to read, so I can't vouch for some of the information/instructions. I do hope to try a few of the recipes despite this!

[Tawney]

A very attractive book of noodle recipes for soups, bowls, lasagnas and even salad. Most of these are Asian, but some Italian style dishes are included and even an off the wall Taco Lasagna that sounds good. This book will be most useful to those who live in a metropolitan area with access to the oft mentioned "neighborhood Asian market", where ingredients are not only available, but you could ask questions about them. For those people like me who live 25 miles from supermarkets whose Asian section occupies about 1/4th of an aisle and not much variety there is the web. The recipes are interesting and clearly presented, The authors include a nice glossary of the ingredients.


I received an advanced copy of this book compliments of Workman and NetGalley.