Noodles Tie US Together -- Worldwide, They're Good And Cheap

Noodles tie a person to the past. They recall images of family tables, countless cafeteria counters and cafe booths dressed with Formica, oilcloth or red-checked tablecloths.

And noodles tie us to each other. No other food, with the exceptions of rice and bread, and possibly potatoes, cuts so broadly across geographic and cultural lines, and across economic ones.

Noodles are the food of the masses. They always have been.

By the 4th century B.C., noodles had become a mainstay of the Chinese diet, but until the 16th century they were considered vulgar, peasant food - unfit for mandarin palates. By the 11th or 12th century, they'd become a popular food in India (sevika) and the Middle East (rishta).

Marco Polo brought the concept of pasta - the flat noodles were named "macaroni" - back to Europe in the 13th century, although gastro-historians such as Reay Tannahill trace them further back on the European continent, to the Etruscans and Ostrogoths.

Noodles are noodles, no matter how they're prepared.

They come in knots or globs or delicate swirls; in glutonous masses mounded on plates; rolled and pinched or grated; in sinuous strands that pass sensuously, steamily through the lips; in ribbons, squares, tubes and threads.

In the European style, noodles are made from a dough of flour and eggs and are used in soups, as main dishes and even as desserts. They're dressed variously with butter or cheese or cabbage, in cream- or tomato-based sauces, with pungent herbs and heady doses of garlic.

But it's the Asian noodle that's become an important part of the budget-oriented Seattle restaurant prowl.

Ubiquitous throughout Asia, they're strands of rice, wheat, barley or mung-bean paste - usually lighter than European-style, made with water instead of eggs. They're flavored by meat broths, delicate or robust, bland or piquant. Most often they're complemented by meat or seafood or vegetables.

The best, no matter the tradition, are freshly made.

I prefer noodles that are prepared, served and priced without pretention. Paying more than $5 to $7 for a main-course noodle dish of any style seems sacrilegious. Some of the best in town cost less than $5.

I have my favorites and follow a restaurant circuit from Thai to Japanese to Vietnamese to Malaysian and Chinese and back again. Most of the ones listed here are plain, no-frills neighborhood storefronts. A few may accept credit cards, but don't expect it; if you go out for noodles, be prepared to pay in cash - it doesn't take much. A couple may serve beer or wine, but don't expect that either.

There are scores of others, depending on your neighborhood - and as far as noodles go, neighborhood should be considered a prime ingredient. One shouldn't demand atmosphere with noodles, and there's simply no need to wander far, except for adventure.

The freshest I've found are Judy Fu's homemade noodles at Panda's in the North End. Each morning she makes up a batch of dough; separates it into balls; then rolls, folds, cuts and cooks it fresh to order. The homemade noodles are served as a matter of course with soup (vegetable, seafood or Szechuan chicken) but can be requested for chow mein as well.

Panda's can be packed, with a 20-minute waiting line for one of the six tables, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., so go earlier or later; or call for pick-up, or delivery in a limited area.

For noodles to go, it's Rasa Malaysia at Green Lake. The rice noodles (goreng meehoon) or wheat noodles (mee goreng), both with vegetables and peanut sauce, cost $3.25 for more than the average appetite can consume. Preparation is comfortingly homey - the vegetables cut with vague regularity but not precision - and presentation is plain, without flourish. The result is invariably delicious.

Traditional Vietnamese noodle soup, however, is a revelation. Explore and sample the many Vietnamese restaurants toward the southeastern edge of the International District and down into the Rainier Valley. They all serve the national dish, usually with dressed beef or pork in a meat broth and a heaping plate full of garnishes including bean sprouts, basil, sliced chilis and lemon or lime wedges. The cost ranges from as low as $2.50 for a small bowl to $4.95 for a massive one.

At least two specialize in noodles - Pho Hoa and Pho Bac. Strict vegetarians beware: I asked at Pho Hoa for a noodle dish without meat. The server was willing to cooperate. She asked if I'd like noodles in boiling water.

Some, such as Viet My and Vietnam's Pearl, have larger menus, but their noodle soups display a sometimes startling variety.

In my most recent visit to the Pearl, I tried the rice-noodle soup with helix snails (bun oc), for $4.25; the red broth has a spicy kick to it, and the snails are as challenging as boiled geoduck. Another treat is bun rieu, with crab.

Pad Thai remains my favorite, though - and the best dish by which to judge any Thai restaurant. Each of my regular haunts puts its own twist on the subtle blend of flavors in the sauce and spicing.

Try especially the Bai Tong, on Pacific Highway South (for freshness of ingredients and downright elegance); the Thai Palace at the north end of downtown and the Thai Chef in Bellevue (for reassuring consistency and a slightly sweet undertone that offsets the heat).

Japanese udon soups are, for me, the perfect blend of heartiness and delicacy. The tempura udon at Arita, in Greenwood, is my favorite - for both flavor and value. At Musashi's in Wallingford, the harusami salad - creamy rice noodles and faux crab - is a great accompaniment to some of the best reasonably priced sushi in town.

A main-course noodle dish in any of the restaurants listed below will cost less than $6.50; most are $5 or less. Chinese style: Panda's, 7347 35th Ave. N.E.; 11:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, to 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. 526-5115. Malaysian style: Rasa Malaysia, 7208 E. Green Lake Drive N. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, to 7 p.m. Sunday. 523-8888. Vietnamese style: Pho Hoa, 4406 Rainier Ave. S.; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. 723-1508. Pho Bac, 2815 S. Hanford; 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; 725-4418. An smaller, plainer branch is at 1314 S. Jackson; same hours; 323-4387. Vietnam's Pearl, 708 Rainier Ave. S.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, to midnight Friday-Saturday. 726-1581. Viet My, 129 Prefontaine Place S., 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 464-9923. Thai style: Bai Tong, 15859 Pacific Highway S.; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Sunday. 431-0893. Thai Palace, 2224 Eighth Ave.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. 343-7846. Thai Chef, 1645 140th St. N.E., Bellevue; 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 562-7955. Japanese style: Arita, 8202 Greenwood Ave. N.; 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, to 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 784-2625. Musashi's, 1400 N. 45th St.; 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, to 10 p.m. Friday, to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. 633-0212.

JIM MOLNAR IS A WRITER/EDITOR FOR THE SEATTLE TIME TRAVEL SECTION. MIKE SIEGEL IS A SEATTLE TIMES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER.