The best noodles in New York

Ramen
For the ultimate cup o’ noodles, park your tyke on one of the 14 stools at cozy Tokyo-style ramen bar Rai Rai Ken, where the glistening bowl of shoyu ramen ($7) reigns supreme. The soy-based broth is graced with superlative versions of the usual suspects—tender slices of pork, fresh spinach, bamboo shoots, boiled egg, fish cake, scallions and nori, plus those glorious long noodles, cooked until ha gotai (think al dente, but in Japanese). Rai Rai Ken, 214 E 10th St between First and Second Aves (212-477-7030)

Roast Pork Lo Mein
The noodle dish that lassoed generations of kids can all too easily be a travesty—too greasy, too gloppy or too drowned in soy sauce to be truly good eatin’. The colorfully named Big Wing Wong, though, gets it right with its roast pork lo mein ($6). Thin vermicelli noodles are stir-fried with bean sprouts and slivers of carrot and scallion for a perfect soft-crunch counterpoint. It’s all gently sauced with soy and sesame oil, and laced with shards of what is arguably the best Cantonese roast pork in the city. Big Wing Wong, 102 Mott St between Canal and Hester Sts (212-274-0696)