Best rice noodles, according to chefs
Two picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Andrea Nguyen and Pailin Chongchitnant. Recommendations come from vietworldkitchen.com and hot-thai-kitchen.com.
International Pantry · The ranking
- 1Top pick
Three Ladies Brand Rice Sticks (bánh phở)
Chosen by- Andrea NguyenAuthor, Vietnamese Food Any Dayvietworldkitchen.com ↗
Also chosen by- Andrea Nguyen · Author, Vietnamese Food Any Day source ↗
- Andrea Nguyen · Author, Vietnamese Food Any Day source ↗
Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook, names Three Ladies first among reliable brands for dried flat pho noodles, which she says cook up “nearly as good as fresh.” Asked by a reader where to buy, she answered “3 Ladies is a good brand,” adding that medium width works for both pho and pad thai. For round bún noodles too: “It’s a great brand to go with and I have used their rice products for years.” Sold at Asian markets nationwide and on Amazon; pick S or M for pho, L for stir-fries.
- 2
Erawan Brand Rice Sticks (size M)
Chosen by- Pailin ChongchitnantCreator, Hot Thai Kitchenhot-thai-kitchen.com ↗
Bangkok’s three-elephant label. Chongchitnant tests her pad thai, a recipe with more than 2 million views, on Erawan size medium, “the traditional size used in Thailand,” and writes simply, “I use Erawan brand noodles.” Soak about an hour in room-temperature water until fully pliable; soaked noodles keep, sealed, in the fridge for a few days. Sold at Asian markets and on Amazon.
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Questions, answered
- What is the best rice noodles, according to chefs?
- MyTastr’s top pick is Three Ladies Brand Rice Sticks (bánh phở), chosen by Andrea Nguyen (Viet World Kitchen). Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook, names Three Ladies first among reliable brands for dried flat pho noodles, which she says cook up “nearly as good as fresh.” Asked by a reader where to buy, she answered “3 Ladies is a good brand,” adding that medium width works for both pho and pad thai. For round bún noodles too: “It’s a great brand to go with and I have used their rice products for years.” Sold at Asian markets nationwide and on Amazon; pick S or M for pho, L for stir-fries. Source: vietworldkitchen.com ↗
- What are the other top picks for rice noodles?
- No. 2 is Erawan Brand Rice Sticks (size M), chosen by Pailin Chongchitnant (Hot Thai Kitchen). Only two picks cleared the bar so far. Each card above links to the original source.
- How does MyTastr choose these picks?
- Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.
The tasters behind this ranking
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