Top noodles: The best new ramen parlors

Ramen continues to fire the imaginations of gifted chefs across the country, said Jasmin Sun in FoodandWine.com. Though some are true innovators, the best are distinguished mostly by their obsession with turning broth and noodles into a deeply rewarding eating experience.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya Austin. Chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto are clearly fanatical about ramen. Not only does Austin’s best ramen shop simmer its broth for up to 60 hours to increase flavor. It also prohibits takeout—“lest the creamy broth break or the noodles inch past al dente.” 8557 Research Blvd. #126, no phone

Ramen Shop Oakland. This hit East Bay ramen shop is run by three veterans of Chez Panisse, so you know they source their ingredients with care (they even get their nori seaweed locally). Partner Jerry Jaksich mopped floors at a ramen parlor in Sapporo just to learn the chef’s secrets, and the effort paid off: The house-made noodles here are “exemplary” and the broths “uniformly delicious.” 5812 College Ave., (510) 788-6370

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Ivan Ramen New York City. Long Island native Ivan Orkin achieved legendary status in Tokyo with an acclaimed ramen parlor. He recently opened his first U.S. outpost at Gotham Market in far west Manhattan and will soon open a stand-alone parlor on the Lower East Side. For the custom rye noodles he serves in an innovative pork-and-dashi-based broth, he’s working with the New Jersey noodle factory that supplies Momofuku. 600 11th Ave. and 25 Clinton St.