10 must-try Long Island soups, from tonkotsu ramen to matzo ball

"We have so much in common, we both love soup ...": That's the immortal line from the 2000 mockumentary "Best in Show," and to me, this is no joke. Loving soup — especially the noodle kind — is an entire personality trait, as I eat it so often it's literally a part of my body and soul. 

So when temperatures dropped below 40 and it become painful to walk outside, it was easy to compile this list of Long Island's best noodle soups. The real fun: whittling down all the beloved soups to the best of the best, the soups that truly warm your belly with fantastic, sometimes pungent or crystal clear broth. Soups that slap you in the face with their spicy liquids. Soups with noodles that you slurp and slurp. Soups you can squeeze some lime into and feel fancy. Soups with beans, and greens, and lots of delicious pickled things. 

Here are 10 noodle soups from all over the world that you can try on Long Island, which makes living in such a wicked-cold place even more worth it ... even fun. 

Tonkotsu ramen at Youta Ramen, Mineola

"Delicate" is not usually a word used to describe tonkotsu ramen, which is a powerhouse of pork parts boiled for hours until the broth becomes creamy like milk. But among the dozens of establishments I've tried, Youta stands out for its refined and balanced take on ramen's greatest style, tonkotsu ($18). Much of this has to do with the noodles, which are thin, springy and cooked perfectly al dente. But everything in this bowl is composed, from the translucent scallions to the custardy ajitama egg. Masterful. More info: 58 Old Country Rd., Mineola, 516-447-6995, youtaramen.com

Udon soups at Teinei Ya Ramen, Syosset

This sounds like blasphemy: If I was on a desert island (with a Japanese chef), I would pick udon soup over ramen. It's because udon noodles are truly the most wonderful, bouncy, brilliant noodle of all time. And they are the absolute most fun to slurp, which is important if you're stuck on a desert island with nothing to do. But even at an adorable Japanese market like Hanamaru in Syosset, the udon soups steal the show. The toppings don't even matter, while the noodle stall does make a nice shrimp tempura udon as well as a sweeter bowl of kitsune udon with a spongy slab of tofu ($13.50). More info: 140 Jericho Tpke. Unit C, Syosset, 516-921-0200, hanamarumart.us/collections/food-court-menu

Budae stew at Rockstar Korean BBQ, Valley Stream

When it comes to the table in its black stone bowl, the red chili brew is rippling and bubbling and frightening to touch — budae jjigae is the dark ruler of Korean soups. Also called army base stew, the soup was invented shortly after the Korean War when Koreans relied on army rations like Spam and sausage. The spicy gochujang broth is packed with curly ramen noodles and sour kimchi and these spongy meat products. And it can be massive. But Rockstar in Valley Stream will serve you a medium-size one ($21.95) so there's still room for Korean barbecue. More info: 99 Fourth St., Valley Stream, 516, 224-3222, rockstarkbbq.com

Knife-cut noodle beef soup at Splendid Noodle, Stony Brook

Obsessed with Chinese lamian noodle soup, I've visited all the major purveyors and keep going back to Splendid Noodle. This place is good, like so good it might make you cry. And it's not the ambiance, which is rather dark and cavelike, aside from the awesome show when the chef behind the window is pulling and swinging the wheat noodles. It's because the crisp broth is so beefy, and the knife-cut noodles so doughy yet toothsome, it's magical. The best soups here all have beef, but it doesn't matter whether you get the tendon or the flank, it's all about those noods. More info: 1320 Stony Brook Rd., Stony Brook, 631-675-6725, splendidnoodletogo.com

Hot and sour rice noodles at Deng Ji, Levittown

Here's a deep cut from the menu that I only discovered after maybe the fifth visit. The stately Deng Ji is known for its Yunnan crossing-the-bridge rice noodle soups, which are rather mild but fun as they're prepared tableside in a vat of boiling broth. The owners are from the Hunan province, known for its fiery chili dishes that they serve but don't advertise. Despite objections from the server, I tried the hot and sour rice noodle soup ($13.99) and it was an absolute blowout of sourness, spice and pickled veggie bits. It wasn't prepared tableside, but the sheer flavor punch made me want to go back for a sixth visit. More info: 2949 Hempstead Tpke., Levittown, 516-460-5277, dengjilongisland.com

Beef pho at Sherry Blossom, Long Beach

A customizable ramen and poke bowl joint that has a random bowl of Vietnamese pho on the menu ... how good could it be? This Long Beach spot has a devoted following though, and it recently ranked No. 7 on Yelp's best ramen spots in the United States. (Youta Ramen is No. 2 on the list, by the way). Surprisingly, this really is a great bowl of pho ($17.95). The beef is sliced thicker than usual, more like a Chinese brisket beef than the typical thin slabs, but the texture is good. And that broth, so crisp and aromatic with its scattering of fresh herbs on top. Worth the hype. More info: 78 W. Park Ave., Long Beach, 516-889-1200, sherryblossom.net

Tom yum noodle soup at Tee' Thai Flavors, Bethpage

Tom yum is one of those soups that you order as an appetizer before your pad Thai comes out. But the fiery broth in this version ($16.95) makes all the other tom yums of the world seem like child's play. Bracing and devastatingly sour, this soup is here to slay. Insanely juicy cubes of fatty pork belly float above the pungent broth, which is also scattered with savory ground meat and topped with two rounds of crispy wonton crackers. Together with the rice noodles, it's basically a full meal, although you'll still want to order other things from the menu because this place is great. More info: 357 Broadway, Bethpage, 516-513-1868, teethaiflavors.com

Ash reshteh at Ravagh Persian Grill, Roslyn 

This thrilling, complex, yet comforting Iranian soup is the one I'll be thinking about a year from now. The green soup has an entirely fresh flavor profile. The base is finely blended herbs like parsley and scallion in water, which is loaded up with lentils and kidney beans and small dried noodles. There's also a dollop of kashk, which is a tangy whey product similar to yogurt or kefir. Floating on top of this texturally layered soup are fried garlic and onions and fried mint, which add zest and crunch. More info: 210 Mineola Ave., Roslyn Heights, 516-484-7100, ravaghrestaurants.com

Pasta fagioli at Filomena’s, Franklin Square

While it's printed on slick new paper, Filomena's menu looks unchanged since the place opened in 1972. What better venue, then, at which to order a classic like pasta fagioli ($12)? Sure you can get this simple pasta-and-bean soup ("pasta e fagioli" is Italian for "pasta and beans") at many Italian restaurants, but Filomena's version might come with a Franklin Square politician going table-to-table handing out business cards. And the soup was everything you want it to be: warm, familiar and friendly. More info: 1039 Hempstead Tpke., Franklin Square, 516-437-4919, myfilomenas.com

Matzo ball chicken noodle soup at Traditions, Lawrence

It's obvious by this point I'm a sucker for spicy, brazenly sour soups with fat, slurpy noodles. So why then, does matzo ball need to be the exact opposite for it to be good? No condiments, no fusion stuff like jalapeños or matzo ball pho. Don't even put a mushroom in there. Let's keep this penicillin plain and chicken-y. One exception I'll make is to add those thin little egg noodles, which the kosher deli Traditions will do if you ask ($10). I like the one here because the matzo ball is fluffy and there aren't too many carrots. More info: 302 Central Ave., Lawrence, 516-295-3630, traditionseatery.com