Thin, translucent noodles in a cold broth may not sound like the most appetizing dish in the world, but this bowl of noodles actually packs in a variety of punchy flavors that go down light and smooth. Here's the top three places in Shanghai to get them.

Ben Jia | Korean
A comfortable and well-managed choice for excellent Korean barbecue, Ben Jia (also known as Born Family) serves a great bowl of lengmian (cold noodles) too. It’s presented with flair, as the purple buckwheat noodles are cut into four neat sections at your table and served in a spicy crimson broth. However, the slices of tender roast beef are the highlight of this bowl. At RMB35 it is a remarkable deal, considering that an array of kimchis and traditional side dishes come with it.

Zhang Shang Korean Goods 掌上韩品 | Korean
This is undoubtedly Shanghai’s most adorable Korean snack shack, seating about eight in what looks to be a young lady’s college dorm room. A large bowl of lengmian sells for RMB20–a terrific bargain. The ingredients are fresh and stand out against a sweet, mild broth. This is not a barbecue operation and, since lengmian is usually an accompanying dish, you should supplement your noodles with some of Zhang Shang’s featured snacks, such as their delicious fish cakes (yubing, 鱼饼) and glutinous rice kebabs (niangao chuan, 年糕串). Find it: 891 Kaixuan Lu 凯旋南路891号.

Le You Barbecue 乐柚炭烤 | Korean
It’s not high-end and it’s not a shack–Le You is the neighborhood barbecue joint that gets everything right. The lengmian here is hearty and reliably good, suitable as a side in a full-blown Korean-style family dinner or as a quick standalone lunch. The soup is served very cold, with chunks of ice floating in it. You’ll want this by your side when its your turn to hold the barbecue tongs. RMB35 gets you a very large portion plus a few small extras. Find it: 813 Yingchun Lu 迎春路813号, Tel: 6862-2118.

Did we miss your favorite place for Korean lengmian? Leave a comment for us below!