Spicy Tan Tan Ramen at Ramen Gaijin: Homemade Sapporo noodles, sesame, scallion, pork belly chashu, spicy ground pork, charred cabbage, wood ear mushrooms and a creamy 6-minute egg. About as authentic as it gets. 6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707-827-3609, ramengaijin.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Tomato Soup at Lunchbox: Rich and creamy tomato soup is a perfect dipping vehicle for a kimchee grilled cheese sandwich. 128 N. Main St., Sebastopol, lunchboxsonomacounty.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Miso Soup at Sushi Kosho: Real-deal miso made from scratch makes all the difference. 750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-827-6373, koshosushi.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
The Big Piece of Chicken at Grossman’s: A giant matzoh ball, ramen noodles, kreplach and pulled chicken are pretty much what we’d call matzoh soup, but whatever you call it, it’s good. 308 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com. (Loren Hansen)
Pozole at La Rosa Tequileria: If nothing else, you’ll ward off vampires and anyone wanting to sneak a smooch with this garlicky soup made with tender pork shoulder, hominy and chiles. Served with lime, red onion, cilantro and jalapeño, you can make it as spicy or tame as your palate can tolerate. 500 Fourth St., Santa Rosa., 707-523-3663, larosasantarosa.com. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Miso Butter Soup at Miso Good Ramen: Though we’re pork lovers through and through, the veggie-centric ramen made with fermented soybean broth and piled with okra, corn, sprouts, mushrooms, and garlic seaweed, gets a bit o’ butter making it over the top delish. (Contains pork broth). 507 4th St, Santa Rosa, 707-545-7545. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Curry Soup at Ippin Udon: We can’t get enough of this creamy, mild curry soup with tofu. A perfect winter warmer. 1880 Mendocino Ave. D, Santa Rosa, ippinnllc.com (Heather Irwin)
Tofu Soup at Tov Tofu: Beat the cold with a roiling, boiling pot of silken tofu with a combination of veggies and meats (try the combination with beef, shrimp and clams), all topped with raw egg (it cooks in the soup). 1169 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-566-9469, tovtofu.menu11.com.
Pho Ga at Goji Kitchen: Chicken noodle soup with a Vietnamese twist. Sure to cure anything. 1965 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-623-3888, gojikitchen.com. (Courtesy of Goji Kitchen)
Ramen with Kaarage at Raku Ramen and Rolls: Ramen plus nuggets of tasty fried chicken. 2424 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-623-9668, rakuramenandrolls.com (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Truffled Crab Soup at Kettles Vietnamese Bistro: This east-meets-west soup has Soba noodles, snow crab, cilantro and coriander swimming in an aromatic white truffle oil broth. 1202 W Steele Lane, Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Kettles Vietnamese Bistro)
Sukiyaki at Hana Japanese: Unlike its stylish cousins, ramen and shabu-shabu, sukiyaki isn’t precisely a cultural zeitgeist, but this showstopper should be. A skillet-size Japanese hot pot (or donabe) comes to the table trailing fragrant steam from onions, tofu, mushrooms, green onion and thin strips of rib-eye steak swimming in a sweet, salty, umami-packed broth. Served with rice and a raw egg for dipping into. 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-586-0270, hanajapanese.com. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)
Seafood Ramen at The Taste of Tea: A tasty medley of scallops, shrimp and squid in a shiso ponzu broth. 109 North St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1995, thetasteoftea.com (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Lobster Soup at Chad’s Soup Shack: This farm market pop-up features a selection of weekly soups, so you’ll never know exactly what will be served, but if the Lobstaah Chowdaah is available, snap it up. Check their Facebook page for locations and updated menus. 707-583-9413.
Clam Chowder at Spud Point Crab Company: The most authentic clam chowder on this side of the Hudson. Rich and milky, your spoon won’t stand up straight in this creamy broth, but the seafood flavor is to die for. 1860 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9472. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
