When the temperature is faltering and drops below freezing, nothing can compare to a bowl of hot broth.

A hearty noodle soup is delicious at any time of the year, but in autumn and winter, restaurant demand will be higher.

Chris Benson, the owner and chef of Bone & Broth, said: “When the weather gets cold, especially after the time has changed so early, you will always find yourself looking for comfort food.” “This is an instinct. , Almost like a bear wants to prepare for hibernation."

He said that Benson's own desire for comfort food in cold weather led to the birth of the restaurant's broth bowl. 

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"We have always liked noodle bowls such as ramen or pho, so we adopted the concept we like and applied our southern flavor to them," Benson said.

He said that broth is an indispensable part and foundation of a noodle bowl, and it is built on an infinite combination of ingredients and flavors.

Many chefs offer interesting and delicious options on their menus to help cold, hungry diners. Here are some things that can get you through this winter.

Bone & Broth specializes in making broth-this is the restaurant's name. One of Benson's creations, a broth bowl for short, contains fresh linguine egg noodles, carrots, mushrooms, green beans, caramelized onions, eggs, and spring onions.

The culinary artist compares the broth to a canvas on which countless flavors can be exerted, providing rich, rich and deep flavors without making the dishes feel too heavy.

"The beauty of our broth bowl is the juxtaposition of taste and texture. Just like a salad, a lot of the fun lies in the personalization of your perfect bite and how you want to combine these ingredients when you eat," Benson said. "You will get the crisp green smell from scallions and lentils, a softer sweetness from caramelized onions and roasted carrots, the extra earthy flavor of mushrooms, the joy of eating fresh pasta, all with jam The taste. The soft-cooked egg yolk."

For protein, Benson prefers to add lard to his bowl. However, he said, diners can't go wrong with the addition of crispy pork belly or any other choice.

Bone & Broth also offers mushroom soup and vegetarian soup bowls. 

"Because everyone deserves a little comfort at this time of the year," Benson said.

View the full menu at boneandbrothasheville.com.

Ito Ramen and Japanese Snacks offer traditional ramen cooked in the restaurant’s signature style. The average cooking time for ramen is 6 to 8 hours, using many locally sourced ingredients and rich flavors.

According to the bar manager Will Silva, there are several bowls to choose from, but the best-selling one is Itto Deluxe Ramen.

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Itto Deluxe Ramen started with the restaurant’s original broth recipe and in-house ramen noodles. Then add black garlic oil, barbecued pork, boiled eggs, chopped green onion and bamboo shoots to give diners a different taste experience.

"This is our traditional pork and chicken soup, but it has black garlic oil added, so it has a bit richer, richer, and more avant-garde flavor," Silva said. "It also brings consistency to the tipping point of stew. It's a great meal for everyone."

Large chunks of tender char siu pork-or pork belly-raise the level of this dish and make it a fan favorite. Silva said that mushrooms are "delicious little shortbread", while bamboo shoots and seasoned boiled eggs are "extraordinary." So much so that diners often ask to put two or three eggs in their bowls.

Finally, add a little spicy chili oil to taste.

"You have a good balance, delicious and a bit hot, and can bring out its body," he said.

Itto Miso, Curry and Seafood Ramen are all menu choices.

View the full menu at ittoramen.com.

Chef Michael Lewis said that Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse offers a type of "Big + Bowlsy" ramen main course, which is simple but rich and full of flavor. These dishes are listed for individual diners, but it is not uncommon for guests to request small bowls and spoons to be shared with the table.

"In the colder months, people crave warm, nourishing comfort food," Lewis said. "The ramen bowl satisfies this craving with rich broth, noodles or dumplings, and they even secretly added some vegetables."

He said that duck hot pot is a "must have" dish that diners often praise.

Lewis said: "The overwhelming feedback is that for diners looking for comfort food full of Asian flavors, these bowls are hitting the best spot."

Duck hotpot contains duck dumplings, smoked soy sauce soup and mushrooms.

The dumplings are handmade every day and are stuffed with duck meat. The remaining bones are smoked and used to make broth.

Other meaty "Big + Bowlsy" options are pork belly and spicy pork barbecue. If you don’t eat meat, you can consider vegetarian ramen noodles made with yuzu salt soup, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms and half-boiled eggs.

Check out the full menu at ukiahrestaurant.com.

Tiana Kennell is a food reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, a subsidiary of USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage.