Move over, rice—noodles are the Asian starch du jour. From Japan’s slippery ramen to Thailand’s chewy pad thai, they’ve all gone mainstream. One of the country’s most coveted reservations is at David ...

On the floor of Nongshim’s noodle factory in the city of Gumi, there’s an industrial symphony playing out: the grinding of wheat flour and rattle of rollers gives way to the rhythmic swish of blades ...