Heat oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until the shallots are golden brown.

Add the mushrooms and red pepper flakes and a little more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. The mushrooms will release most of their water and turn a deep golden brown.

Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and 2 cups of water. Heat to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. The broth should taste good enough to drink (if you want to adjust flavors to your personal taste, do so now by adding a little more soy sauce and/or vinegar).

In a separate pot, cook the noodles according to the package direction until al dente. Transfer the noodles into the broth to finish cooking for a minute or two.

Serve in bowls with the herbs. Add additional red pepper flakes as desired.

Optional: Dress your bowl with sesame seeds and/or sesame oil, as desired.