Thanks to Boston's Chowhound scouts, we had already heard about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café in Chelmsford. Our mouths were ready for our first bite when we heard a branch would be opening in Boston.
Here's the #4 Hand-Pulled Noodle (biang biang mian) dish loved by many of Gene's loyal fans.
Gene's offers the opportunity to set aside your Americanize palate and eat as you might in the city of Xi'an in Northwest China. This is a cuisine we haven't seen much of on the Boston food scene.
A pile of thick, chewy noodles are stretched, ripped, and cooked to order. Then, they're sauced with chili oil, garlic, and cilantro. Stir it up and slurp away. (These dishes are not as spicy as they look.The chili oil is humming rather than fiery.)
When the open sign came on last Wednesday, word spread quickly among the area food community and to the downtown workforce.
"Yes, sir, this is the place!"
The line was out the door when we arrived. And it took about a half hour from the end of the line to having a bag of food in our hands. There are a few tables inside, but we took our steaming-hot feast over to a table at Brewer Fountain on the Common. (The Chinatown Greenway Park is even closer to the noodle source.)
Our second dish was the #9 Cumin Lamb hand-pulled Noodles. This was our favorite. In additon to the noodles it had cumin lamb, sprouts, onions, peppers, and chili oil. The lamb was so delicious that we will add a couple of lamb skewers to my next order.
Here is a long conversation on Chowhound's Boston Board about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café.
And, here's the conversation about the new Boston location.
By the way, the café's namesake, flatbread with pork, and house noodle soups are on the list for our next visit.
86 Bedford Street, Boston, MA 02111 (map)
Phone: 617-482-1888
Hours: Monday – Friday: 11AM – 4PM (Weekend: Closed)
Payment: Cash only
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino