Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe

Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe serves Western Chinese cuisine in downtown Boston, near the edge of Chinatown. Its specialty is freshly hand-pulled noodles, served in hot and sour soup, in lamb broth with slow-cooked lamb, or simply tossed with minced garlic, crushed cayenne, scallions and cilantro. The menu also includes hand-rolled thin noodles, handmade pork dumplings in spicy sour soup and cumin lamb skewers.

Owner Gene Wu came to the Boston area almost two decades ago from Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province in northwest China, to study chemistry and find steady work. He did the corporate grind for a while but wanted more, and he started the cafe. Reviews praise the texture of the hand-pulled noodles and note that staff will explain dishes and that meals can be adjusted to taste.

What to Know

• Orders can be placed online for pickup.
• Vegetarian options include hand-pulled noodles in a hot and sour vegetable soup.
• The cafe is listed by the Downtown Boston Alliance.