Ordered delivery of the hot sour hand pulled noodle soup with pork. I have been on the hunt for some good hand pulled noodles ever since noodle king shut down. These did not disappoint! Very flavorful sour chili oil broth, tender meat, chewy noodle and good portion size. This will be my go to from now on for pulled noodles. I usually order mild to medium spice and the half spicy was perfect for me. read more

The place is a little bare, but it has a warm feeling to it. They're set up for mainly to go and delivery orders, but they still have bar seating along the entire front window with 5 stools and a 4 seat table top They have a monitor at the front for you to order from. Touch screen. They're cash only if you go through them, but if you use their given touch screen, or go online yourself, you can use card It was pretty simple. On the monitor, you enter your phone number so they can text you your receipt and when your order is ready. Mine was ready within 3-4 minutes! I ordered the house noodle soup with pork & veggies, plus a Tea Egg. The broth, pork, veggies all come in the same to go bowl, noodles separate. Even the tea egg had a separate container. Nice if you are traveling far with the food, so it's appreciated Noodles were a great texture, just had a little factory-made feel (I should've paid extra for their hand pulled noodles!!!) Broth was fantastic. Veggies were a little simple--just cubed carrots, a few beans from a can, and potato. But the potato had a hint of vinegar to them, which really paired well with the broth! It was unexpected but added a little complexity to the thin broth. Not heavy, not overpowering Tea egg was nothing special. But I love a good egg when I can get it so I tried. It was only $1.50 add on Meat was a bit sparse, a little fatty, but flavorful All in all a solid meal. Great portion. Not too fatty, not too salty. I would've added a little more spice, but normal is fine. Filling but not heavy. I definitely want to try more on their menu. Simple menu, but it seems like they know what they have and do it well. I hope their cumin lamb is as good as it looks! read more

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Absolutely love this place!!!! I always get their hand pulled noodles with lamb skewers on the side! It's too good for words! Perfect meal to eat on a cold winter's day. The richness of the oil is probably bad for my arteries but I don't care lol. Quaint little shop in Boston. Must see! read more

It's a weird hole in the wall--there are android tablets with visible charger wires to take orders, and except for when I got my food handed to me, no one acknowledged me at any time. It's kind of dirty and there's almost no seating, so plan on taking it to go. The food is fantastic. Get some hand pulled noodles. read more

PRO: If you're looking for spicy noodles, this place makes their noodles fresh and they have a bold taste to their soup! I enjoyed trying to me for the first time and will definitely return!! CON: You have to bring cash, I'm not sure if you can order online or pay with car there. The employee there doesn't seem to care too much about the service but it's a hole in a wall where you grab your food, eat there and leave. A self serve type of place. read more

Serves food really fast! Mostly catered towards takeout orders. Authentic vibes, the noodles aren't too spicy, but gives option to add more or less spice. Good hot food for a good price. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #4 Hand-Pulled Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I came with my friend on a Saturday evening. I had a pretty hard time finding the restaurant - it's location isn't ideal (and it's a bit sketch - at least at night lol). They're only doing take out and they're cash only unless you order online. After verbally making our order, we waited around 10 minutes for our food to be made. We ordered the cumin lamb hand pulled noodles (#9). I specifically ordered mine without bean sprouts and cilantro. Since there was no seating, we ended up walking to Quincy Market to find somewhere to eat. I really liked the texture of the noodles - they were thick, chewy, and springy! They weren't overly garlicky, so I'm not sure where all of those complaints are coming from. The flavor of the lamb was also very good - perfectly savory/sour! I did end up taking out a bunch of raw onions, though. Overall, we really liked the hand pulled noodles! I do hope they open for dine in soon. read more

This far east, it's hard to find Xi'an food that is THIS authentic. I mean, it's almost literally from the other side of the world. The cumin lamb is true to its name - spiced perfectly and grilled to perfection. I also ordered the hand-pulled noodles and lamb flatbread sandwiches. The hand-pulled noodles were pretty good, but not amazing. Gene's is currently only open for take-out, so perhaps they'll be better when eaten freshly out of the kitchen. It could've done without the shredded vegetables on top - the textural contrast doesn't quite work with the bouncy wide noodles in my opinion. The lamb flatbread sandwich was excellent. Really juicy, lamby, and filling. It was enough to last me the entire day. What a bang for your buck. read more

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Cash only. Small hole in the wall. They're known for their hand pulled noodles. I got the hand pulled noodles with chili oil and a tea egg. The texture of the noodles had a nice chew to it. Only downside was that there was literally no broth to my noodles. The chili oil wasn't so much of chili oil but chili powder. Because the noodles did not have any broth and the chili was not oil, it was kind of hard eating the last half since the chili powder made it so dry with a chalky taste. Not comparable to other places I have tried but I would go back and try their hot and sour noodle soup if I ever come back to Boston. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Maybe we came on an off day because reviews are great. Visited on sat oct 14 around 330 pm. Paid cash and told the cashier we are eating at the restaurant. 20 min checked on status of the food and turns out the cashier had packed it to go. The cashier (maybe she was having a bad day or just started?) Looked very oblivious. The lady next to us asked for chili oil because the food was not good today and the cashier had no reaction. The cook in the kitchen had to tell the cashier a few times to take the food to a dine on table. The food itself was mediocare. The xian cold noodles barely had any bean sprouts and pork. The lamb skewer had a weird texture and seemed off - i had to spit it out. The lamb hand pulled noodles were actually decent. read more

Definitely would come back again! Comments: Food was really good and I had a smaller appetite so the handpulled pork with flatbread was enough to fill me up. The meat came out fresh and you know because it's flavorful and juicy. There was times it did get a bit salty but the flatbread paired the meat well. I really appreciate that the bread did not get soggy even though there was constantly juice seeping out of the meat. I did wish there was some cilantro in it though. I think that would really help balance the taste and make it refreshing. As for the location, it is quite obscure in a quieter street. The interior was also not quite made for a dining experience. There were counters opposite of the interior that I took a photo of but not exactly the most welcoming. One thing to also note is that walk-ins require cash. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Pick up and walk in - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is the epitome of a hole in the wall. There's very little space, so if you don't come early or get things to go, be prepared to wait for a table. My partner and I tried a few dishes: 1) The hand pulled noodles: These are a really fun adventure texture-wise, but flavor-wise, are fairly low in spiciness. This was fairly different from more traditional hand pulled noodles that I've had, which have more chili oil. There's chili oil that you can add by yourself at the counter, but I wish the baseline were more flavorful. It shouldn't be up to the customer to make something flavorful. 2) The pork flatbread: These were greasy and dry. The bun and the pork were both two dimensional. Although the name of this restaurant includes flatbread, the flatbread here disappoints. read more

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I got the noodles and skewers for lunch today and was not too impressed. The hand pulled noodles were too soft/not chewy enough and the sauce did not have much flavor. I liked the pieces of lamb in the bowl and how tangy the sauce was but it was still lacking for me. Generous portions for the price, though. Definitely more than enough for lunch. The skewers were really tender and well marinated but it was a little too spicy for me. It would have been perfect if the two dishes could just find a middle ground in terms of flavor. I also did not expect to find beansprouts in the noodles. I would have asked them to be removed otherwise. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #9 Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Love, love, love handpulled noodles so Gene's was one of the first places bookmarked before my trip to the area. Be warned that this place is popular and CASH ONLY. Lines can be out the door during the lunch rush and you can wait 10-20 minutes, but for being how packed it is you can get your food in ~10 minutes. Not the cleanest joint but hey, there are plenty of parks in the surrounding area to enjoy your meal. For ~$9 you can get yourself a delicious, piping hot, and flavorful bowl of long/flat hand pulled noodles. The #9 is a favorite and it's the hand pulled noodles with cumin/lamb. The noodles were thick and had a nice chew. They held the oils from the lamb/cumin well and I think the veggies on top added a nice flavor contrast from the savoriness. I only wish there were more chunks of lamb, but the noodles were tasty. We also got a lamb skewer ($1.5) on the side with a tea egg to try them out. The lamb skewer was OK for my taste buds and definitely flavored with plenty of cumin. Pieces were on the smaller side but it was a great bite between the noodle bowl. The egg was a nice option to try as well but I would likely pass from getting it next time. All in all, this place is an affordable option for fresh hand pulled noodles in the downtown area. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #9 cumin/lamb - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is such a hole in the wall that I'm so grateful to have discovered. I've tried biang biang noodles in xi'an and these are pretty authentic. Their hand pulled noodles are so chewy and satisfying. Paired with the sauces and soups it's an amazing meal! Also it's really affordable - most of their dishes are under $10 with the exception of a few noodle soups. They also sell skewers and asian flatbread sandwiches, which are good but not as amazing as their noodles! They're cash only and takeout/delivery only right now. read more

After living in the Boston area for a little while now, I've heard good things about this little hole-in-the-wall Chinatown restaurant, and was finally able to try it for the first time. We wanted to dine-in, and luckily there were a couple seats open for us to do so. The restaurant itself is very tiny and feels a bit cramped. They cater more to delivery/takeout orders, so there are only a couple tables open for seating. Dine-in is also cash only, as they do not accept credit/debit. We wanted to try a couple things from their menu so we ordered the pork sandwich, lamb sandwich, and lamb hand pulled noodles. Our food was served to us pretty quickly after ordering which was nice. The sandwiches were very delicious and flavorful, despite not having many toppings or sauces. The meat was cooked well and the bread was very unique which I liked. The noodles were also good but a bit different than what I was expecting. The broth wasn't my favorite, and I felt like there wasn't the perfect ratio of noodles to toppings/veggies. Still, I would definitely return back for their sandwiches and... honestly.... it's hard to beat the prices so you can't go too wrong here! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Pork sandwich, lamb sandwich, and lamb hand pulled noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Do not be deceived by the appearance of this small, no frills restaurant! Their hand pulled noodles are crazy good. I've had their plain hand-pulled noodles and their special #16 - hot and sour Xi'an noodle soup. Super flavorful and spicy - but just spicy enough for the average person. I do have to note that there is no AC here so be sure to either have some water handy on you or try their cold noodles! Super affordable and big portions - must I say more?! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #16 Hot and Sour Noodle Soup (ig: tmfoodies) - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great soup! House noddle soup with pork and get the lamb skewers and add it to the soup! You will thank me afterwards!!

4.5 stars. A small hole in the wall place, but highly recommend getting the hand pulled noodles with the flatbread so you can add the sauce and veggies from the noodles to the flatbread. Price is pretty good and the food came out quickly. read more

3.5/5 For me. Some of the food was 4 star good (the hot dumpling soup and the cold noodles) but the pork flatbread sandwich was only "alright". The meat was really well cooked, but it was just the meat and bread, so it tasted a little bland overall. It just needed "something" to give it a little more flavor. The soup broth and everything was very tasty, the only bad thing I can say is that the dumplings felt a little too doughy. The cold noodles were my favorite though and I thought they were great. We split everything 2 ways but for some reason they didn't give us enough utensils to eat our meal... We got 3 chopsticks and 1 spoon... I'm an eating master, so I made it work, but for a place that is primarily takeout, they made it really hard to enjoy their food. That, plus they were pretty standoffish and not very friendly when we ordered. I'd probably try another place before going back. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Hot dumpling soup, but come on man... 1 chopstick + jank spoon is not the way I want to eat it. - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This place was amazing!! You need to get the hand pulled noodles! New favorite in boston. Service was great. It says cash only but there is a iPad in house you can order from and pay by card read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Hand #16 Hot sour hand-pulled noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The hand pulled noodles are delicious and the lamb is well cooked. I just wish the broth was a bit less salty. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #2 Lamb hand-pulled noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Flatbread and meat was extremely dry, meat was not seasoned. The 孜然羊肉拌面 also had no flavor. We had to pan fry to reheat and season ourselves with chili oil and sesame oil. It's supposed to be thick noodles instead it's just flour split into four logs... would not go back. read more

Knock your socks off hand pulled noodles with lamb. Lamb skewers awesome. Just eat there. read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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my boyfriend had wanted to check this place out after seeing it on multiple articles and was wanting to try it. i looked it up and all the videos looked absolutely delicious! we had came here for lunch today and i will say this is 5 out of 5. the lamb skewers were to die for and the noodles were so delicious. the liquid in my bowl, i don't believe it was broth, because there was so little. it had a lime taste with the cilantro on top. so great. enjoyed this very much, i would only say there was a good amount of garlic! if you love garlic you will love that part of the bowl, if not you can request for no veggies or certain veggies to be exempt from your bowl! i would highly recommend this hidden gem! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #11 Spicy Cumin Lamb Skewer(1) #9 Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodle #4 Hand-Pulled Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Very good noodles & flatbread sandwich! Ordered the #9 (Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodle) and the noodle texture was so so good! The flavor felt very fresh & surprisingly not crazy oily, which is usually not the case. The flatbread tasted close to Naan, and it also had a very fresh taste. Definitely try this place out :) read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #9 Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ordered the #4 hand pulled noodle. Given that there's literally nothing to the bowl beyond noodles and garnish (no soup either), one can only expect the noodles to be amazing. Unfortunately, there wasn't much flavor beyond spice and garlic. It didn't have the texture that I enjoy from hand pulled noodles. For $6, you might as well grab a pho from one of the Vietnamese places nearby in Chinatown which at least comes with meat and soup for about the same price. Maybe it's the $12 bowls that everyone is raving over. read more

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I don't know. This place is hit or miss for me. The only thing I wish they can do is renovate the damn place. So uncomfortable to sit and so uncomfortable to order. Place looks dirty...but sometimes I just pretend I don't see it. read more

So fucking good! If it ever closed down I might just move to the woods, what would the point be in staying around. (My go to is the number 4 with lamb skewers (at least 2) regular or extra spice, my wife likes the cumin lamb noodles)! read more

TLDR: solid bowl of noodles You're getting a bowl of lamb noodles with plenty of veggies for a solid price. It's currently take out only and ordering online was incredibly easy. I also like how they'll send you a text and give you a call when the food is ready. This place has been featured in plenty of best of Boston lists and it makes sense. It's a good meal at a good price. read more

A hole in the wall shop near Boston Chinatown offering hand-pulled noodles and lamb skewers for very reasonable prices. The seating is a bit limited but it is a great place to quickly grab something to eat. The hand pulled noodles had great texture and the broth was pretty flavorful. The lamb skewers were also flavorful, but a bit dried out. Service was quick and it was easy to order using the kiosk! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It's been 2 years since I first came here as in intern in Boston... it's still as consistent as ever. Very simple menu, very solid taste. Hand-pulled noodles are a must-have-- get the lamb skewers if you're still hungry. One thing I've learned, though, is that ***you should mix very well before eating***. If you don't mix your noodles, the garlic/spice paste will overwhelm your nostrils like a teaspoon of wasabi. That concludes this PSA. read more

You will get close-to-authentic Shan'xi food here. I had a very content lunch yesterday with my partner- tasty lamb noodle soup, pork and lamb buns, and the meat skewers. The quality and quantity remained the same over the years. Big thumb to the owner to stay up. You may want to be prepared what Shan'xi food is like: Shan'xi is in the northwestern part of China. Due to the weather and approximate to Mongolia, with the influence of Islamic culture, the food tends to be heavy, meaty, less veggies, more flour, sour and spicy. The classic dishes include hand pulled noodle and knife-cut noodle with lamb, spicy chicken in a big plate, meat buns, etc. read more

Cheap, fast, and delicious. Everything you could ask for. I got the lamb noodle soup and it was amazing. Hot soup and flavorful all around. The texture if the noodles was chewy with a snap, and the lamb was tender as well. Would recommend! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Tip number one: Cash only establishment. Gene's Chine Flatbread is located on the outskirts of Chinatown, Boston. It's right around the corner of SAPA and across from The Chicken and Rice Guys. If you have a liking for lamb, you have to give this place a try. There is limited metered street parking. For appetizers we had the lamb skewers, pork flatbread, and a tea egg. All three were delicious. The lamb skewers were juicy and tender and nicely seasoned. I wished their was more cumin but that's only me. It's one of my favorite spices when it comes to lamb skewers. Their pork flat bread comes packed with a generous amount of pulled pork. Don't expect a lot of flavors other than lightly salted pork because that's all there is to it. It has a very simple flavor profile. The cold noodle salad is light and refreshing with large amounts of shredded carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts and sprigs of cilantros. It is served with a sliced tea egg and a sour vinegar dressing. For noodles I recommend the lamb hand pulled noodle soup which has a generous amount of thinly sliced lamb and hand pulled noodles. The broth is very flavorful and served piping hot, great for cold weather. The wood ear mushrooms add a crunchy texture. I found this noodle soup is very filling. If you prefer a dry version, the lamb hand pulled noodle would be a great alternative where you get to try both the lamb and hand pulled noodles. There is a bar seating area by the window that seats about five people. There is about six or so tables. We came around 3:00pm on a Friday and the restaurant was a third way full. I wouldn't recommend this place for large groups. You can probably do groups of four but any larger may be difficult to seat everyone at once if the restaurant is busy. You pay with cash and wait for your number to be called when the food is ready. Our food came out within 10-15 minutes. All of the noodle items came in takeout containers so if you didn't finish, you can conveniently take it to go. You can ask for a plastic bag to go at the front counter too. There are chopsticks, plastic forks and spoons, and napkins at the front counter. Their is also soy sauce, hot sauce, and chili oil as well. I find it pretty convenient to have this self service station so you don't have to keep asking for napkins and/or additional chopsticks or utensils. The restaurant was a bit of a tight space to maneuver and is also a bit stuffy. If you can, I would dine in to enjoy the food hot. But if you're ordering items that are served cold, I recommend taking it to go. See my pictures. read more

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delicious as always!! noodles were fresh and lamb was very tasty! and very fast service read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #4 with lamb! - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I finally tried the much-talked about and renowned hand-pulled noodles at Gene's and it did not disappoint! I tried the original Hand-pulled Noodles (#4) and the noodles were just the right thickness and chewiness. The garlic, spice, and acidity made the noodles addicting. The Boy and I could not stop eating it and it was not long until the bowl was gone. This place is cash-only so be sure to hit up an ATM before you arrive. Also if you like Liang Pi, they only serve their chilled cold skin noodles on the weekend - this is an item I will definitely be back to try because I haven't found a suitable Liang Pi yet in Boston but if Gene is able to provide, it'll be worth more frequent weekend trips! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - #4 hand-pulled noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Listen. I've been here 3 times now. The first, GREAT. The second, food poisioning. The third (today, December 11, 2019) COCKROACH. I went back after calling them and got my money back but there were still people EATING there and they were at order 80+ (I was #13) Dude. Update: spoke to the owner today, he clarified that the health department inspected them today (December 13, 2019) and found nothing... then asked me to change my review. While I understand that a bad yelp review is not good for business, you FED ME A COCKROACH. I have barely been able to eat in days. Everyone keeps asking me about it. I mean come on... read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Cockroach - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The pulled pork sandwich and hand pulled noodles were AMAZING.. wow what a gem. I wish I found this place sooner. I can't wait to go back

After seeing Gene's on a recent Eater list, it was on my radar to try but the limited hours (closes at 7 most days) complicated my plans. I finally made it for a weekday lunch this week and really enjoyed the hand pulled noodles and single lamb skewer. The value was incredible ($8.50 for everything), service was prompt, and environment is super causal - epitome of hole in the wall. Both the noodles and lamb skewer were packed to the brim with flavor and spice, and I cannot wait time try the cold salad and the flatbread. Others who arrived after me ordered both and my mouth was watering even though I had just eaten terrific food and was full. The dumpling soup that had recently been added to the menu was also enticing - motivation to come back again soon :) I will say that the hand pulled noodles were tasty overall but not cooked 100% perfectly so some bites were a bit chewy. Not a major issue and didn't get in the way of me loving the meal, but just a small area for improvement to make every bite flawless. Will definitely be back soon! read more

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - Hand pulled noodles - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts