Gene’s exceeds expectations

Genes+exceeds+expectations

Mehul Shrivastava, News Editor

Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe is a small joint located in the famous Littleton Plaza of Westford. They offer a variety of soup and noodle dishes, satisfying the tastes of those who enjoy Chinese cuisine. They work efficiently and serve quality food, and the people working there are kind and offer whatever service you might need.

What was really interesting about the cafe is that their noodles are hand-pulled, and the making of the noodles can be witnessed when standing in front of the cash register, which provides fascinating insight into what goes on behind the counter.

I went on a Wednesday afternoon following a half-day, so the cafe was quite busy with people eating in or getting take-out. There was a counter at the back of the restaurant to order and pick up the food, with a menu dsiplayed on two televisions above. The rest of the restaurant had a number of tables so everyone could be accounted for, and there was not a shortage of space. Despite the numerous customers present, orders were getting called out by the minute, displaying the speed of the employees.

When I first walked in to check out the menu, I noticed the choices had very little vegetarian or chicken options, only one or two of each, while pork and beef dishes were more common. I settled with a hot and sour hand-pulled noodle soup, one of the vegetarian options available. The total came out to be nine dollars.

When my dish came out a few minutes later, the first thing I noticed was that the serving size was generous, which made the nine dollars worth every cent. As I sampled the dish, it exceeded my expectations.

The soup was hot and light, and the hot and sour flavor added a delightful kick to the dish. The vegetables, mainly sprouts, were also cooked to perfection, and became the crunchy aspect that the soup needed.

However, the most important part turned out to be the hand-pulled noodles. Since they are made by hand, they are significantly larger than normal noodles, but this worked in favor of the soup. They were soft, but not too soft, providing the chewy factor to the soup, and brought everything together.

Looking back at my experience at the restaurant, I found both the service and the food to be thoroughly satisfying. Furthermore, as it was my first time there, the employees were kind and answered all my questions and gave me options as well.

Overall, I would rate this cafe a 9/10. The only thing it lacked was more vegetarian or chicken options. Otherwise, the restaurant was great in both service and food quality.

Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe can be found in the plaza on 175 Littleton Road. They can be reached at (978) 692-3406.