Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe

Now Wu toils happily at a small storefront, stretching noodles behind a counter. “Not many people want to do this,” he says. Hand-stretching noodles is an arduous process that rewards only those who appreciate sunrises. Still, Wu saw an opportunity: While Western Chinese restaurants like Xi’an Famous Foods are making waves in New York, Massachusetts lacks authentic Xi’an cuisine, hallmarked by noodle soups and flatbread. “In northwest China, we didn’t have much rice,” he explains. He opened on Thanksgiving Day 2011. When most Americans were scarfing turkey, Wu was rolling dough.