25 Essential South Bay Area Restaurants

"A husband and wife duo opened Ox 9 in 2017, aiming to bring their favorite delicacy of Lanzhou handpulled noodles to the Bay Area. Paying homage to the centuries-old craft of making the unique style of noodles, every chef who works at Ox 9 has learned the technique from a master chef in Lanzhou, China. The noodles are served with warm, rich broth that’s been simmered with 30 spices for more than six hours. Visitors can customize the thickness of their noodles at Ox 9, which have a specific water-to-flour ratio that garners the optimal chewiness and slurpiness. Though the restaurant began with one location in Milpitas, it’s since expanded to Cupertino and San Mateo, with another set to open in Fremont." - Octavio Pena, Cathy Park