Meet the First Noodle of China

"Murals explain the history of the dish, note the broth is simmered for six hours with 28 spices, and show the skyline of Lanzhou, dubbing it 'a golden city on the silk road,' at this modern eatery across from the Caltrain San Mateo station, a half-hour ride south of San Francisco. Ox 9 offers six noodle shapes – large flat (pappardelle-like), small flat, regular, small or medium round, and belt flat – for its beef noodles, which cost about $15 at time of reporting. Add-ons include egg, vegetables, and extra beef, noodles, or soup. The name and logo refer to a Chinese proverb about the stubbornness of the people of Lanzhou: 'Even nine bulls cannot pull them back.' Founder David Liu, who trained in noodle-making in Lanzhou, opened the first eatery to serve Lanzhou beef noodles in Northern California in 2017 in Milpitas (it’s now closed). Ox 9’s San Mateo location opened in 2022; others are in Cupertino, Mountain View, Fremont, and the Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara." - Sharon McDonnell