I visited Northern Cafe about two weeks ago while I was out shopping and realized I was starving. I looked up what was nearby and was pleasantly surprised to find this restaurant just a short walk away. Sorry for the late review--I never seem to write them on the actual day of my visit! We arrived during lunch hours and discovered they offer lunch specials, which were surprisingly affordable. I have to admit, I'm usually skeptical of very inexpensive lunch specials because, as we say where I'm from, "sometimes cheap ends up being expensive." In other words, I worry that lower prices might mean lower quality. That was absolutely not the case here. The biggest surprise of the meal was the dan dan noodles. Wow. They were absolutely delicious--easily one of the highlights of the meal. Honestly, everything we ordered was very good. The service from our server, Carlos, was great, and another server who was blond and spoke Spanish was even more attentive. Both were very friendly and helpful. We were so hungry when we arrived that we completely missed the "Wait to be Seated" sign and almost walked halfway through the restaurant before realizing our mistake--our apologies for that! The restaurant itself feels cozy and welcoming. I visit this shopping area quite often, and I'm really glad I discovered Northern Cafe because I will definitely be coming back from time to time. If you're looking for a delicious and affordable lunch, I highly recommend trying their lunch specials. The quality of the food far exceeded my expectations, and I don't think you'll regret giving this place a try. read more

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Really wanted to eat hear. Sat down at 8:17 and was rushed to order. Working at so many restaurants I feel bad for the owners. We planned to have a quick dinner after leaving an event. 40 or so mins we know is the enough time to order and leave. There were only 2 tables out side of us and before even asking us for a drink they lets us know kitchen was closing in 5 mins. Sorry we thought kitchen was open till a last call desert at 8:45pm Many restaurants around here don't function this way. Especially fine dining. And I know it might not be but I know the owner still has the same rent prices out here! read more

Maria was a superstar! She gave excellent menu recommendations, was incredibly attentive, and went above and beyond to make our experience great. Her friendly attitude and attention to detail made us feel genuinely welcomed and well taken care of. Northern Cafe is lucky to have her. She turned a good meal into a great experience, and we look forward to coming back. read more

Northern Cafe is our favorite Chinese spot in El Segundo. It's always so consistent with the quality, service, and atmosphere. Our must gets are the string beans, walnut honey, and the dumplings. Love that they have happy hour deals in honor of the World Cup, great prices for beers on draft. The workers are so nice and gave us good recommendations. ig: @cravingswithcat read more

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Four stars only because, even though they were severely understaffed, our waiter tried very hard to be accommodating on a Tuesday night. Food itself was normal, the flavors and seasonings weren't traditional but decent Enough to eat. Plenty of parking in the lot. Very casual ambiance, lot of families. Did have to wait quite a bit for everything to come out because of the lack of staff. read more

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Today, We discovered the Northern Cafe. The food was absolutely delicious, just bursting with flavor! We were very pleased with Carlos' friendly attentive service & look forward to going there again! read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Chicken Wontons in Chili Oil (8) - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

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My god, the food here is delicious! It wasn't too crowded at noon so barely any wait time. The Beef Rolls are to die for, the Chinese pancake wrap it was in was so crispy and it comes with a side of sauce, yum! The string beans are also very good, very well seasoned with garlic. And the pork dumplings, the bomb! It also comes with sauce and optional ginger. The server was outstanding. And the atmosphere was great, not noisy. If I'm down in that area again, I will try more items. As a Chinaman, I give this 5 stars across the board! read more

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It's a well known chain and I typically have a go-to order at the Irvine location. I was surprised to see that they didn't offer popcorn chicken at this location. They did have plenty to choose from, which was good. Service could've been better, we asked the food runner for hoisin sauce but he didn't know if they have any so he said he would need to ask the server. It took a while to get boxes for our leftovers too. The food was good, loved their spicy chili oil that accompanied the wontons. The beef wrap was perfectly crispy outside, yet very juicy in the inside. read more

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Stopped in briefly to kill some time before a Hammer & Nail appointment and decided to grab a drink. Turns out it was happy hour -- half off beers and cocktails, which was a great surprise. I went inside, sat down, and was greeted right away by the waitress Diana who made sure I was properly taken care of. The restaurant was empty at the time, so service was super fast and attentive. I ordered the Yuka Mule, and the presentation was on point. It came out in a proper mule cup, and the bartender definitely didn't skimp on the pour. I didn't try the food this visit, but based on the experience, I'm confident it's just as good. I'll definitely be back for dinner. read more

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Northern cafe is amazing. They soooometiles struggle with consistency, but overall solid Chinese food and dim sum. Perfect for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. My favs are the pork chili dumplings and beef fried rice. Also, excellent milk teas. Jasmine green milk and Thai milk teas are a stand out. The orange chicken is good too! They are quick once you get your order in. They accommodate allergies well, as I have a shellfish allergy. The place is very clean, usually has open tables and always has a game on or the Olympics as of late;) read more

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Love this place's food so much. Cucumber salad ( maybe too garlicky) and vegetarian mapo tofu! ( no ground pork)... perfect sauce that I have tried to replicate at home and failed! The wait staff was lovely. It is a little noisy on a Friday afternoon, but the cacophonous sound didn't disturb us because my pal Michael and I were just chatting away as " close talkers"... ;))) Parking is free and plenty of spots! We had a great time and next time we are going out for dinner vs lunch! read more

I was sat immediately as a solo party, but the restaurant was busy for big parties. I ordered the house special beef noodle soup and the pork wontons in chili oil. The soup broth was phenomenal. The pork wontons were the real star of the meal. I ordered tea, but they had no more tea pots. They offered alternatives but I was fine with just water. A delicious 10/10 read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - House Special Beef Noodle Soup 红烧牛肉面 - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

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We stopped by the restaurant for a quick lunch after a morning walk at the nearby beach. Inside it was modern, well lit, and spacious enough for 60 to 80 guests. The courteous waitress got us seated right away and promptly brought the menu which was similar to other Northern Cafes but with less noodle type selection. For this visit, we ordered the following items: House Special Beef Noodle Soup: The portion was quite generous. The broth with its blend of spices was savory with slight umamish sweetness and a tad spicy. The thin style noodles were nicely cooked and al dente. The beef pieces were tender and flavorful. Boiled Shrimp, Pork, Chives Dumplings: We ordered the regular boiled pork and cabbage dumplings originally but got these ones instead. What a lucky mistake, the blend of pork and shrimp had a very nice texture, and fillings were very flavorful. The wraps were boiled perfectly without any tears. Pork Potstickers: The wraps were nicely pan fried, not too oily and with beautiful crispy browning on the underside. The fillings with pork and chives were flavorful and aromatic. Pig Ear in Chili Oil: The thinly sliced pig ears were fresh and nicely crunchy. The seasoning was pleasant and slightly numbing spicy from Szechuan peppercorns. A nice lunch overall and we will definitely visit it again whenever we are in the area. read more

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No one wants to go out on rainy nights so we decided to order in. This place is super efficient. We only had to wait about 30 minutes for delivery. Food was still surprisingly warm! The only downside is that the crispy chicken is not as crispy as takeout versus eating at the restaurant. But I am so impressed that they take so much care in packing the containers nicely even for take out orders. read more

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The food here was ok, the soup dumplings were the best out of the few things we ordered. The dan dan noodles were strong in peanut flavor which is alright. Unfortunately the shrimp chili wontons were not good. The cucumber on the inside tastes wrong. We ended up not eating the rest of the wontons due to the flavor. The service was great and the location is nice and easy to find. read more

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Good family friendly casual dining place for Chinese food that is close to Manhattan Beach. We had a couple of small children with us so we went for an early evening dinner . Not crowded at 4pm. They did have a lot of people coming in to pickup food to go. Enjoyed the orange chicken, Mongolian beef , shrimp and green beans. Hot and sour soup was a little too salty and could have had more vegetables like bamboo shoots and wood ear fungus. Service was good and we enjoyed our meal. read more

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The Baseline: For Asian dumplings, the food flavors need to be authentic, the portions have to be properly sized, and the restaurant must be comfortable and stylish. Food: Update (Aug 2025) - Had the Pork Soup Dumplings, scallion pancakes, House fried rice, and the Green Beans. I love the green beans and even when they are heated up the next day they are good. Service: Update (Aug 2025)- Good service today with me only having to ask for water refills once. Atmosphere: Update (Aug 2025) - Clean tables, dining area, and bathrooms. read more

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Great service & great food. The wait time was very fast lots of space & good ambiance

Food was great however the restaurant is pretty understaffed but they accommodated us quickly and took our order as soon as they could. We had honey walnut shrimp, orange chicken (both come with steamed rice), chicken dumplings, cucumber salad, and pork and crab meat dumplings. read more

What an unexpected feast! We went here for a lunch and left fully satisfied! For a "chain" Chinese restaurant, Northern Cafe serves very authentic and delicious Northern Chinese cuisine, and when you come during happy hour, the food was surprisingly pretty darn affordable! The service was also great! We first started with the humble Chicken Noodle Soup and it was a strong first dish with its refreshing clear broth, yummy noodles, and chicken. The chili oil at our table works well to add even more interest to this already delicious noodles, and we completely finished this bowl of goodness. Next, we had the green onion pancake, and it came with a very delicious dipping sauce that has a tangy, earthy flavor that added some depth to the pancake. The pancake itself can use a little more thickness and filling, but the crispiness was perfect. After that, we had both the Pork & Cabbage Pan-fried Dumplings and the Juicy Pork Dumplings. Boy, it was hard to choose which one is better because they're both delicious, but I think the Pork & Cabbage won out because it was ALSO a juicy soup dumpling, so when you add the combination of the pan-fried exterior, it was such a perfect dumpling. Both also paired well with the chili oil as well as the soy sauce. Next on our list was the Lao Gan Ma Fried Noodle with Chicken, and this dry noodle dish was it very savory in flavor, with a hint of spiciness and sweet soy. I like the subtle complexity of this noodle dish because you have opposing and adjacent flavor profiles working well together. Last and unfortunately least, the Hot & Sour Soup was the only dish that didn't quite work for us. The taste seemed a little odd, like it wasn't what we expected from hot & sour soup. It's not bad, but it was clearly our least favorite dish. All in all, we could have easily chosen at least 8-10 more menu items from Northern Cafe, so you can expect us to be back soon! read more

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I hope a manager or owner sees this review for their information. Off day on Friday night 1/30/26. As usual, customers are often ignored when entering the restaurant. The servers would walk by the entrance but not acknowledge the customers. I assume they're not tasked with being the host to seat people, but they don't even say hi, and the host rarely comes timely. That's an awkward wait since the restaurant is usually less than 50% full. Someone at the cashier counter could at least make eye contact and motion that they'll be right there, but they don't. Fried rice and rick cake came out promptly so we were off to a good start. However, fried rice was less flavorful than usual, while the rice cake was too salty. Okay enough. I wouldn't have written this update if just that. Pork soup dumplings came out next and were fine. However, we had ordered two orders, and the second order didn't come until we were done eating. There's no excuse for this. They weren't even busy and the order was definitely placed in the computer. Beef noodle soup came out next but was lukewarm,. Both the soup and the noodles were barely hotter than room temperature , so we had to send it back to get heated properly. However, we had a hard time finding our server. We had to reluctantly raise our hand to get someone's attention, but 3 of the workers flat out looked at my raised hand and looked away carrying on with their own business. Dan dan noodles and pan fried pork and cabbage dumplings were fine. The restaurant wasn't even busy but both the kitchen and the service had an off night. read more

Order for delivery and the food came steaming hot! It was our first time trying this location since there are several in the South Bay! The food was delicious given that it was a take out order! We can't imagine how it would have been in person! The dumplings were juicy and filled with deliciousness! The fried noodles were a staple for us. They even gave us a few free rice bowls which was nice! We are definitely planning on going in person next time! We can't wait to try other dishes! read more

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Ambiance: it's a trendy Chinese restaurant located in el segundo, shared parking lot with other merchants, spacious dining and comfortable sofa seats inside Service: friendly although slow, it took a while to place the order and get water Food & Drink: standard northern cafe menu Pig Ear in Chili Oil - **** tasty and crunchy, recommend Cucumber Salad - *** light taste Szechuan Boiled Fish - ** not made fresh, tasted old Golden Soup Hot Pot - *** Beef, Beef Meatball, Corn, Fishball, Frozen Tofu, Imitation Crab, Konjae Jelly, Sausage, Spam, Tempura fish stick, Wood ear, variety of choices, very salty broth Dan Dan Noodle - **** with ground pork, green onion, tasty dry noodle, recommend Jasmine Green Tea - **** refreshing taste Jasmine Genmaicha, aroma of toasted rice, recommend Price: moderate portions and reasonable prices, expect $40~$45 per person read more

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Ordered through DoorDash. I've ordered from other northern cafe locations but this place was disappointing. Got the beef rolls, Dan Dan noodle, walnut shrimp, shrimp wontons in chili sauce, eggplant with garlic sauce. The beef roll was as good as other places. The Dan Dan noodle could have used a bit more flavor. The walnut shrimp was very bland. Not sure why this place was so different from other northern cafe places. read more

The Chinese Pancake with Pork, Beef Roll, Beef Noodle Soup, House Special Beef Noodle Soup, and Sichuan Boiled Fish were generously portioned. Whether you're craving comforting noodle soup, spicy Sichuan specialties, or classic street-food favorites, this restaurant has a wide selection. read more

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I really like it here. It's affordable, the food is good, and the location is nice. It gives off a nice vibe. Our waitress was really kind and funny. I've been here a few times and everyone is always so nice and welcoming. They're also very patient with you and help you pick what to order. Portions are large, so expect to eat family style. The buns are huge. Only 1 comes per order and we were expecting them to be small. There's a reason it's only 1 per order...we should have known! In the many times I've been here, I would say my favorite dishes are the cucumber salad and green onion pancake. read more

Great go-to Chinese spot...perfect for a quick, tasty meal with the family. I'm really into this place for a few solid reasons. The Chinese food is just plain good...maybe not the most authentic, but exactly what I want from a takeout-style or casual sit-down meal. No frills, no fuss. Easy in and out. It's usually pretty mellow during lunch or early dinner, which makes it ideal when you've got kids in tow. Super family-friendly. The orange chicken, beef and broccoli, and shrimp fried rice are all hits at our table. I also love that it's surrounded by fun little retail spots to browse before or after, and there's even a nearby haircut place we take the kids to. Good food, kid-friendly vibes, and convenient...can't go wrong! read more

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Came back for beef noodle soup and ended up ordering beef noodle soup, fish, and eggplant. The beef noodle soup is good but lacks a bit flavor. The fish and eggplant were way better. Very flavorful and saucy. Both fish and eggplant come with a side of rice, which was very necessary with these dishes! Service was very fast and we were helped and served within a few minutes. This spot is a slightly elevated but casual Taiwanese restaurant and is very good for west la! read more

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Ordered here again and their portions seemed to get much smaller than before. Ordered 2 beef rolls, orange chicken and chicken pan fried dumplings. Flavor is still good, although the dumplings and orange chicken was soggy, even though it was picked up right away. We took out, so could t comment on service., although we got our order fairly quickly. read more

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Food: 4/5 Food was great, had the lunch specials including Dan Dan noodles, pork potstickers, pork ribs with rice and a side of black tea (sweet). Definitely order the black tea, so refreshing, wished it was free refills i would have been off the rails. Overall great food, can't go wrong! Service: 5/5 Quick, attentive staff. Very nice. Ambience: 4/5 Nice, clean, modern. Great for lunch, plenty of space. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Black tea (ice/sweet) - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

Nice modern Chinese restaurant with an efficient staff even for a party of 9. Yup, we were 7 adults 2 kids and they handled us very well and served us quickly so the kids didn't get too restless...they even gave a kids menu which was perfect for our 5 year old. Food was nice and tasty, portions weren't large but good enough. Nothing outstanding but we were all satisfied and happy. There's lots of parking around the restaurant and in a nearby parking building for the El Segundo mall. read more

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Tasty dishes, some unique recipes, nice surroundings. Great and helpful service especially for first time guests. Affordable prices especially as it's served family style just as you would expect it in an authentic Chinese restaurant. Open all day for lunch or dinner, a hidden gem! read more

Their Dan Dan noodle is really good and lunch special comes with Iced Honey Jasmine Tea. Service here is excellent and ambiance is casual. read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Dan Dan Noodle 担担面 - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

Northern Cafe‧ follow @no0delle for more food recs [] 700 S Allied Way Ste A, El Segundo, CA 90245 [] review: If there's anything that reminds me of my childhood, it's dim sum, and Northern Cafe has literally everything you need. Everything was so delicious and honestly hits the spot. I love garlic string beans and this was so garlicky!!! Literally so yummy and so delicious with rice. The hotpot was also so good and SO spicy, so if you're a fan, definitely try this! Also shoutout to our server Maria who was so attentive and helpful. She definitely made our experience 100x better [] order info: Garlic String Beans Cucumber Salad Beef Scallion Rolls Pork Soup Dumpling Crab and Pork Soup Dumpling Beef Dumpling Jasmine Milk Tea Thai Tea read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California

We popped in here for a random early dinner and wasn't impressed. We got a kids meal for the 7 year old and 1 year old to share and the server didn't bring an extra kid plate. We asked for one and he paused and gave us a weird look. Then he brought another plate that was clearly used!! It had food remnants on it and was greasy! Unbelievable. Very low standards. My husband got the beef with broccoli which was really salty - felt like too much soy sauce. There was a good portion of meat to broccoli though. The spicy shrimp wonton was terrible. There was shrimp with straight up raw lettuce in the wonton. The sauce wasn't spicy at all. It was covered in peanuts. The combination just wasn't good. The chicken soup dumpling was mediocre. The flavor wasn't great and the cover for the dumpling was too thick, it didn't absorb the flavor at all. Kind of bland, meh. Would definitely try a different restaurant in the area next time. read more

The restaurant was spacious and clean. It was easy to find parking on Saturday around 5 PM. This was the fourth Northern Cafe location that I've visited and unfortunately, it was by far the most disappointing one. They only serve one cut of noodles which was fine, but the broth lacked flavor and the soup dumplings... had no soup. The chili oil tasted noticeably different (no flavor) compared to the other locations. Our server was very unfamiliar with the menu, which didn't help the experience. To be straightforward, food just wasn't good. It lacked the authentic flavors of Northern Cafe, almost like they tried to imitate the real thing? read more

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This place has really gone downhill since it first opened. The restaurant currently has a C health score - huge red flag already. The sloppiness shows both in front of house and food execution. We liked the beef roll, but that was it. Everything else was inauthentic and over-salted. The mapo tofu, being as salty as it is, comes with a laughably small mound of rice that doesn't even fill the little rice bowl. Worse yet, the house special beef noodle soup was inedible. The noodles tasted gluey, like raw dough. The beef was the wrong cut. The soup was like saltwater. When we told our server about the raw noodles in the beef noodle soup, he took it away and said the manager would come talk to us. But the manager was too busy to show up. After waiting 15 minutes, we asked for the bill. They still charged us for the beef noodle soup even though the food was raw and they took most of it back. There was no apology, no attempt to remake the dish or replace it with something else. I'm generally okay with minimal service, as long as the food is good. But bad service, bad food, and bad hygiene is an epic failure. So sad because my family loves Chinese food and the South Bay doesn't have that many good options, but we won't be returning. read more

I am a big Northern Cafe and I am pleased to share this place is just as good as the other locations I've visited, including Northridge! There are so many dishes that I recommend again and again. Highly recommend the beef roll - perfect to share and absolutely delicious. Of course, the soup dumplings are amazing. The Dan Dan noodles are pretty good. Service is quick and efficient. The interior can get full during brunch and dinner. Plenty of free parking in the lot nearby. This place is in a busy area with plenty of shops and eateries in the vicinity. read more

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Glad there is a decent Chinese food spot in the area. This spot is good to itch that craving for some soup dumplings and wontons. The chicken wings were crispy and hot when they came out. The only let down was the soup which came out with a slight burnt taste but the server was able to take it back and remove from the bill so great service! Inside has plenty of tables and TVs where they are playing sports game. With beer on tap it's a great place to hang and snack on Chinese read more

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Ordered takeout yesterday and the chicken was completely raw. It's like it wasn't even cooked read more

Northern Cafe - El Segundo - Chinese Near Me - El Segundo, California