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Northern Cafe in Irvine feels like a neighborhood go-to for comforting, authentic Chinese food. We ordered the beef pancake, beef roll, cumin lamb, stir-fried pork, and scallion beef, and everything was flavorful and satisfying. I also loved the three-item cold appetizer combo with wood ear mushrooms, shredded potato, and seaweed--fresh, tangy, and well seasoned. Their lunch special is a great deal too, including one main dish, soup, and rice. Generous portions, classic flavors, and a casual atmosphere make this an easy choice whenever you're craving a comforting Chinese meal in Irvine.
This is located in Irvine in the same plaza as H Mart. Plenty of parking spaces and open late. They have a QR Code to order online and they will bring the food at your table. We ordered beef noodle soup, shrimp wonton soup & chicken noodle soup. All soup are different, but flavorful. My favorite is the shrimp noodle soup. We also ordered beef wraps and scallion pancakes - it was crispy. Service is excellent - food came put really quickly after ordering.
Delicious Chinese food and great for family style! Near full house each time I visit but no worries - got seated quick. Casual restaurant with a selection of cold dishes displayed up front. Lemon water in pitcher is provided once you get seated. Order via QR code. A standout dish was the pork pancake, which was layered almost like a savory crepe. The exterior was crispy and slightly oily. Plenty of flavor packed into each bite mmm I also ordered the spicy sauerkraut lamb hot pot. It comes with flames & reminded me a bit of Boiling Point. Lots of napa cabbage in the broth. The lamb was excellently fatty... tender and soft! I've recently had another hot pot place with lean lamb so this was on point. Portions were generous and the price felt very reasonable. My favorite dish of the meal was the fatty beef with scallions. The beef was indeed fatty and rich flavor, with what I think was a nice subtle Shaoxing wine or cooking wine flavor. The natural sweetness of the onions balanced the savory, salty sauce nicely.
I have said it time and time again and I still stand by it... northern cafe gives din tai fung a run for its money!! The food is always prepared to perfection. Their menu is much more extensive. Their portions are much larger. The flavors are much bolder in my opinion. And they have fried chicken on the menu (say less) The ambience is always lively, fairly loud but no louder than any other sit down restaurant you'd visit. Their servers are quick and efficient. If you haven't tried northern cafe, highly recommend you give them a try!
instant love for this restaurant. i don't believe all of the locations have the same quality or menu items but this location in irvine was amazing. each dish came hot and fresh with perfect textures and flavors that tied together so well. parking is freely available in the main lot. for the quality and amount of food, i definitely have and will be back. Juicy Pork Dumplings soft, juicy, and bursting with flavor, these soup dumplings were delicious without being too doughy. it's served with 8 pieces which is plenty to share ! Chicken Wontons in Spicy Sauce also served with 8 pieces, each spicy wonton is pretty sizable, juicy, and has a generous portion of meat. i enjoyed the addition of the crunchy peanuts and scallions on top that gave a fun texture balance and flavor break from the sour spicy sauce. Scallion Pancake these were one of the best scallion pancakes i've tried. they were crispy and flaky while still being thin and chewy inside. they weren't so doughy nor burnt and the flavor with some chili oil was so delicious without being too oily. i did try these at another northern cafe location and they weren't quite as good. i just wished it had come with more ! Lamb Skewers (10 pc) & Charcoal Grilled Chicken Hearts (2 pc) we were in need of some protein and these skewers hit the spot. the 2 chicken heart skewers are at the right hand side of the tray and all of the skewers are pretty small, but they were pretty lean and meaty. the meat was very tender and easy to eat and the dry rub spices gave excellent flavor. they matched and perfectly balanced out our other dishes that were a bit more carby.
Came here really hungry! It was wonderful and filling with aromatic plates after plate! Xiao Long Bao - juicy pork with pop of soup 4 stars skin is a bit thick But dumpling is still tasty! Shanghai Rice Cake with Chicken 4 stars Beef Roll 4 1/2 stars Spicy Chicken Won Ton 4 stars Service 4 stars
Was craving dumplings and wanted to give this place a try. They have amazing pork dumplings, we also tried their kung pao and orange chicken which were both very flavorful. I of course had to order some egg rolls on the side as well. I would say for the price this place has good portions! You order from your phone which makes it convenient. Inside is spacious and clean. Staff were friendly as well to help. I recommend if you're craving good chinese food!
Huge portion sizes and pretty good Chinese food. I found the chicken fried rice a bit flavorless and the spicy chicken wontons were tasty but the sauce wasn't my favorite and I didn't care for the peanuts on top. The restaurant is spacious but the layout is a bit confusing. They have a cold station inside the restaurant to the right and had nobody at the register so I wasn't sure if we ordered first then sat down or just found a seat. I eventually just sat down because I saw there were QR code menus on the table. Food came out pretty quickly and everyone working here was very nice.
Out of the three northern cafes locations in irvine, i definitely prefer this location. The inside seating is a little more spacious and the ordering is a lot easier. At other locations, you generally have to walk up to order but at this location its through a website. The food also tastes a little better at this location and service is just as fast. Definitely a great place for Chinese food in the irvine area and the prices are really reasonable.
Excellent fried pork T C dish and spicy noiGcdle soup.Very friendly service. Always b busy ambiance. Oppoo v v
I have seen multiple locations of Northern Café around and I finally got to try it out for myself. This location is in Irvine, in the Westpark shopping area, near H-Mart, Yuk Dae Jang and The Cut. They welcomed me in to sit at any empty table. There was a QR code at the table to scan, but I think they also go around and take the orders. I already entered the majority of my order by the time someone came by, so I just finished my order on my phone. Since it was my first time here I ordered a lot to get a variety and to-go what I couldn't finish. Charcoal Grilled Chicken Hearts ($3.99) - Comes with 2 skewers, with 4 hearts on each. They overdid it a bit on the seasoning. They brought it out on a whole board when I only got 2 skewers. A bit dry cause they opened up the heart instead of leaving it whole. Sauteed Bok Choy with Garlic ($13.99) - A healthy addition to the meal. I like that there was a generous amount of garlic. Scallion Pancake ($7.99) - Interesting presentation because they put it on a platter where the scallion pancake covered 2/3 of the long plate. It was crispy and tasty, but a tad more expensive than other scallion pancakes of the same quality and quantity served at similar restaurants. Xiao Long Bao | Juicy Pork Dumplings ($12.99) - Comes with an order of 8. Contains peanuts. I don't feel like the peanuts were needed with this plate, but it might be a regional touch. The skin was on the thicker side, but it was as juicy as the name promised. Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce ($11.99) - Not too excited about these. I usually like the pork wontons in spicy sauce at other places. These were okay but not great. Sesame Balls ($5.99) - I like it. Served with 6 small sesame balls. There was red bean filling. It really hit the spots for my cravings. Overall they were about average tasting compared to restaurants of similar offerings. Service was minimal but of the interactions I had they were positive.
Easy to order take out in advance online. When I arrived, it was already ready at the counter. Got the beef noodle soup and it came separated noodles and bok choy from the soup which was nice so that the noodles don't get soggy. Soup had good depth of flavor, soaks into the noodles well. Beef inside was ok, wish it was a little more fatty. Also ordered beef roll that had lots of meat inside and good amount of flavor with the hoisin sauce, cilantro, and green onions. Got the orange chicken since it was rated most popular. Even though it came with a lot of chicken, it felt like it was overcooked since the meat inside was pretty dry and stringy.
First time here and brought me and my team (about 22 of us). About 2 weeks before my planned visit I called and made a reservation for a Sunday 1pm. They typically don't take reservations on the weekend but they were able to accommodate, which I'm insanely grateful for. Staff was very nice about it and confirmed the reservation with me a few times too! Once arrived, they already had the tables set up and sat us right away. It's not the biggest restaurant. Maybe able to accommodate about 50 people at once? So we ended up taking almost half of the restaurant! We were split into 3 different tables and food came out very fast. We could order from the QR code or order with a server. Food was so so good and hot when it came out. I especially loved the sesame cold noodles and spicy wontons but you honestly could not go wrong with any of them. Overall, we had a really great experience. Parking was easy, staff was super nice, food was delicious! I loved it here! Again I've never dined in at Northern Cafe before but I'll be sure to come back and come back soon.
9 days ago
Came for dinner with friends on a Saturday night - arrived around 6:30 and beat the rush! When you arrive, you get seated and order through the QR code, which is really convenient! We ordered quite a bit because we were starving!!! The soup dumplings weren't the best I've ever had, but they were passable. I would stick with the typical pork ones instead of some of the other unique types. We ordered the Chinese pancake with pork, which was delicious - so crispy and flavorful. We also got 2 noodle dishes - Dan Dan noodles and the jajiang mian. I preferred the Dan Dan noodles because they had a bit more flavor. At the end we decided to try the crispy chicken and that had some spice!!! I really enjoyed the mala spice that the chicken had and would def get it again. Overall, the food was pretty good and service was great as well. read more
22 days ago
4 days ago
Northern Cafe in Irvine feels like a neighborhood go-to for comforting, authentic Chinese food. We ordered the beef pancake, beef roll, cumin lamb, stir-fried pork, and scallion beef, and everything was flavorful and satisfying. I also loved the three-item cold appetizer combo with wood ear mushrooms, shredded potato, and seaweed--fresh, tangy, and well seasoned. Their lunch special is a great deal too, including one main dish, soup, and rice. Generous portions, classic flavors, and a casual atmosphere make this an easy choice whenever you're craving a comforting Chinese meal in Irvine. read more
This is located in Irvine in the same plaza as H Mart. Plenty of parking spaces and open late. They have a QR Code to order online and they will bring the food at your table. We ordered beef noodle soup, shrimp wonton soup & chicken noodle soup. All soup are different, but flavorful. My favorite is the shrimp noodle soup. We also ordered beef wraps and scallion pancakes - it was crispy. Service is excellent - food came put really quickly after ordering. read more
Delicious Chinese food and great for family style! Near full house each time I visit but no worries - got seated quick. Casual restaurant with a selection of cold dishes displayed up front. Lemon water in pitcher is provided once you get seated. Order via QR code. A standout dish was the pork pancake, which was layered almost like a savory crepe. The exterior was crispy and slightly oily. Plenty of flavor packed into each bite mmm I also ordered the spicy sauerkraut lamb hot pot. It comes with flames & reminded me a bit of Boiling Point. Lots of napa cabbage in the broth. The lamb was excellently fatty... tender and soft! I've recently had another hot pot place with lean lamb so this was on point. Portions were generous and the price felt very reasonable. My favorite dish of the meal was the fatty beef with scallions. The beef was indeed fatty and rich flavor, with what I think was a nice subtle Shaoxing wine or cooking wine flavor. The natural sweetness of the onions balanced the savory, salty sauce nicely. read more
I have said it time and time again and I still stand by it... northern cafe gives din tai fung a run for its money!! The food is always prepared to perfection. Their menu is much more extensive. Their portions are much larger. The flavors are much bolder in my opinion. And they have fried chicken on the menu (say less) The ambience is always lively, fairly loud but no louder than any other sit down restaurant you'd visit. Their servers are quick and efficient. If you haven't tried northern cafe, highly recommend you give them a try! read more
instant love for this restaurant. i don't believe all of the locations have the same quality or menu items but this location in irvine was amazing. each dish came hot and fresh with perfect textures and flavors that tied together so well. parking is freely available in the main lot. for the quality and amount of food, i definitely have and will be back. Juicy Pork Dumplings soft, juicy, and bursting with flavor, these soup dumplings were delicious without being too doughy. it's served with 8 pieces which is plenty to share ! Chicken Wontons in Spicy Sauce also served with 8 pieces, each spicy wonton is pretty sizable, juicy, and has a generous portion of meat. i enjoyed the addition of the crunchy peanuts and scallions on top that gave a fun texture balance and flavor break from the sour spicy sauce. Scallion Pancake these were one of the best scallion pancakes i've tried. they were crispy and flaky while still being thin and chewy inside. they weren't so doughy nor burnt and the flavor with some chili oil was so delicious without being too oily. i did try these at another northern cafe location and they weren't quite as good. i just wished it had come with more ! Lamb Skewers (10 pc) & Charcoal Grilled Chicken Hearts (2 pc) we were in need of some protein and these skewers hit the spot. the 2 chicken heart skewers are at the right hand side of the tray and all of the skewers are pretty small, but they were pretty lean and meaty. the meat was very tender and easy to eat and the dry rub spices gave excellent flavor. they matched and perfectly balanced out our other dishes that were a bit more carby. read more
Came here really hungry! It was wonderful and filling with aromatic plates after plate! Xiao Long Bao - juicy pork with pop of soup 4 stars skin is a bit thick But dumpling is still tasty! Shanghai Rice Cake with Chicken 4 stars Beef Roll 4 1/2 stars Spicy Chicken Won Ton 4 stars Service 4 stars read more
Was craving dumplings and wanted to give this place a try. They have amazing pork dumplings, we also tried their kung pao and orange chicken which were both very flavorful. I of course had to order some egg rolls on the side as well. I would say for the price this place has good portions! You order from your phone which makes it convenient. Inside is spacious and clean. Staff were friendly as well to help. I recommend if you're craving good chinese food! read more
Huge portion sizes and pretty good Chinese food. I found the chicken fried rice a bit flavorless and the spicy chicken wontons were tasty but the sauce wasn't my favorite and I didn't care for the peanuts on top. The restaurant is spacious but the layout is a bit confusing. They have a cold station inside the restaurant to the right and had nobody at the register so I wasn't sure if we ordered first then sat down or just found a seat. I eventually just sat down because I saw there were QR code menus on the table. Food came out pretty quickly and everyone working here was very nice. read more
Out of the three northern cafes locations in irvine, i definitely prefer this location. The inside seating is a little more spacious and the ordering is a lot easier. At other locations, you generally have to walk up to order but at this location its through a website. The food also tastes a little better at this location and service is just as fast. Definitely a great place for Chinese food in the irvine area and the prices are really reasonable. read more
16 days ago
Excellent fried pork T C dish and spicy noiGcdle soup.Very friendly service. Always b busy ambiance. Oppoo v v read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear George, Thank you for your five-star praise and feedback, the…
I have seen multiple locations of Northern Café around and I finally got to try it out for myself. This location is in Irvine, in the Westpark shopping area, near H-Mart, Yuk Dae Jang and The Cut. They welcomed me in to sit at any empty table. There was a QR code at the table to scan, but I think they also go around and take the orders. I already entered the majority of my order by the time someone came by, so I just finished my order on my phone. Since it was my first time here I ordered a lot to get a variety and to-go what I couldn't finish. Charcoal Grilled Chicken Hearts ($3.99) - Comes with 2 skewers, with 4 hearts on each. They overdid it a bit on the seasoning. They brought it out on a whole board when I only got 2 skewers. A bit dry cause they opened up the heart instead of leaving it whole. Sauteed Bok Choy with Garlic ($13.99) - A healthy addition to the meal. I like that there was a generous amount of garlic. Scallion Pancake ($7.99) - Interesting presentation because they put it on a platter where the scallion pancake covered 2/3 of the long plate. It was crispy and tasty, but a tad more expensive than other scallion pancakes of the same quality and quantity served at similar restaurants. Xiao Long Bao | Juicy Pork Dumplings ($12.99) - Comes with an order of 8. Contains peanuts. I don't feel like the peanuts were needed with this plate, but it might be a regional touch. The skin was on the thicker side, but it was as juicy as the name promised. Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce ($11.99) - Not too excited about these. I usually like the pork wontons in spicy sauce at other places. These were okay but not great. Sesame Balls ($5.99) - I like it. Served with 6 small sesame balls. There was red bean filling. It really hit the spots for my cravings. Overall they were about average tasting compared to restaurants of similar offerings. Service was minimal but of the interactions I had they were positive. read more
Easy to order take out in advance online. When I arrived, it was already ready at the counter. Got the beef noodle soup and it came separated noodles and bok choy from the soup which was nice so that the noodles don't get soggy. Soup had good depth of flavor, soaks into the noodles well. Beef inside was ok, wish it was a little more fatty. Also ordered beef roll that had lots of meat inside and good amount of flavor with the hoisin sauce, cilantro, and green onions. Got the orange chicken since it was rated most popular. Even though it came with a lot of chicken, it felt like it was overcooked since the meat inside was pretty dry and stringy. read more
6 months ago
First time here and brought me and my team (about 22 of us). About 2 weeks before my planned visit I called and made a reservation for a Sunday 1pm. They typically don't take reservations on the weekend but they were able to accommodate, which I'm insanely grateful for. Staff was very nice about it and confirmed the reservation with me a few times too! Once arrived, they already had the tables set up and sat us right away. It's not the biggest restaurant. Maybe able to accommodate about 50 people at once? So we ended up taking almost half of the restaurant! We were split into 3 different tables and food came out very fast. We could order from the QR code or order with a server. Food was so so good and hot when it came out. I especially loved the sesame cold noodles and spicy wontons but you honestly could not go wrong with any of them. Overall, we had a really great experience. Parking was easy, staff was super nice, food was delicious! I loved it here! Again I've never dined in at Northern Cafe before but I'll be sure to come back and come back soon. read more
I have been here twice to pick up food to go and the food and service has been very good. For the pork dumplings I was disappointed it didn't come with ginger. Instead, they provided black vinegar which ended up leaking out of its container. Other than that, the dumplings are good with soy sauce and sesame oil if you have any at home. The Sautéed Bok Choy has a good amount of garlic and is good on its own or with a side of extra white rice. The Garlic Pork Ribs is very flavorful and is well fried. It is cut into small pieces and has a bit too many bones though. I would recommend this place for good Chinese food! Depending on the time of day, parking is plentiful and there are spaces exclusive for pick up only. read more
In the Irvine or South OC area and looking for an affordable weekday Chinese lunch combo? Northern Cafe has you covered with 15 stir-fry dish options starting at $15, and each combo comes with soup and a drink. Portions are generous -- honestly enough to share or save for to-go. If you're craving something lighter, their dumpling special starts at just $7, with 6 pieces. Highly recommend the juicy lamb dumplings and juicy mala beef dumplings -- flavorful and rarely found. Also recommend the stir-fry pork if you love spicy IG: socalhkfoodies read more
Nice spot for Chinese comfort food! Food is great quality and pricing is very reasonable. Highly recommend the combo (select three items at the counter), beef noodle soup and beef roll. The waitresses working here are pretty nice and you order by scanning the QR code and selecting your items via your phone. I like the self service model but I can see why some people would appreciate more engagement/recommendation from the staff. read more
We've been here several times and it never disappoints. We came on Christmas Eve and got lucky with the last table and didn't have to wait. Some servers are more friendly than others. We got lucky again and was greeted by a nice one this time! We both ordered different dishes we have tried yet. We both enjoyed our dishes. Next time if I want hot pot though, I will stick to the spicy beef hot pot instead of the Golden Soup beef pot. read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear Diana R. Thank you for your feedback to our restaurant, your…
The second Irvine restaurant at the corner of Alton Parkway and Culver is a much-welcomed addition, as it is a lot closer and more convenient than the UCI location. We've tried a lot of different dishes, and I have to say that most things were good, and a few were outstanding. One of the shining stars is the scallion pancake which was aromatic and flavorful. The edges were crispy while the pancake itself was soft. There were enough scallions, but not overwhelming. There XLB's are larger than those that you'll find at most places, and more importantly, each of them contained a nice spoonful of soup. The skins were thin, and the meat fillings were tasty. Based on the size and the quality, these are great values, especially in Irvine. We also tried the potstickers which were also delicious but not outstanding. The Shanghai stir-fried rice cakes were also good, but I was surprised that the only option was chicken. The typical Shanghainese version is typically stir-fried with shredded pork. For apps or snacks, their egg rolls were good. For dessert I highly recommend getting the fried pumpkin pancakes and sesame balls. read more
7 months ago
Rating: 8.5/10 Our go to restaurant for reliable Chinese food in Irvine. The inside has many seats, and you sit down then order on the QR code. The interior is lively and has sports/Chinese food videos playing on the tv. The lamb skewers are very tasty but the pieces are very small so make sure to order 10. Chong qing chicken is amazing, chicken pieces are big and seasoned perfectly. Cold dish section has a variety of choices, and they give huge portions. All dishes are pretty authentic Chinese food, but nothing mind blowing, overall 8.5/10 read more
Food here has not disappointed, always meets expectations and more! They have a variety of dishes, from noodles, rice, skewers to dumplings. I got the lamb skewers which has just the right amount of cumin. Some other places have it too overpowering. I also got the chicken fried rice and the chicken is very tender wiith a good amount of meat as well. The juicy beef dumpling was also made fresh, with just the right amount of flavor and soup inside. They have a few stir fry vegetable options, and I got the bok choy this time. It has that nice wok taste, but it is heavy on the garlic which does add to the taste but also can be too much if you don't like garlic. They have a cold dish section, where you can choose 3 sides for $14.99 or $12.99 if all 3 sides are vegetarian. They are very generous with these portions as well! Service is great, you order through their QR code system and food comes out fast. Keep in mind that even though they open late, they only serve grilled and skewers items after 9:30 pm. Definitely a good to spot if you're looking for some good Chinese food or skewers! Plenty of parking in the shared plaza. read more
8 months ago
Szechuan Mala Pot is my go-to here, especially on cold days. I like that it's served in a boiling pot, nice and hot, and with lots of toppings. I just really wish it weren't so salty. I find myself pouring some cold water into it to lessen the saltiness. But other than that, it's pretty delicious. I also like their pig ear. It's sliced real thin and spicy. A perfect side dish to the hot pot. This is a casual dining environment. You order at the counter and they bring it out to you. Easy peasy. read more
8 months ago
There are two locations of northern cafe in irvine close to each other but this one is way better. Last time I went to the other location, all the food was incredibly salty. This location we got: xiao long bao, popcorn chicken, 3 cold dish (veggie - potato, seaweed, and mushroom/cucumber mix), beef skewers, and spicy wonton. The XLB were yummy with a chewy skin. Popcorn chicken could have been a bit more seasoned - I'd pass next time. 3 cold dish was plentiful and delicious. Beef skewers were great! ("super tender and spiced perfectly" according to my partner), spicy wonton was a tad too salty but still yummy. Their menu is plentiful with a lot of yummy looking items. inside is clean but the tables are a bit close to each other. Service is efficient and fast, I also love that you can order via QR code (but sadly cannot pay through it) read more
I decided to give Northern Cafe another try as I was quite disappointed by my first experience at the Irvine Campus location. We ordered the BEEF ROLL $12 and I got a GOLDEN SOUP BEEF NOODLE $17. There is a QR code on the table where you can access the menu and place your order there, and the server will bring out your food to you. The food came out fast, probably within 10 minutes. The beef roll was very crispy and flaky, and filled with meat. The golden soup beef noodle was huge, enough to feed two people! There was only a little vermicelli in it. However, it also came with a big bowl of rice. The pot had beef, spam, some other seafood/shrimp balls and lots of vegetables which I enjoyed, mostly cabbage and wood ear mushrooms. So much food! Most of their hot pot items are spicy, and I specified LESS SPICY, which I was surprised they were able to accommodate for me. The dish was still spicy, but it worked for me and I was happy with it. I would like to try the other items on the menu in the future. Whatever you do, do not go to the Campus location. The food is night and day. There is a lot of seating here, and the restaurant gets pretty packed around lunch time on the weekends. They are also busy during dinner throughout the week. Happy eating! read more
4 months ago
This place is always spot on, went recently with a friend and she was impressed at the flavors and portions. We ordered the beef wrap, popcorn chicken and spicy pork wontons and we finished everything. A true testament of how good it was. read more
I normally go to the Northern Cafe near UCI but gave this new location a try. We ordered the Shanghai stir fry rice cakes, wonton soup and shrimp wontons in spicy chili sauce. The rice cakes were tasty, though a little greasy. I usually enjoy their dumplings but I would pass on the shrimp wontons next time. Even though they were big, they were filled with mostly shredded cucumber (which I thought was weird) and very little shrimp. Maybe another filling would be better. Good to have another Northern Cafe in the neighborhood! read more
3 months ago
Northern Cafe now offers skewers during dinner. We arrived around 7pm and it's packed! Restaurant is known for their carb dishes like xiao long bao, dumplings soup noodles, fried rice and Chinese pancakes. Cold dishes are only $14.99 for combination of 3. Portions are huge! No wonder everyday is getting them. Spicy cold chicken uses dark meat and is tender and flavorful. We came here to try their skewers: Lamb is the best! Also got chicken cartilage, scallops, Cali flowers, corns and fish tofu Beijing style pancakes has beef filling inside the crispy skin Pork ribs with string beans in hotpot is highly recommended They hire a lot of staff! Service is great! read more
4 months ago
Love this so much! Tried the beef roll and some noodles. They were both oh so good. Will definitely come back and try other items. Everything was ordering digitally. read more
Things are changing in the way food is offered at our local restaurants, and I don't like it. The emphasis is now on speed and profit, and it is not on the human element of serving food to regular customers. Northern Cafe is an example of this negative trend towards removing the human element in serving the food. You are to come in the cafe, seat yourself, and use your phone to scan the menu, place your order (being of course unable to ask any questions) and a nice server, or should I say, Deliverer, brings your food. I had to get up, go to the front and get a fork, a napkin, and extra plate. You are on your own if you need anything. At the end of your meal, you have said not one word to anyone who works at this restaurant, and it it not their fault. Yes, the are coached to work, work, work without speaking to anyone. At the end of this strange restaurant, you head to the front and pay your bill. I had to say something. I told the nice young lady that I felt uncomfortable about paying for service I didn't get. She was so nice. She agreed and had spoken to the manager and owner a few times about it. She longed to talk to the customers and learn about them. She told me that she hardly made any money on tips. There were only two servers for a rather large restaurant with more than thirty tables. This really opened the doors to a much larger issue with how technology has effected the human interactions between people. We need to go back to going to a restaurant because we love the people there. The food was pretty good. I feel sad for the employees. read more
This review is mainly for the spicy wontons and golden beef noodle soup as those were the best items. Like I mean it was REALLY good and now I crave this golden beef noodle soup with a good spice to it and addicting broth. If you can handle a little spice, just get it. There's quite a few locations of northern cafe but it seems food is consistent. Some locations may have other menu items like this location does skewers at night? We did also try Dan Dan noodles and beef roll. Dan Dan noodles were decent, nothing to rave about. The beef roll was large, but was cold and didn't seem as fresh? I'm hoping it was just an off day. But other than that, would come again. read more
It was busy on Friday Evening 8pm, but seated fairly quickly like within 10 minutes for party of two. We mainly came for the skewers, so we ordered the lamb and beef through QR codes online. We added on stir fry rice cakes and green beans too. The rice cakes were super tender and absorbed the sauce. The green beans were nice and saucy. However, I wish the meat skewers were grilled or cooked more, so it's crispy. But it was tender. We asked for medium spice and it seemed more like mild. Later on, we asked for additional seasoning, but he never came back with it. The menu had plenty of hot pot options which seemed like the more popular choice, but not as many skewer options. read more
First time here, my friend invited me and whispered mysteriously: "I found a Din Tai Fung alternative!" And she was right -- flavor explosion and unbeatable value . Perfect spot for families too. Whether it's dumplings, rolls, or noodles, my kids couldn't stop fighting over the food . Now it has basically become our family canteen, and they even have two locations in Irvine! Here's what we ordered: Cold Appetizer Trio (meat) 14.99 We picked pig ear, pork tripe, and beef -- the portion was HUGE. My husband said even half of it would've been worth the price. Must-order! Pork Rib with String Beans Pot 18.99 Tender ribs with beans that balance the flavor. The kids loved this dish. Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao 13.99 Surprisingly good! Thin skin, plenty of soup inside, one bite and it bursts with fresh flavor . Spicy Chicken with Hand-Pulled Noodles 22.99 Massive portion! After finishing the chicken, you can still mix the noodles underneath -- super filling. Pork Wontons in Chili Oil 11.99 Looks spicy but it's actually more on the sweet side, similar to Zhong dumplings. Delicious and addictive . Beef Roll Pancake 12.99 Sweet sauce with crispy pancake. My husband went crazy for it -- he ate two by himself . Durian Puff 6.99 Flaky crust with durian filling. Would be even better if the filling was more generous. Overall: Great value for money Big portions, perfect for sharing Flavors comparable to Din Tai Fung Family-friendly and kid-approved read more
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More info about Northern Cafe
3831 B Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606
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(949) 502-7111
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Ask the Community - Northern Cafe
Are there gluten free options?
If you order stuff like skewers or the appetizers from the "steam table". There is no noodle or dumplings that's gluten free. Also, soy sauce is used so if you're very gluten sensitive then I would say no.
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Northern Cafe - chinese - Updated August 2026
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