Lisa K.

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.

Sharon S.

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

Ricardo M.

So first of all wow, I have to say I fell in love with the taste of this place when my sister brought me here for the first time. I have probably come here every time I come down to SoCal. I Would highly recommend to come here if you are looking for great Chinese food.

Alice W.

I love everything we get here but favorites are pickled veggie beef noodle soup and their green beans (always so flavorful!). Also love their chili wontons.

Van D.

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.

Keri N.

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.

Cassidy F.

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.

Kaylee L.

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.

Fiona T.

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

Jack H.

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.

Chanson Z.

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

Angeleats D.

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!

Diana R.

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.