The wontons were big and juicy - the chili sauce was definitely on the sweeter side. We added vinegar to the wontons and that made it better. I loved the Chongqing Spicy Chicken! Super crispy, aromatic, and has a slight numbing spice. Dan Dan Noodles were good. Sauce was peanutty. The restaurant was busy at lunch and the servers are very nice! Bright and spacious place for lunch. Overall food was good but nothing I'd come back for. read more

See all

I wish I could keep this Chinese restaurant a secret because they're getting TOO busy. I rarely say this, but every single thing we ordered blew us away. They serve affordable comforting Chinese dishes with huge portions, like a dish that's literally called the Big plate chicken, and it comes with noodles too! Highly recommend the Soup dumplings and Pork ribs dry pot. If there's one appetizer you MUST get, it's the 3-item combo--trust me. You can mix-and-match your favorite apps from the cold bar. As for entrees, the House special cold noodles and Sesame pancakes are INSANE. By far, one of the best cold noodles I've ever had, and the Sesame pancakes came out piping hot and was so pillowy and fluffy...perfect carby goodness in every bite. I promise this restaurant will not do you wrong with anything you get, it is AMAZING. Thanks for reading! ^-^ read more

See all

The noodles were really filling and had a lot of cucumber. The soup dumplings skin was thick, and the bottoms broke easily, causing the soup to spill out. The wontons had a large amount of filling. The skewers were well-cooked. Good value, just not the best quality. read more

See all

2 main reasons for the low rating: 1) Some of the skewers (comes with 10 per order) had a dismal amount of meat on it, barely covering 1/4th of the metal skewer - see picture. Flavor and texture was good though, just extremely skimpy on the portions 2) They're not very organized when it comes to seating their customers. They also gave us quite the attitude. The table we initially had faced an open door which blasted freezing wind, so we had asked to move. There were available tables in the back since we had gotten there right before the dinner rush, but they wouldn't let us move even though we just got there and literally just sat down. Interestingly enough when new customers stepped in, they immediately seated them there. So after we asked again one of the male servers very exaggeratedly threw his hands in the air and loudly huffed at us. Geez... though to give credit one of the ladies did kindly help us move afterwards but we had to wait for over 30 minutes since the dinner crowd had started rushing in (which could have been avoided if they had given us the open tables we asked for earlier) read more

See all

SO YOMM!! Went on weekday night and there was a small wait. Food comes quickly and everything we tried was absolutely amazing read more

See all

We got a tip to come check this place out, so we did. I must say, I don't usually give Chinese restaurants this high a rating because either the food was really good, but the service was rude and unfriendly, or the food was good, but the place was a dump, etc. Gosh, this place got full marks for pretty much everythinig I'd always look out for......decor/cleanliness, quality of the food, friendliness/helfulness of the staff.....and you know what? This place had it all! To start off, we headed to the "salad bar" and selected a few of our favorite cold dish items.....pickled cucumber, lotus root, and tofu skin.....absolutely delicious, so refreshing, and a great way to start off our lunch. So, this place is one of those where you scan the QR code on the table where you'll be directed to their app, and this is where you place your order for whatever you want. Ok, This was our first time here, so we did miss an item or two using the app, but the server was nice enough to let us just tell her what we wanted, and she'd enter it manually......so nice, friendly, and so willing to help out....nice! Ok, I will admit that everything on the menu looked so yummy, and we so wanted to try as much as we could to get a better idea of the quality and taste of the food here. So, we went ahead and ordered the Scallion Pancake, Pan-fried Chicken Dumplings, Juicy Pork Dumplings...steamed, Chicken Wontons in a Spicy Sauce, Sauteed Green Beans, and half a Smoked Chicken. Everything came out pretty fast too....no long waits. I think one word pretty much sums up the quality, taste, and presentation of the food here....WOW! I mostly liked that the dumpling skins were neither too thick nor too thin...just right....the meat fillings were generous.....and they came out hot, fresh, and juicy.....and not too salty. Oh, and I loved the golden pan fried crisp at the bottom of the chicken dumplings...great combination of textures and flavors. Anyway, to sum up everything we'd ordered.....ingredients were all very fresh, dishes were skillfully prepared to perfection, and everything tasted absolutely delicious!.....perhaps the best dumplings I have ever eaten around these parts. This place is seriously good....and has now become one of my absolute favorite Chinese restaurants ever......nice and pleasant interior, excellent food, great and friendly service.....you really can't ask for anything more. read more

See all

I've heard a lot about this place since moving to Irvine. I was intrigued by the chongqing chicken as it's one of my favorite Chinese dishes. We ordered this and a bunch of other things, expecting leftovers (and we had a LOT). This location is situated in a strip mall so it's easy to find parking and even though it can get pretty crowded, we came at an off time and had no wait. It was pretty quiet the whole time we were there too. Spicy pork wontons: 5/5. These had great flavor. Beef roll: 5/5. I love how refreshing these were. It's thinly sliced beef and cilantro rolled in a scallion pancake and sliced. Absolutely delightful. Chongqing chicken: 3/5. Idk if it's just my high expectations but these were pretty disappointing. They weren't spicy at all and had very little flavor. Garlic bok choy: 4/5. Oomfs. Would get again. I wish it was baby bok choy though. Overall, I would probably come back in a group next time to justify the huge family style portion sizes and there are some items I wouldn't get again. read more

Came to Northern Cafe on a Friday night during dinner and there was about a 15 minute wait for two people which honestly went by pretty fast. Service was great and super friendly and the food came out so fast. We got the pick 3 items which is always such a solid way to start and the lamb hot pot which was spicier than I remembered but so good. Portions were huge and I had enough to take home for the next day which was awesome because it still tasted amazing even after reheating. read more

See all

Came here pretty late around 10:30 for dinner on a Thursday. Only one other table was occupied and they were open till pretty late. Great service and good food - very affordable for Irvine standards. Had the Dandan noodles, beef pie, steamed xiao loong bao and fried dumplings. They have a good dumpling dipping sauce too. Great for late night dinner and its next to Hmart, Sprouts and the AAA. read more

Every food item I got tasted great and I was more than satisfied. Additionally, I would say that the prices are relatively fair for the amount of food they gave . The portions are a good size . I like the beef rolls it's tasty, the outer crust is soft enough, crispy enough and not too greasy., and the dumplings was delicious too , Very soft and juicy . I was happily surprised how quickly the food came and how attentive the service was . The restaurant is open and clean. Parking easy ! read more

See all

My new favorite noodle and dumpling house in Irvine! The restaurant itself is very clean and well appointed. The service is friendly and efficient. You order using a qr code at the table. The food itself comes out hot and steamy. Love how much juice there is in their juicy dumplings! A well deserved name! The house beef noodle is tasty and the beef is so tender. The Shanghai rice cakes are so fun to eat and so full of flavor! Come early in the evening as this place gets busy and you'll have a wait. A wait worth it but still a wait! read more

Northern Cafe - Juicy dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Food was really great! It's nice that they open late and we love their cold dishes. But, all the servers use the same gloves to serve food, take out trash, wipe the tables, touch the cash register ...all without changing their gloves!!! The same dirty gloves touch clean plates and chopsticks. Please, please, please make sure they only use clean gloves when touching food. Hopefully they have better health practices in the kitchen. read more

One thing I love about Northern Cafe is that dependent on their location, they'll have some location specific dishes based on the area's demographic. Had to come visit this one for the Liang Pi and the popcorn chicken along with some of the classics I've enjoyed from other locations. A higher chinese population in irvine opposed to cerritos. Ordering was easy, all 4 of our dishes came out within 15 minutes. Servers were friendly and prompt. Might be my favorite Northern Cafe so far. Clean interior, nice artwork on the walls. Very well run read more

See all

We barely barely beat the Valentine's Day out diners and we treated ourselves to 7 dishes which of course resulted in plenty of to-go food. Staff are efficient and helpful. BEEF ROLL: -- a very nice rendition -- not heavy on oil but adequate -- tasty thin strip beef -- green onion, cilantro -- nice dough w/good texture and taste -- no pickled veggies was a positive RATING = A GARLIC FRIED PORK RIBS: -- smaller cube like pieces -- light to moderate garlic at most (could use a touch more) -- visually enticing -- chopped green onion on top -- not sure I have a dish quite like this at Chinese restaurants or beyond -- perfect fried batter not too soft nor too crisp with perfect thickness -- fatty delicious pork RATING = A+ COLD DISH STATION: -- we got the BEAN CURD, SPICY PIG EAR and SPICY THIN BEEF -- all were too legit to quit...we tore it up but brought some home RATING = A MALA PREMIUM SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP: -- wife said I cannot touch with my GERD, and she is probably right but the way she devoured it I think Taiwanese greed for liquid deliciousness may have been at play too. ;) BEEF PIE: -- it's like an ultra-moist disc-shaped meatball is inserted into the best tasting soft and chewy sticky dumpling skin -- NOTE: bite or poke holes with chopsticks to vent it. It is super-hot inside. -- delicious and this is not found on a lot of menus RATING = A+ BOK CHOY w/GARLIC: -- very clean and fresh tasting -- nicely done -- color pretty good RATING = A PURPLE SWEET POTATO BALLS: -- yummy fried balls of joy -- almost moderately sweet -- chewy interior with firmer exterior -- thin breading -- delicious -- wish they were a bit bigger RATING = A Next time I need to try the PUMPKIN PANCAKE. It is busy plaza with lots of food options and retail (Marshall's and Ross) as well, so parking gets crowded in spite of being sizable. read more

I have been to the other Northern Cafe location in Irvine located near UC Irvine countless times and have always enjoyed their food. I'm happy to report that the same taste and quality can also be found at this newer location in Irvine. This location of Northern Cafe also offers cold dish items where you can choose up to three items per box ($12.99 for all veggie or $14.99 for all meat or mix with veggie). I went with pig ear, potato shreds, and lotus slices ($14.99) and they were seasoned well and tasted fresh! The portion sizes are good. The Sauteed Green Beans ($14.99) were very good, but I think it's a bit pricey for what it is. The Beef Rolls ($12.99) have a crispy exterior with plenty of meat inside and for the price, I think it's worth it! This location has a smaller dining area compared to the UCI location, but if you're like me and taking it to go, it doesn't matter. Service seems to be quick and efficient. Their preferred language is Mandarin, but they can certainly understand if you speak English. read more

See all

I normally love northern cafe however today was 85 degrees and they opened up the doors which is a health code violation and allowed mosquitos to come into the restaurant. I got bitten 5 times and had to just end my meal instead of finishing my food. The food was lacking in flavor as well compared to the last time I came here. The XLB and spicy pork wontons were lacking in flavor and bland. The jjajjang noodles were overcooked and lacking in sauce as well. The green onion pancake had a couple pieces of green onion per piece. It was crispy but lacking in flavor as well. The only thing that was good was the eggplant. This was one of my go to Chinese restaurants in Irvine but I will not be back again. read more

FOOD: The food was good! We ordered takeout and got the Shrimp wontons in spicy chili sauce, vegetable fried rice, vegetable dumplings, and the green beans. The shrimp wontons did not have big pieces of shrimp and were more wontons and the spicy sauces they had were not spicy at all. The green beans were a little mushy for my taste. The fried rice was good. My mom said the veggie dumplings were good. SERVICE: The staff was polite but not overly friendly. They were nice though! AMBIANCE: small place but looked clean. Very casual. I won't go out of my way to come back here but may try it again when I'm in the area. read more

All the food we ordered was really tasty, and the portions did not disappoint. We ordered: Lamb skewers: pretty good, we ordered medium spice and it was a very tolerable level. Not too hot temperature wise though - 7.5/10 Chongqing Chicken: good, had a good crispiness and the spice was really good, we'd probably try the popcorn chicken instead next time - 7/10 Pork Spicy Wontons: so good, best thing we ordered. Such a good price and a great portion. Arguably better than din tai fung- 10/10 Sautéed Green Beans: really good texture and pretty flavorful - 9/10 Super affordable, lots of people but not a bad wait, overall very good food and ambiance. We'll definitely be back to try the other dishes. read more

See all

The food and atmosphere of this restaurant was amazing. The food came out fast, as soon as I ordered it had numerous items come out in less than 10 minutes. The staff was also very kind and very attentive to me. They even helped to pack up my order when I asked for to go boxes. The interior is very clean and have an aesthetic vibe to it and good temperature to beat the heat. read more

Northern Cafe - House beef noodle soup, orange chicken, xiao long bao, egg fried rice, pan fried dumplings, pork dumplings, spicy wonton, etc - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

BOOOOOOOOO this place sucks! Tip is enforced, not a choice. When the tip screen is presented, you can't finalize the payment even after signing, unless you select a tip. THIS IS CRAZY! So I gave them a generous tip of $0.01 But that's not the real reason why this review has a raving 2 stars. When I placed our order through the app, I accidentally selected 2 fried rice instead of one. The second they brought out the food we told them it was placed by accident and kindly asked the waitress to take it back but she refused. Oh well I am happily going to dispute that one fried rice. Even without all the unfortunate events I would've only given this place a decent 3 stars. Because that's what it was, decent, not great or amazing. The friend rice was soft and mushy like overcooked oatmeal, the wonton was actually nice so were the fried dumplings. But yea, don't come here read more

This place is usually pretty full on weekends around dinner time. Came here twice and near the dinner rush there is usually. A short wait. After seated you order using the qr code on your table. You can also directly order from the waiter if you prefer. Starting with the fried lychee shrimp balls, it doesn't have any lychee in it, it just is called that because of the appearance after its fried. It tastes like a normal fried shrimp ball, crispy on the outside. The other fried item we ordered was the pumpkin pancake. The pumpkin is mixed with sticky rice and a very chewy texture which I enjoyed. The golden soup beef noodle is me and my sisters' absolute favorite. The soup is unique and slightly spicy, slightly tangy, and savory all at the same time. The red chilis are a bit spicy so I would care for those if you are sensitive to spicy. The big plate chicken with noodle is also super delicious. The chicken is super flavorful and very tender. There are also wide noodles at the bottom. Overall it has a lot of different veggies and chicken in it and as mentioned in the name of the dish, is a BIG plate. The hotpot is pretty mid. It comes with a. Rice and some sauce for the meat. Theres tofu, veggies, fake crab stick, sausage, and a lot of other stuff in it but I would order something else next time. A great place overall and one that I will come back to when I have the chance. read more

See all

My wife and I dropped by here for lunch and ordered the boiled shrimp, pork and chive dumplings and the steamed beef dumplings. The portion sizes were a good size and a reasonable price. The dumplings themselves were solid and tasty but perhaps the skin on the dumplings was a bit too thick. The chili sauce, which is something I always love with my dumplings, was a too mild for me. I like spicier sauces. The staff were friendly and I was readily given a menu when I asked the waiter for one. (They have a QR code for ordering on the tables, which I find a bit cumbersome.) The ambiance was pleasant and relaxed. It's a nice restaurant. read more

See all

Northern Cafe is a well known spot in the Irvine community for its authentic and comforting Chinese cuisine! This review is basically a two in one since wifey and I stopped by here for a late night dinner and then again for lunch. This spot is located in the same plaza with Hmart and Sprouts and there is a good amount of parking spots. Both times we went, there was no wait and we were seated right away. They have a pretty spacious setup with about 8-10 tables for seating. Once you are seated, there is a QR code on the table to scan and place your order. When wifey and I came for our late night dinner around 10:30pm, they had a different menu consisting of just hotpot and skewers. We opted to try the Spicy Beef Pot and the Lamb Skewers. For our lunch run, they had a more expanded menu with a lot of Chinese comfort food staples. We opted to try the Pan Fried Shrimp, Pork & Chive Dumplings, Juicy Lamb Dumplings, Beef Rolls, and Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. Literally everything we tried here was beyond delicious, authentic, and comforting to the soul. Every bite was as good as the last! All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. In addition to the amazing food served here, this spot is also typically open until midnight everyday! We will definitely be back for another satisfying meal. read more

See all

Compared to the UCI location, the Northern Cafe in Westpark feels more like a sit-down restaurant than a fast casual place. We tried the following items: * Beef Roll - a bit dry and not enough sauce accompanying the roll * Eggplant with Garlic Sauce * Shanghai Stir Fry Rice Cake * Kung Pao Chicken * Pork Ribs & Green Beans Pot - green beans very al dente and wasn't sure if it was cooked through Overall, service is good, but the flavors are heavy and very salty. I think the UCI location is lighter and better with balanced flavor profile. read more

See all

Came here for a casual dinner, and we got the 3 choice appetizers for the meat and the vegetables. I was surprised by how generous the portions were! I didn't try the meats, but the vegetables were solid. I mainly ate the wood ear mushrooms and the tofu skin, since I didn't like the potato dish much. We also got the lamb hot pot, which was too spicy for me, but it had a lot of different ingredients. I tried the quail egg, tofu, and imitation crab in it, which were solid. We also got the Bok choy, which was cooked nicely, and wasn't overly salty. This place seemed authentic, and I would like to come back to try some of their other items. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Delicious spot for Chinese food. If there's ever a time you're craving din tai fung, and want something similar, I would highly suggest coming here. There's a variety of different soups, rice dishes, dumplings and many other traditional dishes. We were able to place our orders through a scannable QRG. Food came out pretty easy. I was drooling over the golden soup beef noodles. It had the perfect amount of spice and flavoring. I was also able to try the spicy wontons. Lots of indoor seating, and service and ambience was great. Was easily able to get seated during lunch hours on the weekend. read more

Northern Cafe - Golden Beef Noodle Soup - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

We really enjoyed eating at Northern Cafe. You can tell the food is fresh and made here. The servers were very attentive and the food came out in a timely manner. The XLB's were nice and juicy. The chicken wonton soup had huge homemade wontons. The broth was flavorful and had baby bok choy. The absolute deal is the 3 item cold selection from their buffet style counter. You pick 3 items then they pack your bowl with them. We couldn't finish them and took 50% back to our hotel. We live in the Bay Area but both agreed this is one of our favorite Northern Chinese restaurants. The location is convenient with plenty of parking because it's in a large strip mall. In between Hmart and Ross stores. read more

See all

My friend and I decided to try this place out since it was recommended by her coworker. We sat outside on the patio since the inside was fully packed. Since we were outside, the service was a bit slow. We had to go back inside since the waitress took a while to come back for our check. Food: - Beef Roll ($12.99): Such huge portions! I was not able to finish all of it and took the rest at home. The rolls were perfect and the filling complimented one another. I would get this again and would even get this on its own. - Pork Wontons in Chili Sauce ($11.99): This was also flavorful but not spicy. I wish it had a kick to it but it does have flavor. I would suggest adding a bit more spice to it since the sauce is more on the sweeter side. The pork wontons were plump and juicy. I would love to come back and try the other food they have to offer. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

I didn't know that there was a nighttime menu but the skewers were really yummy. The spicy option is mild. Not a big fan of the (morning menu) food at the Long Beach location. read more

Came here last week with a friend and as always, the food is fantastic. We had Lucy as our server and she was FANTASTIC! Her smile and assistance in helping us decide what to order was great. It's not very often you get that kind of service nowadays. read more

Northern Cafe is a solid go-to spot if you're craving Chinese comfort food with good flavors. Their grilled skewers, available with both meats and veggies, are definitely a highlight, perfectly seasoned and charred just right. The soup dumplings are satisfyingly juicy with a decent broth inside. Their hotpots are hearty, flavorful and filled with many different meat and vegetables, especially comforting for colder days. We went with the lamb and sauerkraut hotpot and it was the family's favorite dish of the night. Their menu offers a good variety, from classic noodles and rice dishes to shareable appetizers and soups. It's a great place to grab a casual meal with friends or family when you're in the mood for something flavorful and filling. read more

See all

A restaurant that's open late in Irvine? Okay! Come here if you're a night owl and you're looking for some tasty small plates. The contemporary ambiance is pleasing and the food is great. Service was kind of impersonal but fine. Gluten free options were not abundant- I may have been more enchanted with this place if I could've eaten the dumplings. Still, the skewers and green beans were flavorful. I think this restaurant's main draw is its late hours and nice variety. Try it out! read more

See all

We got food to go and it was delicious. What we got: Chongquin chicken - so delicious but I really wish we ate it sooner. I took a bite when they first gave it to us and it was so mouthwateringly good. It was still pretty good when we got home but seeing as we had to drive an hour it just wasn't the same. If you can, eat it sooner. It reminded me of calamari but with chicken. Lamb skewers - these were tasty but just as with the chicken, best eaten hot. Reheating it wasn't the same. Sauteed green beans - this was delicious and I ate leftovers of this the next day and they were still good. Eggplant with garlic sauce - this has to be my favorite in our meal. It was soft and tasty and good even the next day. It was the perfect consistency. Definitely need to get this again soon. read more

We've been here a few times now bc it's just so good. I always get a Thai tea, which is huge and yummy. We've tried the beef roll, one of the soups (can't remember the name), the crispy spicy chicken, and one of the beef dishes. They were all delicious. The portions are massive and it's so reasonably priced. Definitely a good spot to go when you want leftovers lol read more

Ever tried a Chinese "crepe"? Better known as jian bing (煎饼)! This was a super affordable and lowkey spot for dim sum in Irvine. Parking lot is huge and surrounded by an H-Mart, TJ Maxx, and other spots for you to walk around & digest after eating. FOOD: Portions here were super large! Split between two people we had to take some items home. The potstickers were huge, served piping hot and super delicious. Definitely come to try the jian bing ("beef roll"). I loved how the greens inside were added cold, it created a crisp fresh bite with the warm beef slices. INTERIOR: There's a good size amount of tables inside and plenty of seating outside too (thought not sure if these are serviced by the restaurant). No need to make a reservation but it did get busy on the weekend. PRICE: Huge plus point, I think our total split per person came out to something like $14 each and we still had leftovers to take home. I appreciated how fair this was especially with a good size serving! read more

Northern Cafe - Beef roll. - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

This is one of the best Chinese spots I've had in Irvine and the food is consistent everytime. I came on a weekday and got seated immediately. There is a QR code to order from your phone and the food comes out pretty fast. We got the Pork XLB, BBQ Bao, custard Bao, and the beef noodle noodle soup. The XLB had a delicious soup filling with generous amounts of pork inside, and the bbq bao fell apart so easily and melted in my mouth. The beef noodle soup was incredible! The beef was really tender and the noodles were cooked to perfection. I also enjoyed the custard bun as a dessert at the end. The ambiance is spacious with lots of booth seating which I appreciate! Highly recommend this place if you're craving authentic Chinese food! read more

Northern Cafe - Pork XLB, BBQ Bao, custard Bao - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

This is a very large restaurant. Lots of seating to host parties. The service is quick, and I love the QR code at the table to order from. It makes ordering faster. Good was delicious and we ordered a lot. This time we got, shrimp fried rice, orange chicken, garlic ribs, XLB, pan fried dumplings-por, garlic bok choy and wontons in spicy sauce. Super affordable and fed so many people. We were happy and I'm always happy to bring friends and family back here every time. I recommnd getting there early for dinner, we beat a HUUGE rush. read more

I don't see the option for utensils while ordering and automatically considering for NO utensils. I requested for no green onions for my order but still has green onion!!! Trying to call during the business hours but no one answered. read more

I went there for lunch to get the special. I pointed to the lunch special soup dumping and steamed dumpling. When the bill came out, they charged me the dinner price. Be careful if you get the lunch special. They will upgrade you to the dinner portion. read more

I got the spicy beef hot pot and pork dumplings. The pork dumplings were delicious and juicy and tasted great with the vinegar sauce thats on the table. The hotpot wasn't too spicy unless you accidently get a load of chili oil. I thought the spice added a nice kick to the hot pot and there was a lot of food, I ended up eating it for two meals. It was very flavorful with a wide variety of ingredients, I really like the beef and all the variety of fish balls or beef balls in the dish. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California