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NORTHERN CAFE @ UNIVERSITY CENTER The food was so yummy and it was so convenient to get, love that there was plenty of spots to sit too! The food came out in about 5 minutes and everything was pretty good. Overall 5/5 would get again
Went here for lunch, and it could get packed during lunch time but the service is fast. We ordered Dandan Noodles, egg plant with garlic sauce, yangzhou fried rice, sweet and sour ribs and pork and shrimp dumplings. Dandan noodles is okay, nothing special. Egg plant with garlic sauce is too greasy probably because of they fry the eggplants first. Yangzhou fried rice is okay, lots of shrimp. Sweet and sour ribs is too sweet for me and too saucy that it feels overwhelming already and lastly the pork and shrimp dumplings is just okay, you need to put their dumpling sauce to make it taste better. They do have outdoor seating and we have our dog with us and the tables are clean despite being in a busy street. Overall, the food is just okay, service is fast and place is clean.
I was craving Chinese and since I'm super indecisive, I "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo'd" it and landed on Northern Cafe. The reviews were good, but these days I don't solely bank on them. IYKYK. ;) Ordered the orange chicken, Lao Gan Ma fried noodles, and the beef roll. The orange chicken was really good, but I fell in love with the beef roll. The bread was flaky, the beef was incredibly tender, and it was packed with flavor. I'd order that every single time. The noodles were good, just not my favorite of the three dishes. That's not a knock on them. The other two were just that much better. Folks, this was takeout! I figured it wouldn't be nearly as good at home as it would be fresh at the restaurant. Wrong!. By the time we got home, everything still tasted fresh and tasted *chef's kiss*. AND the leftovers were just as good the next day. The orange chicken crisped right back up in the air fryer, the noodles reheated well on the stovetop, and nothing tasted like it had spent the night in the fridge. I'll definitely be dining in next time. Northern Cafe: 10/10!
We visited Northern Cafe near UC Irvine with a party of four and had a solid lunch experience overall. Ordering was straightforward, food came out quickly, and it was easy to share dishes family-style. What we ordered: * Cumin Lamb - Great Very tasty with bold cumin flavor and absolutely no lamb smell. One of the standout dishes. * Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Great Well-cooked, rich, and flavorful. The sauce paired perfectly with the tender eggplant. * Sautéed Green Beans - Great Nicely blistered, savory, and addictive. Simple but done right. * Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs - OK Flavor was fine, but the meat leaned a bit chewy compared to the other dishes. * Popcorn Chicken - Great Juicy and tender on the inside with a crispy exterior. Easy crowd favorite. * Hot & Sour Soup - OK Comforting and warming, though nothing particularly memorable. * Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce - OK Decent with good heat, but not a standout compared to similar versions elsewhere. * Cold Dish (3 Veg Items) - OK Refreshing and light, a good balance to the heavier dishes. * Rice Standard and served hot--does its job. Overall: This was a solid 4-star experience. Portions are generous, prices and value are great for the area, and the food quality is solid with a few standout dishes. Conveniently located near UC Irvine on Campus Drive, Northern Cafe is a reliable spot for casual Chinese comfort food, especially when dining with a group.
Northern Cafe is located at the University Town Center and serves up casual Chinese fare. Ordering is done at the front and then food is delievered to your table. I came with a group of co-workers and we decided to share some items. Chicken wontons - $12 - These were probably my favorite item here. The dumplings had good flavor and quite a bit of chicken. Scallion pancake ($8) - I've had much better elsewhere, and it wasn't as crispy and flaky as most other places. Beef roll ($13) - The beef rolls are wrapped in the same scallion pancakes so that part was disappointing and there was nothing special about the beef in the roll. Fried beef skewers ($6.50) - These skewers were so flavorful with a strong cumin flavor and I would recommend getting these if I revisited. Steamed custard buns ($6) - The buns were a little hard and didn't have as much custard as I had hoped for. Sesame balls ($6) - The sesame balls were a little doughy and had red bean paste. There weren't bad. Chinese herbal tea ($3.50) - Unfortunately this herbal team was served in a can and was extremely sweet. I didn't expect that and would pass on this altogether. Overall the food was just ok. Nothing really stood out and there were some disappointing dishes. There is plenty of seating as well as patio seating.
So this place is kind of confusing. Self serve order at the cashier but you still pay for a tip there's another machine where to go people order. But I was pointed to the to go machine and ordered from wrong spot. If you dine in, you're supposed to order at the cashier. Get own water and leftover box etc So we came at 6 pm on of Sunday night and the wait time was about 10 minutes. Staff will yell your name. They won't text u. I realize this place is really busy compared to all the casual dining restaurants in the same plaza. So most people wait five minutes and they leave so even though we're in the fourth spot, we actually got in. Unless you're a big party of five or six, then you'll have to wait longer. So the confusion is in the beginning part. I wouldn't recommend to elderly Asian crowd because I know my mom would definitely be confused. After you get settled in, they will bring you what you ordered. There isn't any server to your table so if you're getting water, you have to get it by yourself if you need an extra bowl, you have to wait till the staff comes to deliver your food and use that time to tell them what you need. This place is really self-serving. The staff only comes to deliver your food and clean up your table. But we still tipped. Food was good. Soup dumplings hit the spot. Black vinegar was essential and available Come here when you need really good food and quick bite This is not recommended for a date night or business network setting I think we would come by if we're in the area. But considering that we're paying tip, I think we would go to the other location when they are full service.
A fully satisfied food coma after Northern Cafe Food: The golden soup beef is undoubtedly coziness in a bowl after a long work day. The spiciness from the chopped raw chilies and bok choy adds the extra heartiness to each bite of noodle and sliced beef. It's in limbo with Dan Dan noodles especially pork over beef kinda spicy noodle soup day. Next, their orange chicken is delicious (!!!) and the epitome of American Chinese palate but hey it's only a right of passage haha we get it every time as a group and for takeout! Let's talk fiber with veggies now: Sautéed garlic Bok choy and green beans. Need another carb with protein then add in some chicken fried rice. Finally the noodles, I prefer the fried noodle with chicken over the Lao Gan Ma fried noodle with chicken which was more greasy, too much sauce and had less whole fresh veggies. The egg rolls were subpar. Service: They are so FAST for in service and take out ordering. It's a continuous flow of customers and cleaning. Over the past years, always had positive experiences and consistent take out orders replicating sit down quality food. Ambiance: Spacious for many different parties so social groups or even individual self time! I appreciate the dimmer lighting for evening and outside patio for more privacy. Overall: will be back many MORE times with my family, friends and colleagues!
Food is great. It hits the spot for classic Northern Chinese food (dumplings, XLB, beef rolls/green onion pancakes, and my favorite rice cake) Price is reasonable ($13-$16 for most dishes). You order via an app so no waiting for a waiter. It was hard to get their attention for water/napkins though. The biggest frustration eating here is the mini fruit flies in the restaurant. I've eaten here a number of times, and always notice 1 or so fruit flies at the table!
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. Generous portions of beef, way more than what Boiling Point would give you. I do wish it weren't so salty. I find myself pouring some cold water into it to lessen the saltiness. Also wish they had dipping sauces for the meats and veggies. But other than that, it's pretty delicious. I also like the 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.
Our night out in Irvine landed us here for dinner, the very first lot we pulled into after leaving the Barclay Theater. And that was originally to find better WiFi reception. But why dillydally around? Northern Cafe seemed just right for dinner. A very busy Sunday night and with a mostly Asian clientele at an Asian eatery, always a great barometer for me. Apparently also quite popular with students from the nearby UC campus. But we were immediately seated after stepping inside. This is an order at the counter establishment, then take your number back to your table, they will bring to you when ready. So we looked over our menus first, the print a bit small, then settled on the Big Big Chicken Plate With Noodles and the Lamb Hot Pot. I guess I just assumed that the order of lamb would be simply that. But my bad, several items included in this dish were things we never eat; crab, shrimp, pork. So on its arrival, the Mrs noticed what I mistakenly had overlooked. I did however, manage to salvage most of the lamb and several quail eggs (a first time trying them for me). The chicken dish we thought was just okay, even less so as a leftover. My wife was totally dissatisfied. But the steamed rice was rather well cooked and we both enjoyed the Thai iced tea. Northern Cafe has locations throughout Southern California. We would return but with totally different menu options chosen next time. Somewhat neutral service but they keep things moving along like a production line.
We visited Northern Cafe in Irvine last weekend during lunch, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish! Ordering was super easy--we ordered at the cashier and picked any table we wanted. In just about 5 minutes, every dish arrived at our table, which was impressively fast. The Cumin Lamb ($17.99) was very flavorful and one of our favorites. The Eggplant with Garlic Sauce ($14.99) was delicious and perfectly cooked, and the Sautéed Green Beans ($15.99) were very satisfying. The Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs ($16.99) were decent, though the meat was a little chewy. The real standouts were the Popcorn Chicken ($9.99)--crispy on the outside, tender on the inside--and the Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce ($11.99), which were absolutely amazing! The Hot & Sour Soup ($11.99) was comforting and full of flavor. They also have a nice selection of cold dishes you can pick right at the cashier station. Overall, the food was delicious, the prices were very reasonable, and the service was fast and efficient. We loved the smooth dining experience and will definitely be back to try more dishes--especially their noodles next time!
Parking is super easy since it's in Irvine's UTC plaza. You order and pay at the counter -- food comes out fairly fast. 7/10 Spicy Beef Pot ($17). I prefer Boiling Point since they have more variety and I like what they put inside their hotpots more. Wasn't a really big fan of sausages inside. The broth wasn't bland and had some flavor, so I would say it's worth a try.
I hadn't been here in quite some time but was craving Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. I ended up ordering take out on their website which was super easy to use. It says expect 20 minutes but when I arrived in 10 minutes, it was already ready which was nice. The staff wasn't personable and didn't really greet me unfortunately. They just asked for my ordered number and handed me the bag. As for the food itself, this hit the spot! I loved that it came in a quality Tupperware that wouldn't leak or get soggy. The way the lid was set up allowed for the noodles and bok choy to stay untouched from the broth which was great!
Came with my wife to try this place and I was not disappointed. The food was absolutely phenomenal. The dumplings and wontons were savory and delicious as was the hotpot. The beef roll stole the show for my wife while the crispy Chongqing chicken was something I could eat all day. The orange chicken a Was just as good, super crunchy and not bathing in sauce and same for the pork ribs. 10/10 can recommend this place. As for the service everyone was friendly and the food came out really fast especially for how much we ordered and how busy they were. I would also add that for a modern style restaurant that was quite busy it was not overly loud when it came to ambience. We could enjoy the food and talk without being drowned out by the rest of the restaurant read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear Josh, Thanks for the 5-star review! We're delighted you had a…
2 years ago
I ordered the mapo tofu and the beef roll to go with my lamb pot on a rainy day in Irvine. Great experience overall. The service was pretty quick. The vibes here are casual - you order at the register, they give you a number, and we can sit at any open table. I loved the portion size here! Look how big the mapo tofu and beef roll are. I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend the beef roll. I personally thought the lamb pot was alright. My partner had the beef pot and that fit my taste buds better. It was a good first experience here, and I'll definitely come back to order the beef pot and the beef roll. read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear Alina, Thank you for your feedback and praise of our restaurant,…
8 months ago
2 years ago
If you are looking for delicious and yet affordable food? This is your place! There is lots of seating indoors and outdoor for all the party size. It is located right near UCI. Everything we got was sooo good! They have such a variety of dishes! I highly recommend the popcorn chicken and the garlic pork ribs! They are even better then next day!! read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Your feedback is much appreciated
2 years ago
Golden beef soup is good. Cold dishes are good, especially the spicy beef and lotus. Dumplings are authentic also read more
3 years ago
Huge portion, great price, in the heart of UCI. Beef roll is a must order! It's on every table. Filled with beef, decent amount of sauce and lots greens. Juicy pork dumplings are not little like Ding Tai Feng, lots meat and juicy. As well as their pan fried dumplings. Spicy Beef Pot is hot and tasty, pretty similar to Boiling Point but without the wait. Cucumber salad comes in a bowl! Chongqing crispy chicken is spicy and crispy. Eggplant is covered with garlic sauce, yum! Shanghai rice cake with chicken is not recommended, rice cakes need to be cooked longer. Service is fast, dishes comes in a good pace. Restaurant is big but hot inside. read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Thanks for your love, we would love to have you back
3 years ago
This place is almost always busy, but because food comes out so quickly you can generally get a spot for smaller parties. There is indoor and outdoor seating, with the indoor sections being quite lively with all the students. I think their best food is the special beef noodle soup (sorry no picture) and the dry hot pots (again sorry no picture I ate it too fast), but their dishes like pork ribs and green beans and other noodles soups (pictured) are good too! I will say their sweet and sour soup is a bit salty (very good otherwise), and their meats can sometimes be a bit chewy. Makes sense given the volume of people going by; service must be really stressful! Occasionally the food comes out cold though, so I'm taking a star off for that. Overall great place tho, especially since it's so close to campus! read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Thanks for choosing us, we would love to have you again
Welcome to UCI, Northern Cafe! Thanks to our fellow Yelp Elite, Sandra L.'s post of this cafe we decided to eat here on a Friday night. This cafe is next to Mendocino at the UCI Town center. Parking situation really depends on the time of the day. Friday evening was a bit busy but we were able to find parking after driving around a few minutes. As you enter the cafe, grab a table and look at the extensive menu and good luck trying to figure out what you want (or just order everything)! We wanted to try everything so ended up ordering way too many dishes, but we don't mind leftovers to take home! Once you're ready to order, go to the counter and place your order. You'll receive a number for your table and food will quickly be brought to your table sizzling hot! Our top 3 picks are: Beef roll: love the flavor of this roll. It's slightly sweet yet savory. The wrap isn't too oily. Caveat: if you're not fond of onions, make sure you ask for no onions bc there's tons of onions stuffed in this roll!! Spicy beef noodle: comes out super hot in a large bowl with lots of noodle and beef! I'd share this if you're ordering other dishes! The soup is not super spicy but there's a kick! The beef chunks are very tender and flavorful. Beef hot pot: love that I can order dumplings, wontons, rice, and even hot pot!! The hot pot is served like at Boiling Point in its own pot with a portable stove. Flavor of the soup is not better than BP, but the ingredients are fresher and higher quality than at BP. This hot pot comes with rice. Other dishes that we've tried include: chicken spicy wonton, xlb, chicken fried rice, garlic sautéed string beans, orange chicken, pork and cabbage dumplings, and beef noodle. All of these dishes had good flavoring and was not too salty or oily compared to most Chinese restaurants. I can see us rotating through here frequently. PS. There are plenty of seatings inside and in their outdoor patio! Enjoy! :) read more
1 year ago
Northern Cafe is tucked in the back of the UTC. They have a surprisingly wide variety of Chinese food! Got the Tomato and Egg Beef Noodle Soup, Beef Roll, and the sweet and sour pork ribs. Tomato and Egg Beef Noodle Soup was warm and comforting and had a generous amount of noodles! Beef Roll was crispy, sweet, savory and so delicious! Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs are sweet, sticky, and tender. You order at the front and they bring the food to where you are seated. This restaurant seems to be a mix between self serve and service provided. Inside of restaurant has lots of windows for natural lighting. Would want to come back again to try the hot pots! read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Thanks for appreciating
Must try @yifengyuan_irvine for your next Chinese food cravings!!! I felt like the theme of this restaurant for me was things that make you MMMMMM!!! Their orange chicken is probably one of the best orange chickens I have tried, and I have tried a lot Chinese food is one of my favorite types of food to eat. It has always been my comfort food. Their orange chicken while it was in a lot of sauce. It was an overly sweet it had a great balance of citrus, and the crust on the chicken was still nice and crunchy not soggy. But let's get into that beef roll I could not stop eating it all! The flavor profile of each dish was a 10 out of 10. Here's what we ordered: Orange chicken Sweet-and-sour pork ribs Spicy beef pot Juicy pork dumplings Beef roll Pork wontons in spicy sauce Chongquing Crispy And the pricing on here is great, especially because the size of each plate is enough to share. You can easily feed 5 for under 100. In the restaurants, and then the employees were extremely friendly and very quick. You do have to order at the counter, but the food is brought to you. And the drinks are bottled or can. Mu full video on IG LIFTINGISCAKE read more
Northern Cafe is a Chinese food restaurant that was recommended to me from a friend and I'm so glad she told me about it because I didn't know it was there even though I go to this shopping center all the time! The restaurant is located across from UC Irvine in the same shopping center as In&Out - next to Mendocino Farms but on the very end. Basically, you walk in, order at the counter and they give you a number and you can sit down at any table - either inside or outside on their patio. It didn't take long to order and all of the employees were very friendly. They bring you your food and you can get up to get more utensils, napkins, tap water in little styrofoam cups and to go containers at little stations they have around the restaurant. They have a large/extensive menu! I ordered the Orange Chicken (huge portion! and it was very tasty) but it DOESN'T come with steamed rice - boo - that is always a negative for me but at least it was only $1 extra but come on, for $1 can't they just give me the rice for free...I also ordered their Beef Roll but I like the one at J Zhou better...this one wasn't as flavorful...Their Juicy Pork dumplings on the other hand were outstanding - and you get 8 in your order so the portion size is good. I also ordered the Steamed Red Bean Paste Bun and that was good too but the ratio of bun to filling was a bit high. If I came back I'd get the orange chicken for sure, as well as the dumplings and try one of their other dishes like their hot pots because they are known for their hot pot as well but who I was with didn't want to order that and we were sharing - which is why I didn't - but I would come back and try it in the future. read more
1 year ago
One of the best affordable Chinese foods I've had in California is this spot! The portions are generous, the food is amazing with great service . You order at the counter and they bring the food out to your table. It's open seating but there's tons of seating available indoor & out. We got: Thai fusion hotpot, Pork and crab meat dumpling, Shrimp wontons in spicy chili sauce, Yangzhou Fried rice, Fried noodle, Popcorn chicken , Sautéed Bok Choy w/ Garlic & Bbq pork buns for all less than $100. I was stunned when they rung up the total because where can you find good & affordable food these days?! read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
We would love to see you again
Decent portions for the price. Came back to try their lamb hot pot. It wasn't strongly flavored at all ( just a bit salty) or spicy (not sure if I could have adjusted). There was a decent glob of lamb meat and toppings, though the tofu taste a bit old/dry. It was a filling meal, looked nice, and had a good variety of toppings. Just wished flavors were a bit more complex/spicied. I recommend using the sauces provided to dip.and it came with rice! read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Thanks for your love, your feedback is appreciation for us
2 years ago
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear Jake Thank you for your feedback to our restaurant, your…
I tried Northern Cafe a few weeks ago for the first time and thought it was good but not amazing. The setup is done cafe style where you order your food at the counter and have it brought to whichever table you're sitting at. After ordering it took about 15 minutes for our food to arrive, roughly all at the same time. Of the 5 dishes we ordered, my personal favorite was the Beef Roll, which was actually pretty good. Both the Orange Chicken and the Panfried Dumplings were also very solid, with the orange chicken being less saucy than at other places (which I liked). The Eggplant with Garlic sauce was fine, although I will admit I'm not a fan of eggplant in general (I wasn't the one who ordered). The Mala Premium Beef Noodle Soup definitely numbed half my face and was probably in between extra mild and mild going by Yupdduk's spiciness levels (which is still pretty spicy). Overall felt like a mix between Sam Woo's and Panda Express in terms of taste, ambiance and price. Definitely would recommend to UCI students over Panda Express. Food: Beef Roll ($12.50) Mala Premium Beef Noodle Soup ($13.50) Panfried Shrimp, Pork, Egg and Chive Dumplings ($12.99) Eggplant with Garlic Sauce ($12.99) Orange Chicken ($13.99) read more
Busy spot for lunch! It's one of those places where you order first and then sit down though so no one will come to your table to take your order. The food was actually pretty good. The stir fried noodles were a little too salty, but we loved the noodles in the soup! The fried rice was mid, but not bad! I really liked the buns because they're slightly sweet. They do get stuck to your teeth though. My one thing is that it was SO HOT in there. We just wanted to eat quickly to get out because it felt like a sauna in there. Otherwise, it's a nice spot for a casual lunch and it's affordable! read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Thanks for your valuable feedback
One of the best new spots to open in Irvine! I've eaten here twice and I can't get enough of this spot. They have classic Chinese dishes, dumplings, noodles, hotpot, and appetizers. The range is truly amazing. Additionally, I like how affordable this spot is compared to the other Chinese spots opening in town. I haven't had anything here that I haven't liked, but my favorites would have to be the golden noodle soup and sauerkraut lamb hot pot. Both are a little different from other Chinese spots and were the right level of spice - enough to be flavorful but not so much that you have stomach issues the next day. Service is a little slow, but I think it's cause most things are cooked when you order it. read more
3 years ago
A fantastic better-than-fast-food option in a large venue with quick, efficient service and a diverse menu. It can accommodate larger parties, depemding on space. Large venue for a mall location. Lots of options such as dim sum, stir fry, fried rice, noodlez, hot pot and more. Generous portions at reasonable prices. Ordered at the register and the food was delivered to our table fairly quickly. The steamed lamb dumplings were a nice alternative to the standard offerings. The scallion pancakes were thin and dry but the steamed custard buns were fresh and tasty. Recommended for quick Asian food options near UCI! read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Thanks for your love, we would love to have you back
Review goes out to the spicy wonston shrimp in chili sauce. Really enjoyed munching on it, the sauce not too spicy, while still keeping its flavors. Had me drinking the sauce lol. Loved the overall flavor of it but I think it would be better if they put more shrimp in the wonton. Each wonton only has bits of shrimp. Tiny pieces. It felt like I was eating more of a rice paper noodle with shrimp topping than shrimp wonton. Not only shrimp bit they do have cabbage too as filing. Overall happy with it but could use more shrimp. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
First rate dining! Authentic Chinese food. We dined there for lunch from a friend's recommendation. Thank you Edward Lind!! Ordering was efficient and quick. The food was served quickly and the prices were reasonable!!! Will return here again. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Coming from UCLA, I was surprised to see another Northern Cafe location! Was still glad to see that they served the same traditional dishes as the three locations in Westwood. On Thanksgiving, I came here first for lunch with a friend. On the same day, my family came here again for dinner as this was the only place open. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of traditional northern chinese dishes and ordered a decent amount. For lunch we got the fried noodle with vegetable and zha jiang noodle. For dinner we got the big plate chicken with noodle, fatty beef with scallion, cumin lamb, sautéed green beans, sautéed bok choy with garlic, beef roll, scallion pancake, fried rice with chicken shrimp, pork and cabbage dumplings pan fried, and sesame balls. The fried noodle with vegetable and zha jiang noodle were delicious and sizable for lunch! The beef rolls and scallion pancake certainly didn't disappoint. The big plate chicken with noodle was sizable, but the chicken was slightly dry and a bit pricey ~$19. The beef and lamb were quite flavorful with the spices and scallions. The green beans and bok choy were as well. Disappointed that the sesame balls didn't come with filling but still decent. The dumplings were crisp and filling. Overall, a satisfying and delicious thanksgiving dinner! read more
2 years ago
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear Samantha， Thank you for your feedback on our food , and we look…
Checked this place out this evening (Saturday) and was greeted by a friendly hostess up front that shared that the restaurant has only been open for four days. It's taken over the spot where Spoleto used to be. I had high hopes for Spoleto by the way - but their price point didn't permit them to survive in a predominantly college-student area. Anyway, Northern Cafe does not have table service - you order at the counter, pay for your meal, and then they bring your food out to you. I ordered the House Special Spicy Beef Noodle Soup which was so-so. While the meat to noodle ratio was great - and the bites of meat were flavorful and tender, the broth tasted very weak. It was hard to see because it was so dark (I opted to sit outside) - but it almost tasted like hot water with a few drops of soy sauce. The noodles however, were decent. It reminded me of udon noodles due to the thickness, yet the chewy texture/consistency reminded me of Japanese ramen. Would've been a great bowl if the broth had more character to it. The dish was served with utensils, but no further condiments that would allow the diner to adjust their bowl to their liking. What was disappointing though was the ambiance. I sat outside and as the evening settled in, sunlight quickly diminishing - I realized there wasn't any patio or outdoor lights. I went from being able to see my food (thankfully I took a few photos of the food then), to barely making out my bowl's contents in just a few minutes. There also wasn't much spacing - the couple that sat at the table next to mine - their son kept backing his chair up into me when he would get up - which for some reason, was quite often. Prices for the food was reasonable. I think I'll come back to try some of the other dishes sometime. The restaurant has its own private restrooms so that is a plus - since the majority of the restaurants in the shopping center don't have a private restroom, so you have to use the center's public restrooms, which are usually less maintained. read more
Food was good and I liked how much seating they had inside and outside. The Scallion Pancake was bigger than I expected, but could've had more flavor. I really enjoyed the Mapo Tofu and the Spicy Beef Pot. The cabbage in the hot pot was a great addition and the pot comes with a side of steamed rice which is nice. My one complaint is that service was not great - staff was rude and seemed very angry/irritated. read more
2 years ago
We door dashed and I ordered the hot and sour soup, it was cold not spicy and no crispy noodles, hot sauce, soy sauce. Our food felt like an afterthought. The pork dumplings were not good either. I don't recommend these two items. read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear Sissy-Maria G. Sorry for not bringing you a perfect dining…
I'm picky picky picky about Chinese food but this place is definitely one I would recommend. It's fresh, clean, and very flavorful. Additionally decently priced and if you get to-go they package very nicely. Loved the fried noodles, orange chicken, boy choy. Only thing was the white rice seemed a little "day old" so I wished I had made my own at home. I'll see what it tastes like next time but that was my only complaint really. Ended up with lots of left overs so got to enjoy a few extra meals and used the to-go boxes as containers for left overs. read more
3 years ago
Good food with reasonable price. I really like the popcorn chicken. And the service was good too. read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Dear Aki, Thanks for the 5-star review! We're delighted you had a…
Came here for the beef noodle soup. The English names are kinda vague for non-Chinese speaker, so I'll try to explain F1- house special beef middle soup: this is the Taiwanese version spicy beef noodle soup with the red doubanjiang soup base and square chunks of beef. I thought this was just ok. The flavor is very mild F2- beef noodle soup: this is the Lanzhou version with clear broth and thinly sliced beef shank. This was good. The broth is very beefy. No complaints but nothing special. We also got the beef roll and it's one of the better beef rolls I've had. The dough is very crispy and the beef is flavorful. PRO TIP: add a little bit of dumpling sauce (on the side of every table) on top of the rolls and prepare to be mins blown read more
3 years ago
I have to downgrade my review since they changed the noodles in the fried noodles dish. They used to be thick and delicious, and now they are thin and barely better than Panda Express chow mein. Here's to hoping it's a temporary thing :( read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
We're sorry the change in our fried noodles dish didn't meet your…
2 years ago
More info about Northern Cafe
4175 Campus Dr
Irvine, CA 92617
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(949) 418-7309
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http://www.northerncafeirvine.com
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Ask the Community - Northern Cafe
Do they take reservations?
When I went a few months ago, they did not take reservations. It wasn't hard to find a table though on the various occasions that I have gone.
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26 reviews that are not currently recommended
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