I've walked past this spot on Second Street countless times, always curious, and I'm glad I finally stopped in. It might just be the only Chinese restaurant on the strip, and to my surprise, it's actually really good. The fried dumplings were golden perfection, the beef roll had just the right crisp, and I'm a sucker for the soup dumplings--so that made my day. Bonus points for the spicy chili oil on the table (respect). We sat outside, which made for some great people-watching and a perfect wind-down after a sandy romp at Dog Beach. The service was friendly, the food hit the spot, and yes--I'm already planning my next visit. read more

Northern Cafe - Seaweed Salad - Chinese Near Me - Long Beach, California

My family and I came here around 6pm on a Wednesday night (party of 6) and were seated right away. The space was cozy, and I especially liked the light fixtures. They also have a small patio if you prefer sitting outside. We ordered a ton of food and enjoyed most of it. The only dish we didn't really care for was the Chongqing crispy chicken. What We Loved Sautéed string beans with garlic - $14.50 Green onion pancake - $8.50 Chicken fried rice - $13.50 Shredded chicken salad - $7.50 Pork soup dumplings - $14 Walnut shrimp - $18.50 Beef fried noodle - $14.50 Garlic pork ribs - $15 What to Skip Chongqing crispy chicken - $15 Our server, Crystal D., was absolutely amazing and suuuper funny -- she made our night! We were cracking each other up the whole time. The only minor hiccup was she kept forgetting to bring us forks, but honestly it wasn't a big deal. Since I was there for my birthday, she asked me which mochi flavor I wanted. They were out of mango, but she kindly let me know and brought strawberry instead, which was still tasty. When the bill came, she noticed that we were accidentally charged for the mochi, even though it should have been complimentary. None of us even caught it, but she did and asked her manager to void it. My mom said we could just pay for it, but Crystal insisted we shouldn't. Overall, we had a wonderful experience thanks to the delicious food and Crystal's outstanding service. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Great food and great lunch option. We ordered from the standard menu but they also had a lunch menu that looked great with tea options! I've been to this chain before so I was shocked at how nice and sleek the interior was for this 2nd street location. Came with a team of 12 and were seated immediately in 3 separate tables. We loved the food and it's definitely top tier! Even though there was not a lot of staff and we had a lot of questions and requests, the service was great! delicious + recommend: - pork & crab dumplings - beef roll pancake - Dan Dan noodle - string bean Standard: - cucumber salad - spicy & numbing beef noodle soup Skip: - spicy shrimp wontons read more

I have been to other Northern Cafes around LA, but this one is right in my neighborhood and what an opportunity to bring a friend to enjoy their cuisine. We sat outside on the patio enjoying the sunshine and ordered some Soup Dumplings and a Beef Noodle Soup. I am very picky about the "soup" and Northern Cafe does not disappoint me. We enjoyed it and devoured it! Service always comes with a friendly smile and you'll definitely find it here! It was fun to interact with the hosts and waitresses too. If you haven't been to this location, I highly recommend it! Belmont Shore is a hidden gem of Long Beach. Northern Cafe fits right in with the eclectic neighborhood we have here. read more

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Northern Cafe was great! I don't have any photos because we ordered take out on Halloween, but the restaurant was beautiful and the staff was very nice and helpful upon entering and getting our food. We got the Crab Meat & Pork Soup Dumplings 蟹粉小笼包, Pork & Cabbage Dumplings 白菜猪肉水饺, Shrimp Fried Rice and Orange Chicken. The portions were larger than I expected, so safe to say we had a lot of leftovers. The dumplings were still hot and not soggy by the time we got to our house (20 min drive), our favorite were the Crab Meat & Pork soup dumplings. The flavor was so delicious. Overall, we had a really lovely meal from Northern Cafe. Next time we come we will sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. read more

Came here for a friends birthday lunch! Our server was Paulina and she was great! We were a table of 7 and she had so much patience! She was very attentive and gave good recommendations. We order a handful of lunch portions and shared! Pork dumplings, fried rice, green beans and custard creme dumplings were great! Was very relaxing eating and the experience all around was great. Felt like I was on vacation! read more

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I hate to confess, but this is an incredible lunch meal. Just hope I don't give Crystal and this restaurant so much kudos that we're not able to visit again and have the cool ambience we had today. But thumbs up to our hostess and the cook. Recommend the Dandan noodles, beef roll, and the pork soup dumplings. Even the house tea was awesome! Excellent food experience....in love read more

Northern Cafe - Dandan noodles so fire! - Chinese Near Me - Long Beach, California

Food was incredible, lots of different flavors that match together very well. Pretty low prices considering how amazing the food was and the portions. The green beans and the green onion pancakes were the two foods that stood out the most, both such simple flavors but so good. The service was amazing, Genesis surprised us and brought us the best food ever and was super kind and sweet to me and my family. Perfect place to eat with friends and/or family taking in the solid portions and prices. I was surprised for a place like this to not be very crowded, will definitely be coming back. read more

Came here about a month ago with friends. One of them kept talking about it and I was so excited to see another Asian restaurant pop up. The samples were good! That was a year ago. Anyway, finally made it for dinner with 2 friends and my son. It was getting kind of late and we sat outside with a dog and a stroller. The service was ok. I felt like We were almost forgotten. We didn't get any utensils or plates until way later. We ordered: shrimp, pork, chive dumplings pork wontons in chili oil steamed pork dumplings with crab a wonton soup green beans Kid's meal with orange chicken was pretty good I think that's it. I wanted to try the mapo tofu and some other stuff but maybe I'll come back and check them out again. Other than the service, it was great! Thanks guys! read more

Since there are other locations around the LA area I wouldn't go out of my way to go to this one specifically because the street parking in this area is limited. We ordered a variety items and everything was great! The scallion pancake, blackberry matcha mojito, green beans and chicken soup dumplings were my faves. The orange chicken had potential but needed more sauce! read more

Servicer was attentive and the restaurant had a lovely atmosphere. Portions are quite generous. We got the beef roll which was packed with cilantro, great fresh punch to balance the beef. Both our fish and shrimp dumplings were juicy and pipping hot. Great two bite dumplings that didn't skimp on filling. We also ordered the dry spicy shrimp pot, multiple items stir fried in mala spices. The shrimp were big, larger than a golf ball. It had french fries in it, weird but works, spam, mushrooms, and other veggies. It was delicious and more than enough for two meals alone. Comes with a side of rice. Great price for flavors and amount of food. read more

Northern Cafe - Spicy Dry Pot shrimp (Chicken, Beef, OR Shrimp) - Chinese Near Me - Long Beach, California

This is a great place to eat we love it!!! The food is amazing and the service is wonderful. We ordered egg plant, fried noodles, garlic ribs, Szechuan beef, mojitos and that's just to name a few things... I must say Mary and her team really took care of us during our visit. She treated all of us like family. She even made tasty fruit drinks for my nieces and nephews that they loved. Thank you so much Mary we truly appreciate everything!!!! See you soon!! read more

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Who knew! Northern Café in Belmont Shore: what a pleasant surprise. I spotted the restaurant while cruising through 2nd Street. Parking was kind of hard to find as always but not impossible. The restaurant is probably the biggest one I have been to, and I have visited many of them. Inside is spacious and clean with a modern layout. We got seated pronto and the waiter was very nice and handed us the menu right away. The menu was quite extensive so decided to order a variety of dishes. Below are the highlights: Pork soup dumplings: or Xiaolongbao : even though the skin wrap shape was not as crafty as Ding Tai Fung's, they were perfectly steamed with the broth soup intact inside. The meat filling was nicely seasoned and thoroughly cooked. Shrimp and yellow chive dumplings: love the crispy bottom pan fried wrap skin and tasty filling of shrimp and yellow chives. Steam seafood and pork dumplings: thicker wrap skin but it was cooked thoroughly but maintained its nice texture (not soggy or torn). The filling was well seasoned with nice combination of pork and shrimp. Beef noodle soup: the clear broth was flavorful, and the noodle was cooked perfectly. The sliced beef was tender. Next time I would like to try it with the traditional spicy broth. One suggestion: visit the restaurant during lunchtime because they offer special pricing (with less quantity) so you can try different dishes. Great find and definitely coming back when visiting LB again. read more

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Service was amazing! Loved my sweetheart waiter. Drinks are yummy. Food is pretty good ! Not my favorite dumpling wise but the rest of the food is yummy. Ambiance is cute and lots to do around the place. read more

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Fantastic food preparation and a newcomer to "the shore" . All dishes are tasty, but a bit pricy although help is attentive and parking can be accessed along the residential streets as well as the metered spots along 2nd Street. If you are looking specifically for Chinese food this is as good as it gets and the eye candy will stretch from Quincy to Bayshore with plenty of sightseeing and shops to visit along the way! This is a strong four stars in my book and they have absolutely no competition here in this small beach community so come on it sit down and enjoy just about every dish available to you ! read more

Yummy food and drinks. Our server Genesis was super chill and attentive. And love the calm atmosphere. Will be back again read more

Northern Cafe - Lao Gan Ma Fried Noodle with Chicken 老干妈炒面 (微辣)[] Garlic Cucumber 凉拌小黄瓜Chicken Dumplings 鸡肉水饺 (10) orange chicken(out of frame) - Chinese Near Me - Long Beach, California

Although I haven't been into the restaurant yet, the food is delicious I'd recommend if you want good Chinese food

We decided to go as a group for an after-work dinner Thursday evening and were quickly seated. Despite the location in Long Beach, it was also pretty easy to find parking! We had decided on this location because it was heavily recommended by a friend of mine. I was really hoping to like it. Had the food been consistent, I would've rated higher but due to the hit or miss nature I'm not sure I can. Let's start with the best dish we had. The walnut shrimp (pictured) was by far one of the better dishes we ordered. The shrimps were large, the glaze was the right amount of sweet, and it had the perfect crunch. I definitely recommend and would order again. The beef and broccoli also had a really nice sauce to it. Savory without being overly salted. The beef was quite tender as well! The crab & pork soup dumplings (pictured). While good, were lukewarm on arrival which was disappointing. This isn't a deterrent though and I would order this again with the hopes they'd come out much warmer. We also had regular boiled chicken dumplings but without the dumpling sauce they weren't too memorable. To pair with these dishes we ordered the fried beef noodles (pictured) and the house special fried rice which included Chinese sausage and spam. The beef noodles were unfortunately a little too salted whereas the fried rice wasn't salted enough. I guess mixing them together helped but not the best when had alone. read more

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Such a cute little place. Came on a Thursday night so I had no time getting seated. Thank you Genesis for being such a nice server. Would absolutely recommend the beef roll. Do wish they had more acidic vinegar tho read more

A great spot for some yummy noodles and side dishes esp when you just need something warm and hearty!

Most of the dishes were good, some were great! The beef roll was exceptional. We had several types of dumplings - all good. We ordered mostly from the dim sum menu for lunch, which gave us more variety at a less expensive price. I also had soup (generous bowl) and a blackberry alcoholic beverage. Service was above average and the check was very reasonable. read more

Service was fine nothing crazy but fine. We got hot and sour soup I used to eat my uncles this one tasted like oil. Flavorless I feel like it could have had potential and I WAS SO HUNGRY but was disappointed instead. We got some kind beef noodle instantly took it back once again no actual flavor could have made a better one at home. Shrimp fried rice needs to go in the trashcan it tasted like nothing. The rice they gave us was old. Chili oil was almost expired it was dry and tasted like nothing. Chicken dumplings were only okay bc we drenched it in the side sauce. Cucumber salad DO NOT ORDER hooneslty save ur money go to din tai fund and splurge this is not worth it to come here. read more

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Delicious food and so many options. Came here on a Saturday night and it was busy, but not too bad. Our server was really nice and welcoming. It was our first time here and he was happy to give us some suggestions. The chicken dumplings were perfectly crisp and the chicken had lots of flavor. The mapo tofu with pork was flavorful and had a nice spicy kick to it. The fried rice had lots of flavor and was a good compliment to the spicy dumplings and mapo tofu. read more

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We came to have lunch and dinner here a few times. We tried lots of menu items and they all tasted sooooo good! Prices are also very reasonable and they offer happy hour deals too. Service was fast and efficient. Everyone was nice there! They have lots of seating. I am pleasantly surprised with this mazing find in the middle of 2nd street! What a gem! read more

Came back for a second time and tried something new. It seems like they have updated their menu too and included more options! We ordered the house special beef noodle soup and mala noodle soup. The mala noodle soup was good, flavorful, and mildly numbing in spice. The house special noodle soup was slightly disappointing though. The broth was too rich, salty, and lacking the tradition beef noodle soup flavor. Otherwise the beef chunks were just okay and noodles were good. Service was a little slower because they were pretty much packed on the weekend, but our server was very nice. Restrooms were clean as well! read more

Northern Cafe - Beef roll and Dan Dan noodle - Chinese Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Hostess took us in. Doesn't look busy. Sat down. No one spoken to us after 10min. No water. No acknowledgment then left. We were hype to try this new spot since we love the Irvine location but left disappointed and hungry. read more

Definitely recommend! Every was soooo good. The green beans were perfect!! Will be back! read more

Northern Cafe - Pork wontons in Chili Oil, Sautéed String Beans with Garlic 蒜炒四季豆 - Chinese Near Me - Long Beach, California

The restaurant has pretty amazing food, dumplings, noodles, walnut shrimp and orange chicken. The servers were attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. My only complaint was the boba tea, my boba were under cooked, but our server was very nice to take it back. read more

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Every Northern Cafe offers a different menu and focus and the unique items that I think really shine for this location are the seafood and alcoholic options. They're located right on 2nd street in Long Beach where you can smell the ocean breeze and their modern interior really compliments the area. Our favorites were the Seafood Steamed Dumplings that had a unique filling of scallops, sea cucumber and shrimp (though the dumpling skin could be a bit thinner) and the Fish Filet in Chili Oil.I also thought the presentation for the sake fruit cocktails were very cute! Service was quick and friendly and parking can be found along the street or in the neighborhoods. read more

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Happy Hr menu changed since my last visit. I'm sad they don't have the chongquin crispy chicken on the happy hour menu anymore. Food still good though. read more

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Food was delicious and good portion sizes. Our server Nate was great. Lots of menu items and a good assortment of beer and wine. Will be back. read more

Open during Christmas and this place hit the spot! We were surprised how busy it was on Christmas Day - 2pm and there was a wait. Decor was clean and modern. Service was friendly and attentive. They were out of chopsticks for a while and told us they were washing them right now LOL - Pork Xiao Long Bao 4/5: Nice hearty filling, could be juicier. Skin not too thick and overall very tasty. - Dan Dan Noodles 3.5/5: Nice portions and bouncy noodles. The peanut flavor was too overpowering and not enough soy and spice. - String Beans with Garlic 4/5: Solid and great texture. Could be slightly saltier imo. - Chongqing Crispy Chicken 4.5/5: Loved the seasoning and numbing spice. Chicken was crispy. Pieces of chicken were bigger than what you normally expect from this dish (kinda like orange chicken size haha). - Wonton Soup with Chicken Broth 4/5: Chicken broth was really nice and comforting, flavorful but not too overpowering. Wontons were good but nothing special. Super happy with our Christmas meal!! read more

Northern Cafe Chinese Kitchen has finally opened a location in Long Beach! The vibe is casual, with an open atmosphere of a café with the diverse and flavorful dishes. They maintain a similar menu of other locations that offers a broad range of Chinese dishes, from well-known classics to regional specialties. Northern variations might include: A selection of small, bite-sized portions like dumplings, buns, and rolls, perfect for sharing. Dishes featuring a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetables, often cooked with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and other aromatic. From fried rice to lo mein and chow mein, these staples are often customized with different ingredients. Our favorite has got to be the eggplant tofu and the boiled fish. They also serve alcohol here and has mocktails as well. The service is personable and attentive. Staff really cares about your dinning experience. Overall, the restaurant offers a unique dining experience that combines the comfort and familiarity of a casual dinning with the rich, diverse flavors of Chinese cuisine. read more

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Food was great but it was busy when we got there. I gave 3 stars not because of the food but because of waiting time! The ambiance is good very welcoming and they have patio with 2 heaters. Parking is hard to find too! read more

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This location is much nicer than the Cerritos location. It's a larger dining area, modern furniture and decor, and a bar. I was tempted to order the Lychee Sangria and it was the perfect tasty cocktail with the right amount of buzz. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=fWotRV_Rd6zfVeIezFP4BQ The menu is a bit confusing because they have icons marking vegetarian items. However, items such as "Vegetarian Fried Noodles" didn't contain the vegetarian icon. We asked our waiter for clarification and he explained that the icon is actually for vegan items. (IMHO he didn't seem super sure about that so take his explanation with a grain of salt.) We ended up ordering the Vegetarian Noodles with the egg on the side. This also comes with broccoli, bean sprouts, and wheat noodles. Great flavor! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=Mfx1ST0Zd23EVzLhI6Adbw Sautéed String Beans with Garlic were good. Standard, solid dish. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=CndExH8CDWdUoMRFt4Dk1Q Salt and Tofu surprised me in a good way. Whatever seasoning they use really makes this dish. We think it is 5-spice seasoning. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=0Yxdiy2Pk0tENSwU2at6KQ Steamed Vegetable Dumplings have distinct umami from shiitake mushrooms. Yummy! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=Qz6djiUimafUPnYt9CHcoA I was bummed to see that certain menu items available at Cerritos are not available here. But I'm hoping that the Biang Biang noodles will make their way to this Belmont Shore location. read more

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Just finished eating dinner here to celebrate a birthday and it was nothing but yummy!! I had never really had din tai fung before & im so glad I finally had it, the delicious dumplings with the sauces to dip in was so enjoyable! We had shared a bunch of different dumplings/wontons, my personal favorite had to have been the pork wontons in chili oil, the sauce was so freaking good!! The other dish we all really liked (more like app actually) was the garlic green beans, they were perfect! And last but not least the service was really great, super attentive and quick with bringing out dish after dish & drink refills! Would love to come back here again! (: read more

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This is for the lunch menu.... we got a bunch of stuff to share for the table, granted it was only us and another table but service was wonderful, staff was very knowledgeable about the food. Place was pretty big and had 2 private restooms. Parking is a little difficult since it's on 2nd street read more

Northern Cafe - Lunch menu - Chinese Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Chicken fried rice looks microwaved it's probably the worst Chinese food ever. The dumplings are decent I guess

Finally got around to trying Northern Cafe. The noodles and the beef rolls came out first. The noodles were very good. With just the right amount of spiciness. The beef rolls with six huge pieces. Very flavorful, but on the salty side. The soup dumplings and pork wontons in chili oil weren't that spicy but they were excellent. The soup dumplings had generous pieces of pork inside each one and a delicious broth inside. Service was very friendly and food came out quickly. The price is worth it with the amount of food you get. read more

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Delicious! Food was juicy and tender and filled with flavors. Cute spot with a nice modern vibe. Service was top notch and food came out quick. Highly recommended if you are on 2nd street. read more

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