Absolutely love this place! One of my favorites is the cold sesame noodles they're only around $10 and are absolutely worth it. The chicken chow mein is another favorite and is so good just a tad bit oily I also really like that you can customize or change some of the items with your appetizers, which is always nice. The restaurant is clean, and the staff are always very kind and friendly. Overall, Northern Cafe is a great choice whenever we're looking for something tasty and affordable! read more

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I tried the scallion pancakes and they were so dry and hard. The broth was really really good. Not too salty. So were the knife cut noodles. The meat was kinda game-y, smelly. The whole restaurant felt kinda dirty, the menus were sticky. Gross. read more

I drive by this place all the time and never tried it until recently! I will say they're known for Lanzhou style noodle but that's not really my favorite so instead I opted for their cold sesame noodle since I figured anything with handmade noodles would be good either way and it was AMAZINGGG. Cold Noodle with sesame paste ($10.99)-- SOOO GOOD!!! Look I know it doesn't look fancy in any which way... but the taste is 20/10 like it was insane. It wasn't peanut-buttery profile in the way some sesame pastes are and instead was light and nutty and REALLY GARLICKY!! The garlic is really the star of the sauce and makes everything so savory umami. They flavor it up with other sauces too so it's not strictly sesame like the name implies. It's like..some crazy good sauce with sesame in it. AND THE NOODLES!!! The noodles were so tough (??) in a good way!! Like really springy and textured and great vehicle for sauce. No soft mushy anything. Just all firm and strong and great texture. 1 Meat 2 Veggies with Garlic meat, potato and wood ear mushroom ($13.99)-- Sooooo good! Just FYI 1 Meat/2Veggie and 3 Veggies are the same price so doesn't hurt to order a protein (but it does get more expensive as you order more meats). Everything is seasoned really well and there's just so much flavor everywhere. Chongqing Crispy Chicken ($15.99)-- Kind of like a Sichuan style popcorn chicken? But more crispy and smaller pieces! I've ordered this at other places before and I'd say it's on par with all the good places. No complaints, really good!! Was slightly worried since wasn't sure if they were known for it or not... but it came out great and would order it again!! Parking is easy because of the lot. You scan the QR code to order! read more

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I came with a girlfriend who has eaten here several times with another friend. The restaurant has both ready to go takeout for, and there is a dining area to sit down to have a nice fresh noodle meal. The restaurant was filled with families, or parties of one to two people. The menu was very good, there is a window looking into the kitchen, where you see a person making the hand pulled noodles. It was just as fun seeing the guy hand pull noodles as watching the people making fresh noodles at the restaurant near Nordstroms at the Westfield Mall in Arcadia. The weather was hot, so we opted for cold noodles, ordering the Shanghainese style noodles with chili sauce, and the Dan Dan noodles with sliced cucumbers. Two of us shared the two separate bowls of noodles, they were both very tasty. We used the vinegar in the bottle on the table to add more zest in the noodles. Parking is rather difficult, but there was no waiting for a table. We had initially put our names down for our favorite restaurant across the street, P P Pop Restaurant, which had an over half-an-hour wait time. My friend already had an appointment somewhere in an hour, so we hastily went to the Northern Cafe. It is currently a new restaurant under new management, the staff are nice, but were very busy. The fresh noodles had a nice and bouncy texture, you could tell that the noodles were made the same day. The sauces were quite delicious, I liked the Sichuan noodles sauce, but my friend said they were too spicy for her. The Dan Dan noodles were just right, and both bowls were devoured in no time. We definitely will come here again to try out the other dishes! read more

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Great food portions, great taste and great prices. I especially love how you can custom size your noodles and even watch the cooks make and cook your dishes! I ordered the beef noodle soup and it had tons of meat and chicken chow mein was very flavorful with a good portion of bok choy. The green beans were well cooked and had that savory crunch. Overall a great first visit! read more

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I had an adequate experience at Northern Cafe (Monterey Park). I ordered the House Special Beef & Tendon Soup ($14.50). I liked the springy, bountiful noodles. Unfortunately, the meat tastes like congealed tofu, and its salty broth tastes like instant ramen powder. The meal tastes frugal. I arrived at Northern Cafe (Monterey Park) on Monday (around 3:07PM). Parking is EASY. This business is next to the Garfield Lincoln Center's Public Parking Lot. I quickly found a parking spot. Customers order via scanning a QR code on their table. Customers can also order with a staff member; staff will walk to your table to take customer orders, but staff speaks limited English. Staff is polite and friendly. Staff tried to help me despite the language barrier. My food was ready within four minutes and 23 seconds. Very FAST! As mentioned, I ordered the House Special Beef & Tendon Soup ($14.50). I enjoyed the springy noodles, but there were some portions of the noodles that were clumpy and stuck together. Still, it carried a cheerful bounce, and it had a satisfying texture. Unfortunately, I disliked all other aspects of this meal. The meat did not taste fresh, and the broth tasted like instant powder. It's a cheap meal for the BIG portion of noodles, but it also tastes cheap. On ambiance, Northern Cafe (Monterey Park) is very clean and comfortable. There's plenty of tables, and the location sparkled. The location also felt spacious and well-ventilated. This location id also family friendly since I noticed a stack of high chairs for children. The music is upbeat, and there's many displayed flat screen televisions. Overall, Northern Cafe (Monterey Park) is not bad. It's cheap food with decent portions. The food didn't taste awful, but the food was also not that great either. Hopefully, it improves with time. 2.9 out of 5 read more

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It is one of the few places that serve my favorite garlic spare ribs with the cartilage still intact. I got the spare ribs and spicy beef noodle soup with a side of tendon on my first visit. You order through a QR code and it appears English is limited with the staff. Food was good and plentiful with lots of leftovers. I look forward to my next visit. read more

Northern Cafe - Garlic spare ribs - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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THISSS particular Northern Cafe continues to reign supreme. I will say that their chef has changed (RIP old wonton soup), but this place is still exceptionally delicious. They make all their noodles fresh. You can see it through that big ol window. Everyone who works here continues to be soooo nice. The food is delicious, and it's an efficient place to grab noodles. I've come here with a party of seven, and the service was fast! They added a lot more seating and continue to be a busy establishment. There's never a wait for tables though, so this is a fantastic place to eat!!! read more

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Last night should be our last visit to this restaurant. We've been coming here every once in a while whenever we felt like eating something different--even before the pandemic era. Our recent visits already warned me, but last night the portion of "meat" served in our usual dishes was cut not in half but 9/10, if not worse. Little pieces of finger nail size of 'meat'.... What happened? The bowls were like 99% noodles (excluding the soup, per se). And the 1/2 tendon 1/2 beef (beef tendon and beef flank)? It was more like no tendon no beef (no tendon, no meat)! I will not be coming back. Even my husband, who used to constantly crave their food, is angry now. It's good that we're on the same page about never going back--period. There is no reason for any restaurant to charge a hefty price for dishes that are basically just noodles. Sorry, no more chances. Good luck to them with their new business model. read more

So yummy! A taste of home after a trip. One of the few places open after 9 pm! Got my favorite, the braised lamb with sliced noodles. Flavors are so deep and distinct and the noodles are the perfect texture along with the pop of the peppers and potatoes. We also got the dumplings and chili wontons. Both were filled generously as was the chives and egg pancake. Beef and tendon noodles were good too. The appetizers selection seemed to have grown since we were there last, which was a while ago. Service was what one would expect. Order by QR code and food gets delivered. No one really came by otherwise, so pretty surprising when tip starts at 15%. Place is clean and has cute murals on the wall to create a nice ambiance. read more

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Delicious food, good portion, reasonable price. I love the beef rolls, the skin is crispy, and the beef is real tender read more

One of the favorite places to get noodles. They hand pull their noodles so they are extra chewy which I love. I always get the intestine noodles. Broth is very flavorful. Stay away from the drinks. They lack flavor. Not worth the money or the calories. I also enjoy their cold dishes but prices have gone up. I tried the fried intestines for the first time and weren't bad but portion was small for the price. There is practically no service. You order via the website. They drop off the food. That's about it. I asked for 3 extra bowls and spoon but I only get 2 bowls. They have a very small parking lot in the back and street parking. Inside is small, about 20 tables with large TVs showing how they make their noodles. I'll be back again soon. read more

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Still good but different now. Miss the classic noodle place. It's been remodeled and gentrified including the menu. Many nice touches but much more westernized The items lack the mouth-numbing heat as before. You definitely have to add your own chili oil to items but this does open the menu to a wider crowd Menu is broader with many new items to add variety but is gone the heavy handed ethnic flavor QR code for self ordering at the table now too read more

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The executed all Northern Chinese cuisine dishes as well as they can be executed for this level of restaurant. The servers are very efficient and nice. The overall setting is comfortable with plenty of tables which do fill up pretty quickly. The strength of this place is the overall quality and consistency of all the dishes. Every dish was executed well. The only reason I did not give this a five stars because I reserved five stars for Michelin level restaurants. This would be considered one of the best in the region otherwise. read more

Small restaurant with a variety of different noodle, dumpling and entree dishes. You can also choose cold dishes at the counter. You scan the QR code on your table to order. House Special Beef Noodle Soup (7.5/10) - broth tasted flavorful and not too oily. I got the regular width noodles (a little thicker than spaghetti) and it had a nice bite to it. I think the beef could've been braised a bit more to soak in the flavor, and the daikon slices could be cooked a tad bit more. Beef roll (8.5/10) - I really liked this dish! The roll was perfectly flaky and crispy, and the thickness was just right. Beef was tender and the roll wasn't overly sauced up. It would be even better if they added sliced cucumbers (usually found in other restaurants) to add some crunch and freshness. Lamb Skewers (8.0/10) - the cumin spice combo was spot on! They gave decent chunks of lamb that had a good meat-to-fat ratio. Slightly well done read more

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Context: We walked in and were able to get a table for 7 on Thanksgiving for dinner. There was a decent number of other customers and several people offering takeout, but thankfully didn't have to wait for a table. B7. Home Style Stir-Fried Sliced Noodle - 4/5 - The flavor was good, with a good amount of noodle vs. other ingredients. The noodles were just chewy enough! C1. Juicy Pork Dumplings - 3/5 - not enough soup, the meat wasn't ground finely enough. C2. Crab Pork Juicy Dumplings - 3/5 - same as C1 + little to no crab flavor. We couldn't really tell the difference between this and C1. C9. Fennel Pork Dumplings - 4/5 - We ordered this one pan fried. Well seasoned and fragrant. C13. Pork Wonton Soup - 2/5 - Strong ginger flavor, but didn't haven't much flavor beyond that. D1. Chinese Sauerkraut Hot Pot w/ Sliced Pork Belly - 3/5 - Too sour and the soup base didn't have enough umami / not rich enough. H1. Lamb Skewer - 2/5 - The skewer was just okay. It was tough / dry and wasn't that fragrant. H10. Ox Tail - 2/5 - Kind of tough & dry. Pig Ear - 3/5 - Not flavorful or fragrant enough. Pickled Seaweed- 4/5 - Tender seaweed and good flavor! Just right amount of sour and salty. Pickled Cucumber - 2/5 - Little to no flavor. Feels like it didn't pick up enough of the marinade. The staff were polite and served us quickly! The restaurant is well lit with a decent amount of seating between tables and booths. Not too loud, so it was easy for our table to have conversations. read more

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I was picking up a couple orders of Hainan Chicken Rice from ABC Cafe in Monterey Park. I remember reading a great review on Northern Cafe from another Yelper. I said why not check them out since they are just around the corner. Here I am... I decided to dine-in rather than do take-out. Upon entry, I was greeted and seated right away. We're off to a good start. Great inside seating space. Menu has lots of good noodle selections in dry and soup forms. I decided to try the dry version. I'll check out the soup option next time. I ended up getting 3 items. 1. Noodle with soy bean paste - A wonderful noodle dish that's not too oily with the right amount of soy bean paste in great flavor. OMG, so much noodles! It seemed never-ending. I ate alot here and there were still alot left to take home. Definitely shareable by at least 3 people LOL. 2. Chive, pork, and shrimp dumpling - Very tasty! Good filling of shrimp, pork, and chives. Perfectly pan-fried! A WINNER! 3. Potato shrimp wrap - I love shrimp! I was curious about this one. Its formation is very creative. Its a fun appetizer to say the least. There's more potato than shrimp. Wished the shrimp was bigger. I think the dip was ketchup which I thought was odd. Lady server was friendly and nice. After delivery of my foods, she seldom if rarely returned to check on me. I would have to wave her or someone down if I needed anything. When I went up to pay for my order, a different lady behind the counter was slightly rude. Not sure why. I just wanted to pay for my food and get to-go boxes/bag. Anyway, I want to return to try their other dishes in the near future. See you here! read more

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My sister wanted to get noodles and we came across this place by our house. The restaurant is located on a weird spot and we had to find parking in the big lot as the back lot behind the restaurant was full. But when we went inside we were assisted by staff and seated quickly. Food came out pretty fast and was delicious. The portions of the food were huge too and I actually had some left overs for lunch the next day. Interior of the place was a decent size and modern. Noodles were great and tasted/looked handmade like they advertise. read more

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lamb skewers, the cold side dishes, house special beef and tendon soup, and chicken rib cage with a Tsingtao to wash it down. This place is delicious read more

Northern Cafe - Ada and cold side dishes - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Surprisingly tasty beef noodle soup with clear type of broth. It was hot, savory, easy to enjoy and heavy on the noodles. I really enjoyed the picked peppers one. That one is a must get followed by the classic noodle bowl soup. I got knife cut noodles and they were really really thick and it wasn't that enjoyable because it was too doughy. I think next time I'll go with thin for a better mouthfeel. The green onion pancake is usually a favorite but here it was harder than the usual and not flaky. It's a good bowl to have also when you're under the weather imo. It was so much I had to take about 40% home. read more

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We were looking for a new place to try and stumbled upon this one. It's located in an awkward spot at a junction cross, and parking is behind the building. From the menu, we ordered Lamb stir fried noodles and pork dumplings. Noodles were nice, chewy with lots of flavors and dumplings were nice and juicy. Outside of the menu, there's a food counter where you can order a veggie and meat combo plates. They have a variety of options, including tongue, ear, tripe, and tendon. The lady who took our order was friendly and offered us samples of everything before we decided to order. The interior is clean and well-maintained, and it looks like it was renovated recently. We'll definitely be returning to try other dishes. 4.5/5 read more

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We were looking for something that opened late and northern cafe fit our needs. They close at 11pm and we arrive around 9. Even then there were a lot of people coming in after us. The servers offered us water and the food came out quickly. The place seemed clean, even though there was only one server. We ordered some side dish in the front while we were waiting. You pay for it at the end with your meal. For two vegetables and one meat side dish it was $13.99. The lotus root, mustard green and pig ear were all delicious. These are dishes we usually don't make at home. The broth for the noodle soups were clear and not at all oily. The noodles had a good consistency and you can see them hand make the noodles once you come into the restaurant. There are different choices you can pick for your noodle size. I have tried the regular noodles and the large noodles and they were both really good. The cold noodles were also refreshing on a hot day. Each portion was very big and we had leftovers. My sister really liked the beef rolls. I would definitely come back again. read more

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Pretty good place for dinner $75 for 3 noodle soups, appetizer (2 veggie, 1 meat $13.99), and beef roll ($12.99). Lots of noodles in dish and definitely shareable. We left so full and even had leftovers. We came around 8:30pm on a Thursday and by the time we left around 9:20pm, the whole place was packed with people. Beef roll is so good, would definitely order again. The noodle soups (any of them) is very good as well. We got A1 and A6 for the noodle soup and both broths were clear (in Chinese we call it ching) and yummy. It also comes out super duper hot which is very nice. The cold noodle we got was also yummy. LOTS of noodles, carb overload. The appetizers, you order at the front of the store separately but you pay it all together with your bill at the end. There is also boba tea sold at the same place and pig feet as well. Such a large selection of foods. I would come back here again! read more

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The Tomato Beef Noodle Soup with Pan Fried Egg, Peking Meat Pie, House Special Stir-Fried Lamb Noodles, Beef Noodle Soup (Meat & Tendon), and Beef Bones were pretty good. Peking Meat Pie takes a longer time. It's a hearty meal. read more

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There was no wait on a Friday night. We got the Juicy Pork Dumplings(8) $11.50, Stir-Fried Flat Noodle w/ Lamb $14.99, and House Special Beef & Tendon Noodle Soup $14.50. You can get different types of noodles for the Noodle Soup. The Juicy Pork Dumplings were really good and juicy. The Stir-Fried Flat Noodle w/ Lamb is a family favorite, full of flavor. The House Special Beef & Tendon Noodle Soup was quite bland but still good. Overall, enjoyed our dinner here. read more

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My family really likes it here so we come pretty often. They have an expansive Northern Chinese menu which includes 20+ soup noodles, fried noodles, dumplings, whole case of different appetizers, and drinks. House Special Beef Noodle Soup - this is my go to when I want soupy noodles. The broth is very good and simple. Beef slices and a couple of radish slices. Yum. Scallion Pancake - another favorite item. I love how they make it so crispy. My nephews and I fight over this lol Appetizers are aplenty in the case. They have a few combo options or you can order just 1 type at a time. Lots of vegetarian items. They change these up, but we don't order them very often. Dumplings are good, but not my favorite here. Potstickers have a weird texture to me. The ones at the Hollywood location are so much better! How come?? Its bright, modern and clean here! They recently changed some of the seating arrangements. They used to have a large table where big groups could sit in the middle area, but changed to regular smaller tables the last time we were here. Service was quick and friendly. Parking in the back can be a bit of a pain. Normally, we just park in the large lot at the corner of Garfield and Garvey and walk over. Definitely recommended! read more

Northern Cafe - Interior - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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When we went in the evening, the place continued to get even busier hut the turn around of customers goes by pretty quickly. Amazed at how fast they were able to get their orders prepared and delivered for both the dine-in and take-out customers! This restaurant gave a very fast-food energy to represent their efficiency without getting rid of the availability of tables to sit-down and enjoy your meal. All of the food we ordered, especially their variety of noodles/soups available were absolutely delicious and worth every penny based on their serving size! Would definitely come back again, especially during the colder seasons to enjoy their noodles read more

Northern Cafe - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I ordered the sour and spicy noodles but it was totally not the taste I wanted. Noodle is Sticky and clings to the teeth. Was really wondering what the yellow soup made up from ? And the girl was selling the cold dish didn't explain me if I do combo it will not be the same price ! She didn't make it clear at all that make me feel like it's a scam ! read more

Northern Cafe - Sour and spicy beef noodle - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Kinda bummed to find out they changed their menu. Their old menu seems to have more options and was better. We ordered the juicy pork dumplings, chicken knife cut noodles, spicy wontons, and Korean beef ribs with knife cut noodles. Everything was tasty, especially the Korean beef ribs. It had really good flavors. The knife cut noodles are their specialty and it goes well with the chicken or other meats. The spicy wontons aren't too spicy so you can add chili oil for that extra spice factor. Nice and quick service. It's a kinda small restaurant so it can get busy during dinner time. They're located in the same plaza as ABC cafe and across from the old Hong Kong Supermarket (now it's called Good Fortune Market). read more

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The food was good but I wish the noodles had a bit more flavor. The service is fast and friendly. Parking is available in the back. The ambiance is family friend and casual. read more

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Not all Northern Cafe Resturants are the same, the one in Montery Park has alot more variety on the side dishes and small appetizers. The one in San Gabriel has a smaller menu but overall the hand pull noodle soup dishes are the same. If you expect 5 star service at these establishments, dont come here and complain. Places like these are quick service, get your food, eat, and done. Enjoy your meal? Great! Leave a good review. I got the Dan Dan Hand pull noodles, hand pull noodles itself is the best and its defintely on the chewier side. While it doesnt absorb the sauce, the sauce latches on so every bite is full of flavor. The Wonton chili oil dish is really sweet. Theres this savory sweet sauce aside from the chili oil, not a fan, but the wonton itself is good. Careful not to inhale as you eat cause you'll choke on a peanut. read more

Northern Cafe - E14. Wonton in Spicy Sauce - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Noodles are made in-house. House special beef rib soup #13 was so flavorful. Beef Noodle Soup with Tomato #8 was also surpassingly good. A1 Beef Noodle soup and A4 Spicy Beef Noodle soup were good but I'd consider A4 spicy whereas some don't. My tolerance isn't that high. I was surprised about the service. It was actually good and accommodating. I like their wall decor/paintings of the streets of China. And thought their chopsticks were extra long on purpose to add to the atmosphere. read more

Good food big portion, reasonable price service was quick and attentive. Cold dish was a GEM! Dine-in on weekdays not cloudy but cozy! read more

Northern Cafe - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I like the open kitchen concept can see them making the noodles fresh! Lots of many noodle options, the sides looked delicious and will have to give that a try when we come back. I've been crazing soup a lot and this was the only place that was opened around late. The portions were huge and the price is not bad at all. The soup was very aromatic; the beef was tender you can tell it had been simmering for a while. The only thing is I don't know if the noodles were a bit undercooked for me. It was a bit hard to bite into, I don't know if it was because they were closing and trying to rush the process because they want to start closing the kitchen. We got here late and had to pack the rest to go. Will try to come back at a more decent hour to compare the two. read more

Northern Cafe - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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First time here. The chicken chow mien was excellent so were the beef dumplings but the Korean beef ribs with cut noodles were a big disappointment because the beef was still frozen inside. When we pointed it out they took it back and put it in the microwave. The pot was super hot, they did not attempt to make a fresh batch. Won't be coming here again. So sad because they have potential. read more

One of the most old school style of making food and my favorite dumplings spot. No pic you know the vibes. read more

I was in town late and this place was open. I've had Northern Cafe in all parts of LA and they all have different menus it seems like. I generally prefer the braised beef noodle soups and find the clear broths to be too light for my taste. There's no braised beef option so I went with the Beef Rib Noodle Soup. The broth was light which was expected but their chili is not particularly flavorful. They undercooked the noodles so it was really hard. I always appreciate a hand pulled noodle spot but this was a bit of a miss for me. read more

Northern Cafe - B1. Secret Beef Rib Noodle Soup - Noodles Near Me - Monterey Park, California

They had many choices for when you don't feel like meat. We tried the fish dumplings pan fried style which was very good. There is also a walk up appetizer station. They have a QR code for ordering if you choose. Casual environment with good service. read more

Give 1 star because there is no option for 0. Restaurant doesn't look clean and floor feels sticky. Staffs are not friendly and all appear to be frustrated. Food are not correctly prepared and that mess up the taste read more

This place has become huge the past 5-10 years I know the cerritos location first but this one definitely seems more authentic only because its in SGV They even speak mandarin in there I've gotten almost everything on the menu the gold soup spicy is an authentic taste also very beautiful for the flicks it isnt crazy spicy but definitely has a kick its great for couples , dates but also families to share loads of small cold dishes to bring home everyone always a good leftover box definitely a sgv staple read more