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    Northern Cafe

    4.1 (362 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Northern Cafe Photos

    NORTHERN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Bryan T.

    I had a good experience eating at their Cerritos location so I decided to take my mom and family here for Mother's Day. Parking was easy and as we walked in, I noticed it was a fast food set up where you order at the counter and seat yourself. I was disappointed that it wasn't a full service restaurant like in Cerritos but I still decided to give it a try though. We ordered a bunch of dishes and most of the dishes were served on plastic to go trays. Unfortunately all of our dishes tasted mediocre and greasy. The only item we liked were the beef rolls. I ordered the Dan Dan noodles and it did not look like Dan Dan noodles. It was very soupy and barely had any meat. Overall, I won't come back and will go to the Cerritos location instead.

    Kung pao chicken
    Amy C.

    The restaurant is very bare bones. You order at the counter, get your drinks and utensils, and find your seating. The only thing they do is bring the food to you. I would reconsider tipping the usual 15-18% if that's all they do. The food was okay, but what made it worse was that everything was served in plastic containers! It was like having takeout at a dine-in restaurant. They couldn't have considered investing in some proper dishes? My favorite item was the chive pancakes, which were hot and lightly crisp on the outside, and had a good amount of eggs and chives inside. The mapo tofu was quite bland, which is odd for mapo tofu. It should be spicy or, at the very least, have some kick. Lastly, we sat by the restroom, and I saw the cook go in, flush the toilet, and immediately come out. I did not hear any water running or the hand dryer going, which is disgusting and a big red flag. I will not be returning here.

    Crispy chicken
    Rebecca S.

    I have been here twice and I highly suggest the beef roll and the dumplings for a good experience. I got the beef noodle soup on my last visit and I was a bit dissatisfied. There are only a few chunks of beef and bok choy with a ton of noodles. The soup gets boring fast or ends up just being broth. This spot is good for quick Chinese food but nothing too fancy.

    Jose S.

    One of the most flavorful and absolutely satisfying meals we've had in a long time. Service is quick and the staff is friendly. Very clean and quiet inside. You can go through the whole menu and never be disappointed. Highly recommended!!!

    This is beef fried rice it was very delicious

    The beef rice was really good.The employee was also very nice and hard working food was fast. The food was great and maybe come back again

    Beef noodles soup
    Tony F.

    Food - pretty good but not great Service - nice people but minimal service Ambiance - clean and comfortable I have been to many Northern Cafes and have been looking forward to this one. I noticed most of the reviews were about dumplings and realized this one is more specialized for dumplings (boiled, pan-fried and steamed XLB varieties. I was hoping for the noodle specialties like the one in Gardena (which is my favorite in the region, 10 min more drive for me). We ordered: - crab dumplings- steamed, XLB style, it was pretty good - lamb dumplings- pan fried, it was ok, a little oily - beef noodle soup- it was ok, they only served with thin noodles, we preferred other handmade varieties at the Gardena store We also ordered the beef rolls to go, it looked exact like the ones shown on the poster, ha ha. Overall, pretty good if you are hungry dumplings!

    Armando T.

    First time here and oh we will be back for sure, so so good. When you do stop by and try this place I got you Beef roll Pork Dumpling

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    6 months ago

    Kung pow chicken was really good. Just got takeout, so only reviewing the food, not the service.

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    8 months ago

    Delicious and consistent! I love their beef rolls, lamb dumplings and beef noodle soup. The service is also great. Check them out!

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    11 months ago

    Good selection of Chinese dishes. Especially like the soup dumplings and the chicken noodle soup.

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    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - Northern Cafe

    Do they sell frozen dumplings or xlb?

    Do they allow sit-in service now?

    Not yet 👎

    Do they have any vegan dishes with no animal products (like tofu with noodles without any egg)?

    Yes, they have many vegan dishes: Scallion Pancake, Vegi Chow Mein ( my two favorites and I am a carnivore ) just ask for meat to be removed from any dishes.

    Is there an online menu?

    Yes, check it out on https://qmenu.us/#/northern-cafe-gardena/menu/1517563283493

    Is this owned by the same people before this one?

    No, different owners and now family owned it seems.

    Do they deliver?

    Through Uber Eats

    Is there luo buo gao or any traditional dim sum dishes?

    No luo buo gao. It's not a dim sum place, but they have a variety of dumplings, including xiao long bao.

    Does it have hand pulled noodle like the one in Gardena?

    No, hand pulled noodles. More like simplified Chinese restaurant. They have beef noodle soup, dumplings and green onion pancakes etc.

    View All 10 Questions

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    Lunasia Dim Sum House

    Lunasia Dim Sum House

    3.7
    (690 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    This place definitely has an edge over the Cerritos location when it comes to food quality. The…read morerice noodle with crispy shrimp was a pleasant surprise--really flavorful and satisfying. And the veggie bean curb wrap? Way better than I expected, in the best way. The patio is lovely, too--bamboo all around, super peaceful. Perfect spot to unwind over a meal. As for the service, it's perfectly fine--friendly enough and efficient, which is pretty much what you'd expect from a classic dim sum spot. Nothing to complain about, honestly.

    I honestly found it strange that Lunasia is sitting at a 3.5-star rating. After reading some of the…read morereviews, I felt compelled to leave my own because my experience was the complete opposite. A common complaint seems to be that the dim sum portions are "too big." Personally, I don't see how that's a negative. While dining here, I saw families with children enjoying the food without any issues--they simply cut the dumplings into smaller pieces before eating them. Larger portions mean you're getting more for your money, and the quality certainly backs it up. The service was outstanding from start to finish. The staff stayed on top of everything, from bringing out dishes promptly to keeping water glasses filled and checking in to make sure we were having a great experience. They made us feel genuinely welcomed and comfortable throughout our visit. The restaurant also has a modern, upscale dim sum atmosphere that feels inviting without being pretentious. As for the food, the Shrimp Har Gow and Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai were absolutely fantastic. The ingredients tasted fresh, the portions were generous, and every bite was satisfying. At the end of the day, I'd much rather spend $10 on high-quality, jumbo-sized dim sum that actually fills me up than spend $20 on tiny portions at DTF. For me, Lunasia is an easy 5/5 and has become my favorite spot for dim sum.

    Photos
    Dining Room
    Dining Room
    Rice Noodle Roll with Bbq Pork
    Rice Noodle Roll with Bbq Pork
    Shrimp dumplings

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    Shrimp dumplings
    Szechwan Chinese Restaurant

    Szechwan Chinese Restaurant

    3.8
    (568 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    food: i ordered a…read morelot of dimsum here since it was my first time trying out this restaurant....so far so good the dimsum here was so good....the size of the dimsum was huge the taste was perfection you don't even need the sauce because it is already good on its own... service: your staff is very friendly ensuring that all the table with customers are taken care of....like asking for water chopsticks and straws they were very quick attending to customers with whatever was needed ambiance: the restaurant looks small outside but the place was big inside. i like that in most chinese places the people inside is loud i can't even hear myself....here it's not loud...the food was delicious the staff is friendly yes i will come back here again..... great job

    I have to tell you, since I moved from the Bay Area to Reno, I have been deprived of real Chinese…read morefood. Until I visited family and ate here. There was eight of us, and we ordered a lot of dishes to share. I'm gonna break them down, but I have to say that nothing we had was not top quality. I haven't had food like this in years. First was the Kung pow chicken. Wow, it was just a perfect blend of spice and the chicken was perfect. No gristle. And that is the theme of this entire meal. I hate gristle, this Kung pow was sublime. Sweet-and-sour pork. I basically given up on this dish because no one gets it right, and it's always an excuse to hide gristle and fat. Not in this case. It was super tasty and for the first time I can remember there wasn't 1 ounce of gristle in this meat. It was just crispy tasty wonderful. Hong Kong style chow mein with pork. Another dish I haven't had in years, and this place nailed it. Reminded me of my old China house restaurant in Alameda. I mean it was really good. The pork was awesome, the gravy was perfect. What a great dish. The fried rice was excellent. Not greasy at all. I believe we got a combination fried rice and man was it good. Shrimp with lobster sauce. This was excellent, God this dinner was just so great, and this dish was right in there with the rest of them. I can't wait to go visit family again so I can eat at this place. It was spectacular. Oh and the last thing, the hot and sour soup was amazing. Again haven't had this type of food since I left the Bay Area. I give this meal a triple wow!!!

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Garlic String Beans
    Garlic String Beans
    Fried Pork Chop

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    Fried Pork Chop
    Tasty China

    Tasty China

    4.1
    (136 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    I am more than happy to come here for the Vegetable Xiao Long Bao. My eyes light up when the…read moresteamer basket arrives, containing 9 large pieces filled with bok choy, mushrooms, and tofu. I've been to Tasty China twice now, and I've ordered this dish both times. I'll probably order it again on my next visit. That's how much I like it here. https://yelp.to/qo3grgM4uz Aside from the yummy Veggie XLB, I've also had the following: - Family Style Tofu https://yelp.to/bPSjwi5ft8 - Vegetable Chow Fun https://yelp.to/AfuF6y10Vf - Eggplant with Hot Garlic Sauce https://yelp.to/GJCDRNhc0Y - Dry Sauteed Sting Bean https://yelp.to/XjEXq8jeEV - Garlic Bok Choy (lunch) https://yelp.to/ib6IUdM2v- So far, everything has been delicious. Or shall I say tasty...lol! I would say that the one time I ordered the eggplant, it was very oily. But I feel like that can be a quick fix if I order with light oil next time. Parking is pretty easy and plentiful since the restaurant is attached to a Ramada Inn. Staff is friendly and helpful. My parents like it here too.

    First time coming here for lunch. They offer a lunch menu which comes with soup, rice, egg roll…read moreand an entree of choice. $13 to $16 We enjoyed all the dishes that we ordered. They were nicely made and flavorful. We like how they used fresh vegetables and not frozen veggies with their entrees. Friendly service. Only indoor seating. We definitely will come back again. Parking in the back lot.

    Photos
    Tasty China
    Chicken Fried Rice
    Chicken Fried Rice
    Pan Fried Bun

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    Pan Fried Bun
    Tasty Noodle House

    Tasty Noodle House

    3.5
    (649 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    Chinese food is always a sure bet whenever we can't decide what to have for lunch. So today we…read morestopped by Tasty Noodle since we were just a couple blocks away. Located on the corner of PCH and Penn Ave, the restaurant features its own 16-car parking lot. Inside, the décor is quite casual, and it is spacious enough to accommodate 50 guests. Upon arrival, the friendly staff promptly guided us to our table and brought menus and water right away. While perusing their menu, we found out they have stinky tofu. Yes, stinky tofu! The dish, with its pungent aroma and unique flavor, caused the ultimate sensory conflict between the taste and smell when we tried it for the first time. So, in a benign masochistic way, we went ahead and ordered their Crispy Spicy Stinky Tofu with Pork. When the dish arrived, we apologized profusely to our next table patrons for the smell, and even offered to let them try it, which they unhesitatingly and politely refused. This restaurant's version was slightly different. The fried tofu cubes had a tougher texture, less airy, and were lightly flavored. The sauce was nicely spicy, but the ground pork was present only in spirit because we couldn't find it. Overall, it was not too bad, but it could be better. Besides the tofu dish, we also ordered their Seafood in Crab Meat Sauce Noodle. This was an interesting dish. The soup came separately from the noodles and starchy sauce, which had shrimp and fish fillet toppings. This setup allows you to dilute the soup's thickness to your liking. The noodles were nicely al dente, the sauce was well seasoned, and the shrimp and fish filets had a great texture. Crab meat sauce was blended in the broth and kind of MIA. Lastly, we ordered Black Pepper Seafood Rice Cake. The sauce was pleasantly savory, a tad sweet, and slightly spicy from black peppers. The sliced rice cakes had a perfect texture: neither too soft nor too hard. The pieces of squid and fish filet toppings had a very nice consistency. The prices were reasonable and the food was very good. Recommended.

    We have been here couple times for lunch and we are very satisfied with the food and service…read more We got the chicken fried noodle, pan fried buns, soup dumplings, steamed dumplings. All dishes were well prepared and delicious. We will definitely come back again.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Seafood in Crab Meat Sauce Noodle
    Seafood in Crab Meat Sauce Noodle
    20. Shanghai Grilled Pork Bun (8pcs)

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    20. Shanghai Grilled Pork Bun (8pcs)
    Jiayuan Dumpling House

    Jiayuan Dumpling House

    4.3
    (388 reviews)
    5.7 mi
    $$

    I accidentally ended up here instead of a different dumpling house but just like me, it was a happy…read moremistake. I ended up coming really close to closing time but the service was still fast. Food was HOT & of course made to order. I did burn my tongue.... But it's okay I had a cold Thai tea to help suppress that burn. Thai tea 4/5 -- on the sweeter side for me. But still carries that robust Thai flavor to it. Spicy chicken 5/5 -- huge kick to it. Looks innocent... is deadly. I loved the spiciness. I'm all about spice so this was really nice to try. Shrimp fried rice 5/5 -- I can't believe a shrimp fried this rice... it's splendid. Uh-mah-zing. We love her. Perfect shrimp to rice ratio. Not too salty. Perfect amount of umami 12pc shrimp dumplings-- 4/5 oooo they were HOT. Flavor could be improved a bit, but otherwise texture and quality was delightful. Parking is in the plaza. It's a small place maybe 10 tables max? They have a single use restroom as well.

    We love trying different dumpling restaurants so we came here to eat! The staff was very nice and…read moreattentive. Seems like a small family business. This place has only 8 tables so either you come on a good day when its empty which we did but it can get filled up quickly due to a large party or families. We ordered the cucumber salad appetizer...pan fried nappa pork dumplings and pork scallion buns.....and They had nooooo FLAVOR. The cucumber salad was diced to oblivion ..we might as well have gotten spoons instead of chopsticks....no spice just drenched in water and soy sauce....no garlic...no szechuan pepper oil. The dumpling and buns had no flavors....no ginger...no seasonings... my wife had to put SALT IN THE CUCUMBERS! ....yes!.... SALT!.... Parking was plenty...

    Photos
    Jiayuan Dumpling House
    Steamed Buns of the Day- Pork and Green Onions
    Steamed Buns of the Day- Pork and Green Onions
    Outside

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    Outside

    Northern Cafe - chinese - Updated August 2026

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