"The rumors are true: soup dumplings indeed exist on the Westside. We may sound like a broken record at this point, acting shocked whenever decent Chinese food crops up outside the SGV, but in our defense, it is genuinely rare. Which is why Northern Café feels like such a relief. This spot has multiple locations across the city, but for Westsiders, you'll want to know about their Westwood and Brentwood locations, catering to hungover UCLA students, with a wide-ranging menu including fried beef rolls, mapo tofu, and super sticky orange chicken. The XLB here are similarly fine, a bit soft and glutinous, served in traditional metal steamers. Definitely not worth driving across the city for, but if you’re on the Westside and not within 100 feet of a Din Tai Fung, Northern Café is a more than acceptable option. " - kat hong