Northern Cafe Brentwood

Chinese restaurant · Brentwood

Northern Cafe Brentwood

Chinese restaurant · Brentwood

1

12009 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Photos

Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null
Northern Cafe Brentwood by null

Highlights

Juicy pork dumplings, beef rolls, and flavorful broths.  

Placeholder
Placeholder

12009 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Get directions

$20–30 · Menu

Information

Static Map

12009 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Get directions

+1 424 293 8790

$20–30 · Menu

Features

payment credit card
Tap to pay

Last updated

Aug 9, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@eater

Northern Cafe Opens in Brentwood With Soup Dumplings and More - Eater LA

"Northern Cafe has taken over the old space of The Big Catch seafood restaurant in Brentwood. This new Brentwood location marks the third outlet for the San Gabriel Valley-based Chinese restaurant. Their first foray to the greater LA Westside came in Westwood, with UCLA’s large Chinese-American student population acting as an early backbone for the company while it found its footing in a new community. Beverly Boulevard followed not long after, and was aimed at the growing Beverly Center clientele and nearby office and hospital workers. And now it’s open in Brentwood, offering a narrow, long slot right on Wilshire Boulevard’s busy corridor." - Farley Elliott

https://la.eater.com/2018/5/14/17352944/northern-cafe-brentwood-new-expansion-chinese-food
View Postcard for Northern Cafe Brentwood

Jocelyn Wang

Google
I ordered takeout today— the staff are super nice and the food came out quickly! I got an order of their炸酱面 and dumplings(8pcs)三鲜饺子. I thought the portion of noodles was really great—Easy to share with others. The dumplings were really delicious— right amount of thickness of skin with juicy insides. Every dumpling was consistent with the other and the size of the dumplings were good. I see why people enjoy their dumplings! Noodles might not be their main sell: but the zhajiangmian really hit the spot for me today. The sauce is not a thick paste so it’s more on the liquid side. It coats the noodle easily and I love that there was a lot of cucumber and enough meat for so much noodle. They also provided utensils and dumpling sauce 👍

E P (EP)

Google
Ordered takeout and waited a long time -- at least 20 minutes for 2 bowls of noodles and sauteed Green Bean entree. Two people in the kitchen and the cook literally made one dish at a time. Not one other customer in the place. Staff seem preoccupied, but not with their jobs. Got my order and left only to discover the side of rice that comes with the GB plate was never packed. I've been here a couple of other times and been pleased with the food and staff (female at the register), but the kid I encountered tonight just couldn't be bothered.

Eric Tiu

Google
Quick, and good! I loaded myself up with hot steamy noodz.

Annie Kim

Google
Let me start off by saying in a noodle foodie. I love anything noodles. I tried this place a few times for lunch because it’s within walking distance of the office. Their dumplings are pretty good, but I haven’t found that I liked any of the noodles. Not to say that it’s bad, it’s just not delicious. The servers are always nice and friendly.

Harry Yang

Google
Best authentic Chinese place in the area. The beef noodle soup was kind of bland and flavorless, but the beef rolls and dumplings (not in the picture) was super delicious. Very clean and modern store with clean bathroom, not super crowded. Really good value as well, as the prices are pretty low and the portions are above average to fairly big. Would recommend checking out once if you haven’t been before.

Doris Huang

Google
Ordered takeout today. Food is delicious. There is a 5% off discount if paying cash. Server is nice and welcoming. Would go again. Highly recommend the beef roll! It’s the best in the area! Parking is easy. There’s is a 2 hour free parking lot in the shopping center. Plenty of spots. And street parking too.

Sarah S

Google
Overall: -Reasonable prices for the west side -Food was OK -This is more of a fast casual restaurant (you order at the counter, they give you a table tent with a number on it and bring you food) Beef Roll (rate 3.75/5): My favorite dish that I tried there was the beef roll, which tasted good but was a little bit skimpy on the filling. $6.50 Pork soup dumplings (rate 3.5/5): these had good flavor, but they were lacking much soup and the dough was much too thick. Compared to Din Tai Fung, the dough/dumpling skin was about 3x thicker. $7.50 for 8 dumplings Shrimp spicy wontons (rate 2/5): I was the most hopeful for these because I usually love spicy wontons at other restaurants. However, the wonton wrapper was really thick & doughy, and the sauce mixed with Chile oil was sour. $5.50 for 6 wontons Eggplant (3/5): The eggplant was coated in a sweet & sour tasting sauce. It would have been better without the sauce, because the eggplant was cooked nicely with fairly large portions. $9.50 Dan Dan noodles (3/5): these seemed like over cooked noodles with some peanut sauce tossed on top. Not worth ordering again. $7.50

Julian Verdugo

Google
Just spent $80 on take out and the only thing decent were the wings and egg rolls. If I’m being honest the lemon pepper wings had no pepper, they were just oil and lemon wings. The orange chicken was just jelly buffalo sauce with over cooked chicken. The Shanghai fried noodles are just thick noodles with soy sauce, no flavor except chunk of garlic that wasn’t chopped. The egg fried rice isn’t egg fried rice. It’s literally plain rice with peas and carrots. They didn’t even toss it together in a wok for the sauces. Hope someone contacts me for redemption as I don’t want to dispute a charge because it hurts merchants. Please see photos, thanks. I like shopping at small restaurants but I would’ve gotten a better deal with the family meal at panda
google avatar

Josh B.

Yelp
This location is much better than the el segundo location. The Chongqing chicken is absolutely incredible. The spice level, the crunchiness, it hits every time. The beef rolls are a go to for me as well. Whether you use the tasty dipping sauce or make one of your own with the table condiments. Give this spot a shot.

Lara A.

Yelp
Great food, I had the Shanghai Noodles and they were fantastic. I'd recommend getting it to go because the atmosphere is lacking. It is very stuffy/humid and has a strong bleach smell.
google avatar

Shirley W.

Yelp
Always good to come for food you're familiar with and know you're getting delicious comfy food! Service is nice and pretty quick. They play nice music and it's comfortable feeling

Steven G.

Yelp
The quality and taste of the food is among the very best offered in Southern California! The restaurant is very casual and family friendly. The servers are very kind and helpful. This is not a fancy ego driven celebrity chef style restaurant. It is a very very good casual restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, great food, and very reasonable prices for the overall delivered service and food quality. Steven G.
google avatar

Lo S.

Yelp
The beef rolls were mostly cilantro and green onion. The scallion pancake didn't have scallions in it lol
google avatar

Andie B.

Yelp
(Grubhub Delivery) This is my go-to for Dumplings. So glad it is in my home area (West LA, Sawtelle, Brentwood -- but you can be sure my home is not at B.) Ordered their Lamb Dumplings again recently. This time boiled. Verdict? I prefer the fried ones. Notable point and the reason for this review update: After several delivery -Grubhub orders from other restaurants or eateries, Northern Cafe is the first restaurant or eatery that provided utensils. All the others did not provide utensils EVEN though they specifically asked if I wanted utensils (and I clicked yes).
google avatar

Adrian M.

Yelp
Always enjoy this place for a warm satisfying meal. Staff is nice to me even when they were super busy. The beef noodle soup was just ok, too salty and noodles too soft. The green beans were a little overcooked as well. We were the last customer and they were overwhelmed so it is ok this time.
google avatar

Mian S.

Yelp
This is what you would get if you ordered lamb skewer from this place. It's all burned and look at the size. Such a joke
google avatar

Spencer K.

Yelp
The short take: Solidly good fresh food, in a semi-fast food restaurant atmosphere. Add good service and you have a winner. The longer take: Came here with my Estonian dining companion. Based on the location (a shopping center that feels like the setting if a zombie movie) our expectations were minimal at best. We were very pleasantly surprised. First, we didn't realize there was actually table service as there is also an order up option. We sat down, and the second surprise came with the depth of the menu. We opted for some safe fare: steamed vegetable dumplings and cold sesame noodles with shredded chicken. Both of these dishes were (that's right, I am using this descriptive yet again) surprisingly good. Fresh, tasty, well prepared... We are definitely coming back here to give other menu items a spin. Other than the location, I highly recommend this place.
google avatar

James L.

Yelp
Don't come here. Food took almost 40 minutes to arrive despite ordering in person and dining in. Took them 30 minutes and me asking for them to realize the order never got from the cashier to the kitchen. And they didn't offer anything as an apology. Even for a Chinese restaurant, this is not good service. Go somewhere local like Palace Seafood, hop li or hop woo instead. And why do soup dumplings need peanut sauce in them? Smh
google avatar

Juwan L.

Yelp
Food here is okay, dumplings are good enough to satisfy the home-cooked craving. But occasionally they come with half of them boiled open. Pricing here is what's outrageous imo. Expect to pay close to $20 per item you order. With the price they charge, this place "could be (a lot) better".

Ed Y.

Yelp
Unexpectedly found this branch of the Northern Cafe chain here in Brentwood area while we were here this weekend so it was much more convenient to just stop on than drive off in the unusually rainy weather to seek dinner elsewhere. It's located in a nondescript commercial building right up along Wilshire Blvd. at the end of a row of small storefronts. Probably can have outside seating when sunny. Inside it was a nice spacious space. Overall felt nice and not crowded with tables of anything. Immediately greeted by the only wait staff who let us seat ourselves as he finished a call-in order and then brought menus over to us. We ended up ordering beef noodles which I'd say was an 8/10 overall. Nothing special but points for noodles being properly cooked and soup being tasty. Just the right amount of beef and veggie. Also had the String beans which we pretty much polished off which were good. And also a Shanghai Fried noodle which despite taking a bit longer because they had to make a fresh batch of thick noodles before making the fried noodles -had excellent taste and was nice and piping hot when it arrived. Overall was a very good meal
google avatar

Rosalie V.

Yelp
We tried this place tonight and sadly, it was underwhelming. The lack of customers should have been a sign. Ambiance has a quick service feel but there was one waiter who was perfunctory. We ordered 3 types of dumplings, sautéed green beans and steamed rice. Dumplings are either boiled or pan fried. The wrappers on the dumplings are too thick and do not have that delicate texture one would expect. The fillings for each all tasted the same, despite being chicken, fish and shrimp. Definitely opt for pan fried as boiled was too bland. Green beans were over cooked and drenched in garlic. Not sure how you mess up rice but that too was dry. I would drive a little further to Century City and go to Din Tai Fung instead for your dim sum cravings.
google avatar

Charisma H.

Yelp
I got a few different items here just to try everything and only one item was good. I wavered between 3 and 2 stars but because only 1 item was good from the 4, stuck with the two star. Let's start with the good: the veggie dumplings. The had a good portion of greens inside and were solid. Not stellar but enjoyable. We also got the fried noodles, eggplant and kung pao chicken. They were all way too salty. Like my throat feels parched kind of salty. Seems like the chef was pretty heavy handed. And now I need to get some more water.
google avatar

Bryan R.

Yelp
This place has awesome noodle dishes and dumplings one of my favorite places next to Din Tai Fung. This location is cool too lots of parking and they're quick with orders. Little pricey but well worth the price with the portions!

Andrew T.

Yelp
This food has some of the best food ever! It's really hard to find some decent Xiao Long Baos in Los Angeles other than Din Tai Fung, but this place never misses! The dumplings never break apart when you pick them up and taste delicious. I ordered the beef roll as well which tasted good but the presentation was a bit weird. Beef rolls are usually filled inside, but we were served a really loose one. The service was also a bit terrible. It used to be a counter where you ordered and then they delivered you your food, however they now have you wait for them to come. They have only two chefs and one person at the counter that is also the waiter. He prioritizes the takeout orders over the in-restaurant orders which is really frustrating. Giving it four stars because it's a great restaurant but the service needs to improve.
google avatar

May M.

Yelp
Great spot in Brentwood area for quick Chinese food! The soup pork dumplings, spicy pork wonton in spice sauce and the beef noodle soup was definitely my favorite. The staff was friendly as well! The Dan Dan noodles did not taste like Dan Dan noodles so I would not recommend that. Otherwise, we will be back!!
google avatar

Annie K.

Yelp
Let me start off by saying in a noodle foodie. I love anything noodles. I tried this place a few times for lunch because it's within walking distance of the office. Their dumplings are pretty good, but I haven't found that I liked any of the noodles. Not to say that it's bad, it's just not delicious. The servers are always nice and friendly.

Mary D.

Yelp
I ordered online, food was hot when it arrived. Food tasted okay, not great, however I was not given chopsticks, or a fork, zero napkins and zero hot sauce, zero soy, zero chilies zero sauce of any kind. Disappointing
google avatar

Jaden L.

Yelp
Horrific customer service. The staff and manager clearly have no understanding of the standard professionalism that is needed for a restaurant business in the United States. I walked in to order my food on New Year's Day and was instantly interrupted with questions about if I had just called the restaurant or not. I don't recall calling so I said no and try to continue my order. But instead of taking my order, he proceeds with "Are you so and so...?" His spoked in a really high pitch tone and sounded as if he was interrogating me. I found this very annoying since I just wanted to order and eat. Still not taking my order, he turned his computer screen to show me his call history to further interrogate me on calling. He was clearly angry about something which had nothing to do with me, but he was directing it towards me. His obsession on me calling the restaurant goes on and on. This was extremely irritation and bothersome, especially since I had already told him no I did not call. I came here to eat, not answer 20 questions from an angry individual. The standard customer service at a restaurant is to TAKE THE ORDER FROM THE CUSTOMER politely so they can get their food and enjoy their experience. Not to interrogate customers in an annoying and accusing tone about an irrelevant subject matter. If I did call, why does it matter, you're a restaurant! Clearly these basics of customer service formalities are foreign to him. I asked if he was the manager, and he quickly raised his voice even louder and now speaking in a super high pitch tone of voice he replied "I'm the manager and the owner!!!" I left the restaurant so I can continue with my happy New Years Day, and try move on from this awful experience. Please educate yourself on proper customer service attitude and etiquette so you can provide it for the customers that come into your restaurant. Unfortunately, I will not be one of them.

Eric C.

Yelp
What an awful restaurant. Cashier was grumpy, and rude. I ordered at the counter and he tried to force me into leaving a tip although I ordered myself and the water is self service. He refused to let me order until i left a tip and lost his temper so I was forced to leave. I would never eat here and recommend anyone to eat at one of the neighboring restaurants.
google avatar

Samantha L.

Yelp
Hit the spot!! There's not many chinese food / dumping places in this area. It's really just Northern Cafe or Din Tai Fung (which is impossible to get a reservation at same day unless you want to spend hours of your time waiting). This place has free parking in the parking structure located behind the restaurant and the staff is super friendly. It's less formal but you can still sit down and have food served to you. Prices are reasonable. What we ordered: Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce Juicy Pork Dumplings Beef Rolls Green onion pancakes My favorite dish was the pork wontons in spicy sauce. Sauce wasn't very spicy though. The juicy pork dumplings were in fact juicy and beef rolls were quite good. Would probably skip the green onion pancakes next time as they weren't as flavorful as other Chinese food places and pretty oily.
google avatar

Samuel E.

Yelp
Great food prepared with care! The service is also good. I will definitely be back for the beef soup.
google avatar

Joanna P.

Yelp
We have moved to this area last spring and we have been looking for a decent Chinese place to take out and I am so glad we have given a try to this place. 1. Service: whoever's working tonight at the counter (2/17 dinner time), I wanna say "good job". Friendly and cheerful in a way which made me and my 8 year old daughter smile. My daughter said "mommy I wanna give this place a 5 star because of him. He was so nice". 2. Food was great!! We ordered, orange chicken, beef noodle soup, beef rolls, scallion pancakes, juicy dumplings, chicken wings, pork dumplings in spicy sauce. 5/5 beef rolls and pork dumplings in spicy sauce. I had the least expectation on those but those turned out to be the best. Simple but delicious! The spicy sauce in pork dumplings was not spicy at all but flavorful! 3.5/5 orange chicken, beef noodle soup They were what you would get from other restaurants. Orange chicken were mostly fried tempura with very little chicken inside. But sauce was good. Beef noodle soup was ok for me but my husband liked it. If we had tried it inside the restaurant served hot, I would have liked it better, I think. 3/5 scallion pancakes Bland and no characteristics but maybe it is how it is served? Wanted to try it since every Chinese restaurants have it on the menu. We will order some other popular dishes on the menu next time.
google avatar

John M.

Yelp
I'm a big fan of this place. There's easy parking either out front or in the building's parking garage. The staff is always extremely friendly and helpful. And the food is very good! Not going to blow away some of the best-of-the-best in SGV, but very good for the area. Greatest hits include the Beef Roll and Pork Wonton in Spicy Sauce (if they sold this sauce in jars, I would buy a gallon--also, hot tip, dip the beef roll in this sauce for a tasty flavor explosion).
google avatar

Michael G.

Yelp
Beware of this spot, I will breakdown the issues one by one Food-- 3 stars. Nothing stellar, while the food came hot, the taste was very generic and almost like it came from a chain restaurant. Service- 1 star. Rude cashier, disgusting attitude, she did not wasn't to answer a simple questions, where is my order. Her response was " I will call you when it's ready" not an acceptable answer. Wait time-1 star. The people cooking were not really cooking bait rather talking to each other. Hence the order came out 30 minutes after being ordered. Miscellaneous- 1 star. Restaurant does not care about the in house customers, they cater to delivery apps and even prioritize them over waiting customers. They get upset when this is pointed out. It's best to avoid this place In conclusion, why wait 30 to 45 minutes for food that is mediocre, be served by rude people and be put in the back of the line behind delivery apps like Uber, just don't come here unless you would like to be treated like an idiot.
google avatar

Chris W.

Yelp
Northern cafe is so great!! I have had their food here in Northridge and I'm Beverly Hills and they do not disappoint!! This is one of the best Chinese places in the valley for sure. If you need a place to try, stop scrolling and dine here!
google avatar

Lleni S.

Yelp
The Braised Beef Soup and Pork Wonton Soup wonton soups are delicious. Flavorful and the portions are generous.
google avatar

Ian O.

Yelp
It was aiight. Would eat again if desperate. Why would the postmates promo only work for delivery?

Samantha K.

Yelp
We go at least twice a month. Their food is so delicious and service is consistently good.
google avatar

Jeff K.

Yelp
The food here is pretty good for Chinese in this area, but that's not saying much. If you don't want to drive further this is a safe bet for some decent food. If your looking for good noodles I would go elsewhere. It's a shame because this place has huge potential for this area. My tip would be to the owners #1 put a little more into the noodles that are made. #2 serve the xlb dumplings with ginger! A dipping tray to mix the vinegar and soy, and larger dumpling spoons. The XLB crab/pork dumplings were just ok. They lacked something. I was completely dissatisfied when the dumplings came out with out a dipping tray for soy and vinegar, no dumpling spoons, and no ginger slices! What....? Yeah you heard me...no ginger! Which forced me to eat the dumplings naked.... The Shanghai rice cakes were actually pretty good but would have been better with a little more sesame oil. The orange chicken... well it was orange chicken but a large serving. I was upset with myself the second the order slipped out of my mouth. Driving by on Wilshire I never imagined this place to be so packed inside. We were able to grab the last table available, it's too bad it stayed dirty despite our several requests for someone to clean it. The poor girl taking orders at the counter( who was very nice, friendly, and helpful) was running back and forth clearing tables, to taking plates to tables from the kitchen, and then back to taking more orders; basically doing the job of four people. I feel the owner should have employed at least one or two more people with this much business. Yes alcohol is served here. Beers are $5 across the board with some interesting Chinese beers to choose from. Tiger being my favorite.
google avatar

Yamit Y.

Yelp
Came here twice. Prices and service were good, the atmosphere was pleasant and the bathrooms were clean. I tried their Veggie dumplings and they were delicious. Unfortanly, they use MSG in their food and that's a problem for me. Also, not a good spot for big groups. Both indoor and outdoor seating. Free parking, no validation needed.
google avatar

John D.

Yelp
First off, their pork dumplings are bomb, the beef stew has always been my go-to but haven't been in recently but now the meat is much smaller portion wise and not chunks of beef anymore but a steakum like ham cut, also I was told there was a mandatory 10% tip which makes it a surcharge not a tip imo, I tip 20%+ at table service places but they don't offer that , just order and sit like fast food places. I mean I'm already grabbing my own utensils water etc.
google avatar

Jessie Z.

Yelp
We have been frequenting the different Northern Cafe's on the west side for a while and they are our go-to chinese comfort food besides Qin. Brentwood (Wilshire): 4.5 stars Westwood (Gayley): 3.5 stars Westwood- Tapas (Weyburn): 3 stars Westwood- Hot pot (Broxton): 4 stars Mid-city (Beverly): 4.5 stars During COVID, takeout and delivery from this location is pretty fast! The quality is consistent but the takeout portions are 1.5x bigger than the Gayley location so we always order from here. DON'T ORDER RICE WITH YOUR ENTREES ON DELIVERY APPS. They already come with the dish but the apps will charge you extra. Recommended dishes: - Chongqing chicken: crispy fries chicken with a kick. Super good. Comes with rice. - Cumin lamb: pricey, but worth trying if your group doesn't hate lamb. Comes with rice. - Braised eggplant: always a crowd pleaser - Beef rolls: also a crowd pleaser and you can take out the cilantro for your non taster friends. Comes with rice. - String beans: go-to vegetable. Tastes great but it can get soggy when ordering takeout. Comes with rice. - Dumplings are good, Xiao long bao are good, I just order them when I'm in the mood. - I'd choose dan dan noodles for carbs. A safe choice. The other carbs tend to be bland and not very unique. But a lot of the entrees come with rice so you probably don't need it.
google avatar

Roy R. P.

Yelp
Went to the Northern Cafe location on Wilshire Blvd just east of Bundy Dr. (in the same building as Ross) for lunch today. Had Chongqing Crispy Chicken which was very good although since I have never had Chongqing Crispy Chicken before have nothing to compare it with. It came with a bowl of rice. Didn't have to wait very long for it to be brought to the table after I ordered it.
google avatar

Kevin L.

Yelp
It was chilly for LA standards so my friend and I felt we needed some hot soup. We opted for Northern Cafe for their beef noodle soup (which we both got) and the pork and vege dumplings. The beef noodle soup was not stellar. I guess I already went in with mediocre expectations but the soup was not hot enough, the noodles were overcooked and too soft, and the soup base itself didn't have the kick I was hoping it would have. The beef I am used to was more like chunks of beef instead of thinly sliced beef which makes it feel like you aren't getting for what you paid for. The dumplings were decent. A bit thick on the wrapper but the filling at least was pretty plump and it was juicy. Definitely don't need to order both the noods and the dumps because that's more than enough but you can share the dumps if you are there with others. The best part of the meal was the laoganma hot sauce spread across the restaurant that you can use to amp up the flavor. The place is very popular though with most tables taken and a lot of takeout. Parking is easy in the lot or you can grab a metered spot out front. The meal did its job I would try other soup-y places before coming back.
google avatar

Jeremy L.

Yelp
Nothing mind blowing. Good for the area but don't compare to more authentic places. Kind of like an americanized chinese place that specializes in Shanghainese dishes. Beef noodle soup (2): Noodles were sort of fat and 'ramen-ish'. Broth was just okay without much kick. Beef was chewy and not too tender. XLB (3): Decent. Soup wasn't hot. Flavor was okay. Don't forget to add vinegar. Scallion pancake (4): Hard to mess this up. Crispy. Comes cut up for you. Shanghai noodles (3): Flavor was just okay. Portion was fairly small. This location seems new. Everything was pretty clean which was nice. Even the high chair seemed new and clean. I also like that there's a free dedicated parking lot for this complex. Always a plus in busy neighborhoods.
google avatar

Selina P.

Yelp
I come here whenever I crave good asian food bc the Feast (ucla dining hall) is nothing compared to the 626! In picture : My go to order: beef noodle soup - always delicious, has a little spice, and they give a generous portion of meat. Dumplings: so good! I can't remember if it was pork or shrimp and veggie. Not in picture, but other things I like to order: Pork soup dumpling: pretty good! The skin is a little thick and doughy but I prefer it. Beef rolls: really good! Also I'm not a huge cilantro fan and they can replace it with green onion
google avatar

Jim R.

Yelp
When I started to work in the area in 2019, I discovered Northern Cafe and I love it. They went through a period of being closed down, reopening to take away, and finally are open again to dine in. I'm very happy for them. I have patronized them throughout the last two years. When I went to lunch yesterday, I paid with cash and it hit me that the amount I was paying was way more than I was expecting. I looked at the meant for Beef Noodle Soup and it read $13.49. I have a menu at my desk that is from 2020 and the same dish was $9.00. That's a 50% increase in price. I understand that they probably have expenses to pay from being closed but 50%!!!! That's way too much of an increase. I'm not saying I won't go there again but it's dropped way down on my list as a destination.
google avatar

S C.

Yelp
Love the host, xiao yu. He's the reason why we go back to this location all the time. He's very friendly and helpful. The food never disappoints!
google avatar

Chris R.

Yelp
It is my mom's favorite place for Chinese fast food. I really enjoy the wonton ng soup and fried rice. Very light and easy to eat.
google avatar

Dennis C.

Yelp
food here is actually pretty good. i'll rate it as a 4. however, the business is operating with bad business practices. i understand that it's still the era of covid and most restaurants rely on delivery apps in which the restaurant needs to raise their prices on the app to compensate for the absurd service fees the apps take from them. BUT i didn't order through an app. i walked into the restaurant and ordered the food at the cashier. i ordered the cold shredded chicken noodles which is listed at $11.99. i was charged $14.99 which i would assume is the prices they charge on the apps. what in the hell?!? i wish i caught it when i paid but i was preoccupied. i talked about it with another friend and the same thing happened to him! make sure you check your receipts before you leave!
google avatar

Jill L.

Yelp
Asian food on the Westside?! Of course I had to give it a try. I actually like the set up of ordering your food at the counter and then grabbing a seat and having the food being brought to you. We ordered the beef rolls, a personal favorite of mine that I originally tried at 101 noodle express in the 626, and the Zha Jiang noodles. I definitely understand that you can't measure Westside Chinese food to 626 Chinese food, but Northern Café is actually pretty good! The beef rolls were nice and crispy, and the meat was flavorful with a good amount of cilantro and a balanced taste. I was actually very pleasantly surprised by the Zha Jiang Mien - I've tried those in other Chinatown establishments and the ones here definitely match up! The best part was the nice chewiness of the noodles and the pork and soy bean sauce was more flavorful than other places and the cucumber slices added a nice crunch. Will definitely be back to try other things on the menu, especially the juicy pork dumplings!
google avatar

Muchuan N.

Yelp
This restaurant has always been my go-to choice whenever I want some real authentic Chinese food. However, I placed a delivery order tonight for yellow chive and shrimp dumplings but they messed it up by sending me the pork one. For some personal reasons, I can't do pork, so I called for a replacement order. HOWEVER, they never picked up my phone call. The price for this particular order is $16 with the pan fried option, it's just sad when nobody is taking the responsibility of addressing customer concerns given such a high price for 10 dumplings. I'm truly disappointed
google avatar

Susie D.

Yelp
The best thing here is the beef roll. Everything else is aight, but nothing too complicated. Simple, standard, Chinese food, and the best part is they were open on New Year's Eve. Didn't deliver, but can't have everything.
google avatar

Adan F.

Yelp
Would definitely go back. Good dumplings and Dan Dan noddles. Staff was very helpful.

Johniece S.

Yelp
I came here for the dumplings and I ended up getting popcorn chicken as well and they DELIVERED! This is my first time trying them and they are now my new favorite spot for dumplings! 10/10
google avatar

Nellie B.

Yelp
Get the pork dumplings and the potstickers! So, so good. The man who is always taking orders is so personable and nice and everything is always piping hot when I come pick up- highly recommend!
google avatar

Arman T.

Yelp
One of our most favorite restaurants in LA! Been here so many times and the food was always good. The xiao lung bao was delicious. Very similar to Din Tai Fung with less price! The rice cake, the wonton and everything else were so delicious too. Service was fast and friendly. We could get the water and utensils ourselves so that's convenient. Please note that Northern Cafe has few locations. By far this was the best location. Food was delicious consistently, no line, and free parking. The one in Westwood was good too but usually they had line and hard to find parking. The one in Beverly Hills was the worst! Don't go to that location.