Northern Cafe El Segundo

What an unexpected feast! We went here for a lunch and left fully satisfied! For a "chain" Chinese restaurant, Northern Cafe serves very authentic and delicious Northern Chinese cuisine, and when you come during happy hour, the food was surprisingly pretty darn affordable! The service was also great! We first started with the humble Chicken Noodle Soup and it was a strong first dish with its refreshing clear broth, yummy noodles, and chicken. The chili oil at our table works well to add even more interest to this already delicious noodles, and we completely finished this bowl of goodness. Next, we had the green onion pancake, and it came with a very delicious dipping sauce that has a tangy, earthy flavor that added some depth to the pancake. The pancake itself can use a little more thickness and filling, but the crispiness was perfect. After that, we had both the Pork & Cabbage Pan-fried Dumplings and the Juicy Pork Dumplings. Boy, it was hard to choose which one is better because they're both delicious, but I think the Pork & Cabbage won out because it was ALSO a juicy soup dumpling, so when you add the combination of the pan-fried exterior, it was such a perfect dumpling. Both also paired well with the chili oil as well as the soy sauce. Next on our list was the Lao Gan Ma Fried Noodle with Chicken, and this dry noodle dish was it very savory in flavor, with a hint of spiciness and sweet soy. I like the subtle complexity of this noodle dish because you have opposing and adjacent flavor profiles working well together. Last and unfortunately least, the Hot & Sour Soup was the only dish that didn't quite work for us. The taste seemed a little odd, like it wasn't what we expected from hot & sour soup. It's not bad, but it was clearly our least favorite dish. All in all, we could have easily chosen at least 8-10 more menu items from Northern Cafe, so you can expect us to be back soon!

We wanted to get some food that would be good and not to expensive. The shrimp fried rice is clean and fresh. My wife love the orange chicken and I enjoyed the hive and eggs pockets. Fried potatoes shrimp balls were good. The atmosphere is clean cafe style. The prices were fairly good. I would return especially if I’m in the mood for Chinese food. The portions were huge.

The Baseline: For Asian dumplings, the food flavors need to be authentic, the portions have to be properly sized, and the restaurant must be comfortable and stylish. Food: The dumplings were very good with a good meat ratio. The Sautéed Green beans with Garlic were perfectly cooked and delicious. The Beef and Broccoli was well sauced, the cook on the broccoli was enough to be tender but still had a nice resistance. We had two cocktails, the Matcha Colada and Strawberry Sake, which were delicious. The scallion pancake was hot, crispy with a good dipping sauce. Update (Aug 2025) - Had the Pork Soup Dumplings, scallion pancakes, House fried rice, and the Green Beans. I love the green beans and even when they are heated up the next day they are good. Service: The staff is friendly and helpful. They were fast and efficient with orders. My water glass was kept full while I was dining. Update (Aug 2025)- Good service today with me only having to ask for water refills once. Atmosphere: A casual sit-down restaurant with good seating and space between tables. Outdoor seating is also available with space heaters. The bathroom was clean. Update (Aug 2025) - Clean tables, dining area, and bathrooms.

We stop here everytime we come back from a trip and land at lax. Food is awesome, very reasonably priced for the quality and quantity, and it's legit Chinese food, not dumbed down Americanized version. My personal fav is the pig ear salad, I get an extra to go. There is an outdoor seating area next to a small play area for kids which is really really nice to have, so the kids can play within view.

First time coming and left wanting to come back! We came around 3 and got seated immediately. The waitress was super nice and took our drink orders when we got situated. In the meantime, we ordered the Dan Dan noodles and the soup dumplings, and both were very good! The star for me personally had to be the dan dan noodles though. It was my first time ever having it, and I think I have a new favorite now 🥰 The creamy peanut sauce with the flavorful ground meat and a heat that slowly sneaks up on you like a nice summer day?? Sign me right up. You can even make it spicier with the chili oil they have on the table if the heat isn't enough for you! I can't wait to come back, highly recommend this place.

The food here is decent here and I am glad they expanded at this new place in El Segundo. I got the Dan Dan noodles while my friend got the beef noodle soup. We also ordered the onion pancake to share. We also got some tea which was nice to have on a rainy day. The food was pretty good overall. Good flavor. The onion pancake was a tad bit thinner than I'm use to. But it was crispy and the dipping sauce went well with it. The staff was very attentive and helped to clean up and empty bowls or items often. Plenty of parking in the area.

We had a wonderful experience dining here! The food came out hot, fresh, and full of flavor. We especially loved the vegetable and pork dumplings and the orange chicken both were absolutely delicious. The service was just as impressive. Our server, Carlos, was incredibly welcoming and friendly throughout our meal. In fact, when my daughter accidentally left her hoodie behind, Carlos ran after us to return it. That extra bit of kindness truly made our visit memorable. Highly recommend!

This was our first time visiting Northern Cafe El Segundo. We definitely over-ordered but were very happy with our choices. Our waitress was friendly and apologized for the wait, but it was not an issue for us. Several tables had been seated just before we came in, so we were happy to wait our turn. We started with the beef roll that came out very quickly, and it was delicious. I think they use a plum sauce or a similar sweet sauce, and I loved it. The scallion pancakes came next. They were a little boring unless dipped in sauce, which made them very tasty. We also got the pork soup dumplings, postickers and calamari.

I am a big Northern Cafe and I am pleased to share this place is just as good as the other locations I've visited, including Northridge! There are so many dishes that I recommend again and again. Highly recommend the beef roll - perfect to share and absolutely delicious. Of course, the soup dumplings are amazing. The Dan Dan noodles are pretty good. Service is quick and efficient. The interior can get full during brunch and dinner. Plenty of free parking in the lot nearby. This place is in a busy area with plenty of shops and eateries in the vicinity.

The food here is decent here and I am glad they expanded at this new place in El Segundo. I got the Dan Dan noodles while my friend got the beef noodle soup. We also ordered the onion pancake to share. We also got some tea which was nice to have on a rainy day. The food was pretty good overall. Good flavor. The onion pancake was a tad bit thinner than I'm use to. But it was crispy and the dipping sauce went well with it. The staff was very attentive and helped to clean up and empty bowls or items often. Plenty of parking in the area.

I really like this restaurant's location. I take Sepulveda the entire way and it's a nice ride with no stress. ( cue SNL's sketch THE CALIFORNIANS). ;))) Today, my friend Mike and I met at 1:30. I was shocked that he wasn't late because he's always late !!! and I had mabo tofu which they make so hot and spicy which I love. My friend Mike went very safe with a mixed vegetable dish and he put a ton of hot and spicy oil on top of it. He loved it. We shared a scallion pancake appetizer and some spicy pan fried dumplings! This restaurant, even though it's part of a chain does not feel like cookie cutter establishment!! They have a wonderful wait-staff, a great vibe, amazing food and comfortable seating . Our waitperson Joyce was lovely and so personable! I urge everyone to shop locally and support all the small businesses that you know, especially in Los Angeles County. We're all in this together. Stay strong, California! We will never surrender and WE WILL never GIVE UP!!!

So, its with a heavy heart that I have to report, that Northern Cafe - El Segundo only got worse. I was getting my haircut a Hammer & Nails across the street and decided to give them another try. It has been 18 moths since my last visit. Plenty of time to get things right. I've been to the one in Cerritos and it was amazing. It must be a franchise. Because they are not ran by the same people. I decided to keep it simple. 1 order of soup dumplings and 1 order of shrimp wontons in chili oil. Thats it... easy peasy... The soup dumplings came out first... the texture of the dumpling almost looked freezer burned... it just didn't look fresh. Again, it was luke warm... like it was poorly reheated... I choked them down and just felt underwhelmed. The Shimp wontons came out next... this is usually served in a moderately spicy oil... I would say flavorful, not hot. But the sauce looked more like a thai peanut sauce that I would dip a roll into... I tried the first one... temp was ok... still leaning warm rather than hot... but the sauce was sweet... I would have spoke to the waitress right away, but there was only 1 working tables, the other lady was focused on the silverware. I again choked these down as I hate wasting food and at this point, I wanted to leave. I immediately felt like if I could throw up, I would feel so much better. Unfortunately, I did not and had to walk around with that uggg feeling the rest of the day. I did speak to the waitress when she brought my bill. They are good at that. I asked her what this was... and pointed to the dish with the "spicy" wontons. She said you ordered Spicy Wontons. I thought maybe I made a mistake in my order. I told her it didn't look like spicy sauce... she stared at it and said, she didn't know... and walked away with the check and my card. Sadly I left without my card... thats how bad it was... I did come back and claimed it the next day... they didn't ask for an ID which is scary, but I'm glad I at least got it back. I think this location is poorly managed and the quality will be hit and miss till that make changes... until then, there are so many other great places to eat. After a good first visit, the last 2 were dumpster fires. Welcome to the South Bay Naughty List

Overall, unfortunately underwhelmed with the experience at this El Segundo location, though this may just be the dishes we ordered on this day and have loved Northern Cafe at other locations. Not sure if this reflects a change throughout the chain or there are site specific differences in recipes. The beef rolls were a generous portion size and packed with fresh ingredients but did not feel especially flavorful or savory as prior experiences. The chongqing chicken was also a great portion size but not the classic Chinese recipe (for whatever it may be worth, at the time of dining, there were also no Asians eating in the restaurant). The chicken had more breading and tasted almost chicken nugget-like. The color of the chicken breading was more orange-red than the classic yellow and with more peppers seen in some prior photos. The staff were very friendly, the ambiance is beautiful, and the location is convenient next to other shops.

We have been to this place multiple times and have enjoyed it each time. We love the beef roll, beef noodle soup, dumplings, and green beans. Plenty of parking and food for groups.

Everything was yummy except the service of a worker that wasn't even our server. I went yesterday night with my family and this nice girl was about to sit us down and then all of a sudden a male worker with a sour face was like "NO DONT SIT THEM THERE IM GOING TO NEED THAT TABLE." We were already about to sit down. It just felt rude in the tone he said it and his mannerisms. He was the worst one out of there. Then I look over, and he didn't end up using the table. He sat another party of 3, like I had. Anyway, the orange chicken, chicken fried noodle, and mongolian beef were among my favorites!

I could talk ambiance but why? It's the food that matters. 1. They bring out everything at the same time which includes appetizers and your mains. 2. Server was great. Big high five there. 3. My friend got the chicken pan fried dumplings. There are a lot. He gave them a 5/10. What I noticed was no dipping sauce. Odd. His other was garlic riribs. He noted it was loaded with garlic but found the dish lacked and needed a sauce. A 4/10. I will concur on the lack of sauces with the dishes. The fried noodles with shrimp has a sauce. It has a nice flavor and I loved that the dish came with bean sprouts. You get huge portions on everything. I had only a small amount and was full. In other words leftovers. I give it a 7/10. The ratio of shrimp to say anything else veggie wise was veggie type more than shrimp. My other was the veggie wontons in chili oil. I noted I am allergic to garlic, so they did not add the peanut sauce to the dish because it has garlic in it. I appreciated that. It is supposed to be spicy, the dish, it's an appetizer, but I found that lacking. Maybe the peanut sauce was the key, but you would expect heat with chili oil. There wasn't here. The filling included shitake mushrooms and two other ingredients and I appreciated them verifying that no corn was in it. Another allergy. What I did learn was that all the wonton, dumpling, stuff is made elsewhere by another entity and then a bunch of restaurants buy them. Who knew? Well now you know. I brought it up because initially was going to have the shrimp wonton, but it comes with cucumber in it, so it tastes mushy. Once our server told me that, veggie won. Overall a pleasant place, not the best chinese you will ever have. If you want a huge menu, go elsewhere. However you should find something you like. Ideally with sauce.

I am happy that there are Asian food in the south Bay! However, I was quite disappointed in this location! The seating is huge however, the service isn't the best and it seem like there are under staff! I usually order my usual, but it definitely tastes different here! The chicken bread is so off it is all bread no chicken!The beef roll came out super cold, which was quite odd because every time I order it it is at least warm if not hot! I probably would not visit back because of my experience! Will definitely check out the location locations that I know are good!

Whenever I drive my parents to LAX, I stop by here with them for a decent meal of dumplings and other Chinese dishes like beef rolls, noodle soup, and much more! The staff is attentive and ready to seat you when you come in although the times we've been here it wasn't crowded. Parking is snug amidst other businesses but never trouble finding a spot. There are plenty of large tables and a handful or cushioned booths that make eating as a family comfortable. Bill was affordable given the family-style portions.

Good selection of beer. Clean location (compared to others I've been). I came with a table of 6 and it was an excellent family style food experience. We had the orange chicken, Kung Pao chicken, shrimp wontons, pork dumplings, and white rice. All the food was delicious. We would return happily.

Definitely the best northern cafe I've been to! Staff are super friendly and the food is so good and always comes out so fast lol The mapo tofu and dan dan noodles always hit the spot! The green beans are fresh and nice and crunchy too. They have outdoor seating, which is nice because we can take our doggo with us too :)

We tried this place for lunch, and here's what I think you need to know about it... Parking - tucked away back in The Works shopping center, parking is relatively easy to find and access (and free). If you can't find parking there, you can always park near Whole Foods/Dick's and walk across the street. Atmosphere - it's okay. Nothing special. There are some comfortable booths with padded seats, and tables in the middle of the space. It's not particularly intimate or interesting, but it is clean and inviting. Waitstaff - We had very good service. Everyone working there seems happy to help and friendly. Food - It's okay. There was nothing wrong with it, but nothing that stood out either. Dan-dan noodles - We ordered the dan dan noodles which tasted like someone had emptied a jar of peanut butter on the noodles (not like dan dan noodles I'd ever tasted before), so if you like noodles in heavy peanut sauce, you would like these. Pork soup dumplings - We also ordered the pork soup dumplings which were good (big and meaty) but they were served in a metal container instead of bamboo like most places and therefore stick to the bottom (despite the fact there is parchment paper), so when you lift them out, nearly every dumpling breaks and the 'soup' runs out. So the experience itself isn't as good as having these in other places where that doesn't happen. Pork/crab soup noodles - also served in metal steamers, also break because they stick. Other people in my party liked these. I didn't. I felt the crab had a strange aftertaste. They are dense though and filling. Green onion pancakes - I found these to be really greasy. We all tried them, no one liked them, and we only ate about half of our order. Shrimp pops - These were good. They come four to an order. Basically, chopped shrimp on a mini skewer served with a mayonnaise-based sauce. Drinks - we didn't try the cocktails but the list of signature cocktails looked interesting. I initially ordered an iced green tea and when it came, it was so sweet I couldn't even drink it. The server didn't mention when I ordered it (nor was it on the menu) that they add a syrup sweetener to it, so I sent it back and got a regular black iced tea which was good. No refills however, which I find odd since it literally costs only a few cents to brew tea and they give free refills on soda. The server was really nice and gave me a refill to go when I asked why they don't refill tea. Like I said, there's nothing wrong with the food here, but with so many good Asian restaurants (and even dumpling restaurants) in the So Bay/Beach Cities area, this isn't one I would go out of my way to revisit. But if I was shopping there already, I wouldn't avoid it either.

Have been going here since forever and it never disappoints. Food is amazing and always fresh. Service is always on top of things and nice. Place is always clean and inviting.

Extremely poor service Waitress stood behind counter talking to manager while customers sat and waited for service and food as a local customer since opening I will never return especially when served cold food! Executive management needs to handle immediately not acceptable

Yum! Different taste for soup dumplings but didn't hate it!! It was delicious. They are a little bigger than other restaurants which is nice for value since they're priced higher and you get 8 pieces. I also tried the scallion pancakes that were average. Looking forward to try their beef soup next!

Pretty decent place. The waitress both Jasmine were nice and very helpful. Thank you ladies.

Delicious food Great customer service Nice ambience We had a good time Will be back

Nice customer service equals satisfaction. Work on: anxiety tho (because I literally walked in at a slow pace and felt a lil force of the workers wanting to urgently help me) not a bad thing at all because I got in and got out quick. He even gave me fortune cookies. The ambiance was perfectly clean and well out together. Parking right out front! Nice food! I love shrimp ramen!

Really good food and very nice server /hostess enjoyed I definitely will be back again

The food is good and the price isn't bad but the service is continuously bad. I'd love to give this place the benefit of the doubt but the servers are constantly forgetful. They don't bring you drinks, forgot an item that I ordered and then just brought the check without the item. Also the music is comically bad. This could be such a great place but they just miss the mark when it comes to ambiance and service. An elderly man slipped and fell and not one server came and checked on the man. They just brought him an incident form and seemed to not care. Hard to support this place with so many misses.

I've often been reluctant to go to Chinese restaurants due to some overly greasy, sloppy mess of noodles and such. But I'm happy to say this place does it right. The items are all freshly prepared with care, style, and no greasy taste. The items are mostly familiar dishes-- potstickers, dumplings, noodles, fried rice, etc. but done at a higher level. There are some other interesting dishes that are also delicious. We started with shrimp rolls, that were sublime-- crispy, full of flavor and lovely to look at. The green onion pancake were also tasty-- thin, little pizza slices of goodness, with a mildly spicy sauce. I ordered the house special-- fried rice with shrimp, spam, carrots. It was a big dish and I couldn't finish it, but it was very good. The beef and broccoli was also good, as were the well-prepared chicken wontons. The only downside is that it's tucked away in the back of a mall ("The Works"). Definitely worth checking out!

Northern Cafe is one of my favorites at other locations, so I was so happy to see one open in my area. Unfortunately the quality at the El SEGUNDO location isn't quite up to par with the others. Chongqing Chicken usually has a ton of chili flakes that are cooked to a crisp, that way they are crunchy and not too hot to eat, but this dish was more like something you would get at Panda Express, with only a few chili flakes that were too tough and spicy to eat. There is also a spicy beef noodle soup at other locations that is some of the best I've ever had, and yet this location, aside from having 3 different beef noodle soups doesn't have one that comes close. Even the orange chicken at this location has lost its magic. Again something more akin to a Panda Express. As this area doesn't have very much great Asian food, I'll still stop in here sometimes, and it's worth trying if you live in the area, but it's just too bad that they can't keep the quality up with the other locations.

Green onion pancakes are crispy, flaky, and fragrant. Dry crispy pork spare ribs with spices, amped up with chopped garlic and jalapenos. My favorite every time mala spicy prime beef noodle soup, tasty sauté of mushroom medly with Chinese celery - a perfect accompaniment to spicy dishes and their house special Spicy noodles for those of us who like it hot! I'm so glad they have good service and consistently delicious dishes.

Delicious Chinese comfort food! I've been to the West LA and Westwood locations, and this was my first time at this location. The Dan Dan noodles are so good. I wish the Green Onion pancake had more onions though...it was a bit too much dough. The restaurant is in a nice El Segundo Plaza was easy parking out front. It's a nice modern design inside like the other locations. The service is friendly and the food came out fast. But the servers didn't check up on us after the food was dropped off. We had to flag down a server for extra bowls, more water and the check.

Warning!!!!!!!!!!! They use a plastic container for the hot food and the heat leeches the plastic chemicals into the food and your balls are ruined forever. I want chicken not cancer.

Service is fine, food is ok. White rice was included with our entrees, but it was really hard - even soaking it in the sauce from the fish didn't help. Portions are small for the price, even the rice is a small portion, the spicy boiled fish was fishy and quite mild - not spicy. The salt and pepper tofu was good. Garlic ribs were ok. Maybe other dishes will be better, but given how hard the rice was, I won't be back.

The food is delicious & the portions are just right! It's what you expect from a family style restaurant. Our server was the best. It was our 1st time and he gave us the breakdown of what is mostly ordered and his favorites. Love a place where the waiter can tell you what they like. We will most definitely come back. Family of 5 are for $100. We ordered beef fried rice, beef noodles, pork potstickers, crab dumplings, fried pork grinds, walnut shrimp. The only thing we all didn't like was the Thai tea

I love the salt & pepper tofu!!! Other fave is the beef pancake. I usually just order to go but have eaten there once and all the workers are very nice.

Service was great. Really friendly staff. Food has authentic flavors and the pricing is really good, plus the portions are very generous. Pig ears- not overly spicy, but the spice is that tongue-numbing peppercorn flavor. Cucumber salad- very refreshing and pairs perfectly with the pig ears. Beef roll- perfect with the thinly sliced beef, fresh herbs and crispy/chewy tortilla-like wrap. Pork soup dumplings- very good! Love that we don't have to drive all the way to Torrance for Din Tai Fung. This spot is perfect!

Enjoyed the beef broccoli and the fried rice here, both nicely flavored. Parking was a breeze in their lot. Prices are on par with Din Tai Fung, starting at $15. They accommodated my request to reduce oil and sodium, which was much appreciated. Good spot for a meal without the hassle.

We went with a large group and no reservations. They seated us quickly, and the food was GREAT! May be my.new favorite spot for Xiao long Bao!

I ordered the Beef Roll. I did not share and ate it all. No regrets. It's perfectly fried. Try all the sauces.

The orange chicken was good and the crispy chicken was really good but a little spicy! I still enjoyed the food!

1st time here- ordered food online for pickup- system said it would be ready in 30 minutes. Arrived- complete chaos, line waiting for pick up orders. When someone finally asked me my name- said no order for me- I think showed her my confirmation info- she said oh, it's not ready and order hasn't been started - not a great 1st impression - still haven't received food order and it's been an hour total time I will add- went at lunchtime- woefully understaffed - place was full. Hoping the quality worth the wait

Vanessa N. was so sweet greated us with a smile and a wonderful personality.. She was so calm and professional easy to talk to. My wife and I enjoyed Vanessa recommendation. Definitely will be coming back again. We enjoy the food. Great portions, very clean kitchen and bathroom Music and Air-condition set perfect. Not to loud actually carry a conversation at your table and still able to hear your spouse or friends. Vanessa really add a special part to this great restaurant. Prices are very reasonable $ Ask for Vanessa N if you want amazing service. Thank you for making are first visit amazing.

Very bland food...chicken kung pao was bland...Panda has more kick!! Orange chicken mediocre at best! They forgot our dumplings...and if we wanted to drive all the way back... And for the cost? Not worth it!!! Save a bunch of money & got to Panda Express!! Or anywhere else!!

I love this spot!! Such a great semi-casual, clean, modern chain restaurant to catch up with friends and family. Delicious American Chinese food with huge portions. You order ever thing via a QR code and pay at the end. Every item has a picture next to it so family members aren't spending 100000 hrs choosing their dish. My favorite items: * orange chicken * beef noodle soup * Taiwanese beef noodle wrap * the broccoli is surprisingly delicious. Bright crisp tender broccoli with a light savory stir fry translucent gravy sauce

I've tried the Northern Cafe in Gardena as well as Rancho Palos Verdes but it's this new location at El Segundo that really impressed me food wised I got to check out Northern Cafe El Segundo during a lunch out with a friend. We ordered the Cucumber Salad ($6.50), Beef Roll ($12.50), Pork Soup Dumplings ($13.50), House Special Beef Noodle Soup ($15) and Chicken Noodle Soup ($14). Wow each dish we got was so delicious! We started off with the Cucumber Salad. It was light and refreshing with a perfect sweet taste. Up next was the Beef Roll. This was the one that really impressed me. The Beef Roll was huge! It was like a gigantic burrito filled with tender beef. It also had a slight sweet flavor and I really loved the thin slices of aromatic braised beef. The Pork Soup Dumplings were another favorite. It had the perfect amount of heartwarming soup in each bite. I also loved the soft thin outer layer of the dumpling. For the soups that we got; I enjoyed the House Special Beef Noodle Soup the best. It had a little bit of a spicy kick to it. I also liked the Chicken Noodle Soup thought I felt it was a bit mild in terms of flavor. As I mentioned I've been to other Northern Cafes before but this is the first location where I really felt the flavors were on point! I really enjoyed this first visit here and I am looking forward to being back.

I was sat and waited for over 25 mins for someone to take my order and no one came. It was ridiculous. They didn't ask for my drink order. Definitely one of my worst dining experiences.

We come here for work lunches sometimes and the food is great and service is fast! Some of my favorites are the crispy chicken, the Dan Dan noodles and the soup dumplings.

Came because I was craving a beef roll and didn't wanna travel to my usual spot! Beef roll was really disappointing! Initially I was excited because it Looked huge and tasty! Took a bite and discovered that it was mostly green onions and cilantro- it contained very minimal slivers of highly gelatinous beef! Service was also very flighty- I had to ask a few times for the check and had to walk to the front to pay it.

Favorite restaurant. I've been to probably 50+ different milk tea places and Theirs are the best. This place is my familys and is favorite restaurant in La

We got s table right away. Check. Server came over immediately. Check. Server was extremely friendly. Check. Simple ordering on your phone with a QR code. Check. Food came pretty fast. Check check. Dishes were all served hot. Check. Everything was over the top delish. Check. Check. Check. We had : - Pork Soup Dumplings (forgot to snap a pic) - Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles (the star of the show) - Eggplant with Garlic - Beef Noodle Soup - Orange Chicken - Chicken Wings Portions are very generous so we had enough to take home for another meal (or two)! This place is now in my Yelp Collection of favorite places! I've told everyone about it and will be back - very soon

Savory!!! Every dish was a party! Exploding flavors. Very well balanced of salty, sweet and sour. Service was great!

I went to Northern Cafe just after it opened. They had just gotten through a lunch rush and hadn't had a chance to clear all the tables. My first impression: there was a large sheen of orange grease on the bottom of almost every empty plate. So I ordered some dumplings which I reasoned (correctly) wouldn't be so oily. Very tasty! Months later, we ordered some delivery. The food was very good across the board--four-star quality. However, virtually every dish had thick orange grease in it! Simply not appetizing in any way, shape, or form. Someone may tell me that authentic Szechwan is greasy. Perhaps, but that doesn't make it pleasant to eat. There are several other similar places I've been to that don't have this problem. If they can reduce the amount of that nasty oil, I would happily go back. (Side note: They put peanut sauce in the Dan Dan noodles. Never had Dan Dan noodles prepared that way. I might have been almost pleasant...Except for the puddle of orange grease at the end!)

We come to this place at least once a month. Be careful it gets crowded at lunch time. The food is always fresh and tasty. I haven't had one thing that I didn't like. The ambiance is fine nothing special but who cares with food as tasty as it is. I recommend

Food was better than the average Chinese food you can get on the west site. I really wanted to like it since it is so hard to find authentic Chinese food in this area, but it fell a bit short. The filling for the dumplings and buns were not as flavorful as I am used to and the dough was just alright. I will say one bonus is that the portions are massive!

Honestly, it's one of the best Northern Cafe I've been to. It's CLEAN and tidy and the food was good. This is my go-to when I'm craving soup dumplings and beef rolls. They also have single serving hot pots like boiling point. Service has always been good, and the staffs are courteous even though they are busy running around like crazy. Located in the shopping center next to Whole Foods. Parking may be difficult as it's in a small lot but always can park in that Whole foods lot and walk over.