Northern Cafe

I visited this restaurant again today, but unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience that made me feel like I probably won’t return in the future. We ordered the Lao Gan Ma chicken fried noodles. The chicken tasted very off — not fresh at all and had a very strong unpleasant smell. When we brought it up, the staff explained it was because the chicken had just been defrosted, which was not a great excuse. We ended up asking them to just give us a veggie version instead. We also ordered the Beef Hot Pot #1, but the beef tasted exactly like lamb. I even asked if they gave us the wrong meat. The server tried it, then went to check with the kitchen. They confirmed it was beef, and told us that if we wanted the fatty sliced beef, we should’ve ordered a different item. Overall, the food quality and service were not up to standard this time. It’s a shame because I had a decent impression before, but this visit really changed my mind.

The food was great, so good that we ordered two of the same dish unknowingly. Pretty small spot, but we were able to find a spot without much trouble and were even able to fit some extra baggage on one side. Even though we ordered two of the same dishes, it was still bomb and we nom nommed both plates out of existence.

It's an almost fully self-service spot, which is great, but may not be what some are looking for. They have a number of great dishes and I love the flavor of their dumpling sauce.

If you're looking for a flavor-packed adventure, look no further than Northern Cafe at UCI! I tried their spicy beef hot pot and sour vegetable noodle soup, and let’s just say: my taste buds went on a rollercoaster ride of excitement. The spicy beef hot pot? It’s like a warm hug with a little bit of sass. Tender beef swimming in a bubbling cauldron of spice— it’ll make you break a sweat in the best way possible. It’s fiery enough to make you feel like you’ve earned that second bowl of rice, but not so hot that you regret it immediately (looking at you, other spicy foods). And then there's the sour vegetable noodle soup. It's like the perfect mix of tang and zest that makes you feel like you've just won a flavor jackpot. The noodles were just the right amount of chewy, and the sourness of the broth had that "I can’t stop slurping" effect. Honestly, it felt like a rejuvenating spa day for my soul, except with more noodles and less cucumber water. All in all, Northern Cafe isn’t just a place to eat — it’s a spicy, sour, and soul-satisfying experience. You’ll leave with a smile on your face and a satisfied stomach... and maybe a slight craving for another round of that spicy beef hot pot.

We ordered a lot and everything came fairly quickly. Lau Gan MA noodles were OK. The beef roll, and the cold appetizers (cucumber and mushrooms) were my favorite. The scallion beef was good as was the fried dumplings but the xlb was just OK.

Had the fried noodles, beef noodle soup, and beef wraps. Food was great! Loved it. Great flavor on everything.

One of the best Chinese food places around the uci campus, these shopping plaza is filled with great food but this spot is fast and convenient. Food quality is great and price is extremely affordable even to student. Been eating too much American fast food so this spot is great to change it up. The service is self serve once u finished ordering. Loved the place is spacious and vibe is great. You can either dine in or order to go.

This is a chain store and we are happy with most of the dishes, but I won’t recommend their dumplings at all. We have been to many locations and most of time we don’t order dumplings; the only two times that we ordered dumplings, they were not fully cooked. It is very dangerous to eat raw chicken or pork…