Lyla D.
Yelp
A rare find of Taiwanese/Chinese dim sum outside of the San Gabriel Valley that delighted our palates during our stay in Los Angeles. We were driving along Beverly Boulevard when we noticed this cafe one day and after a quick check in Yelp, we returned for a light dinner. This location is one of 3 Northern Cafés found in Los Angeles.
From previous reviews, I noted that this cafe has its own private parking lot. From Beverly Blvd, we made a quick turn on to North Alfred Street and found a parking space in their private lot. Yay! No worries about having to be aware of parking by permit only, valet or carrying coins to insert into those street meters.
We entered and wondered if we needed to place our order at the counter then find a seat but, we were greeted and guided to a booth. The young woman who seated us, brought us menus and water. We asked about ordering beer that we saw on their menu board but were told that the alcoholic beverages were unavailable due to licensing issues. With hope, they'll have their license will be re-instated.
Our server explained the menu to us and even showed us the selection of cold appetizers in their deli case. We made the decision to get 3 items for $8.50. The appetizers that we chose were the spicy lotus root, spicy cucumber and wood ear mushrooms. Each appetizer had a different level of spiciness, texture (crunchiness) and flavor.
We were most interested in their hand crafted dumplings which the menu indicated the choices of either boiled or pan fried. The menu also featured noodles, fried rice, small plates and entrées.
FOOD:
-Fish & Chive Dumplings (10), Boiled: I insisted upon ordering these dumplings to "test" the delicate flavors of fish and chives even though my carnivore relatives seemed indifferent towards it. The fish and chive combination is a traditional Chinese flavor reminiscent of the classic steamed fish dish. Well, they were all pleasantly surprised and pleased with the flavor and texture of this dumpling. $8.50
-Lamb Dumplings (10), Pan fried: Plump with chopped lamb, not ground, and flavored with ginger, Szechuan peppers (?), white pepper, soy sauce, Chinese wine and I think sesame seed oil, these dumplings were golden browned and lightly crisped on their bottoms and steamed up to its seams. There wasn't the typical gaminess so I'm going to assume that it was fresh lamb not mutton. The chopped texture of the filling was a great mouthfeel.
$9.00
-House Special Cumin Lamb: Thinly sliced, almost shaved, lamb was sautéed with cumin, onion, cilantro and chilies. This dish begged for a cold beer complement but cups of hot tea just had to do. My taste buds aren't as "tough" as my husband's or BIL's so I just took small tastes. This dish was nicely balanced with cumin and chilies. $12.50
-Shanghai Noodles: Generously portioned to share, these thicker noodles (almost like Japanese udon) were flavored with shredded chicken, cabbage and bean sprouts. It was sauced with Northern Café's housemade Lao Gan Ma sauce, which contains chilis, black beans and peanuts. So, if you're allergic to peanuts, please be aware. These stir-fried noodles were tasty and had good contrasting textures. $8.50
-Peking Meat Pie: Pan fried, flaky and crisp with juicy flavorful pork filling. This pie was reminiscent of the Taiwanese beef roll or scallion cake. Very enjoyable with its textural contrasts. 5pcs/$6.75
-Chonqquing Crispy Chicken: Crispy boneless fried chicken pieces were tumbled in a light sauce of jalapeño peppers, chili pepper powder and onions. After trying a few pieces, my mouth was feeling the burn so I stopped but will admit that this chicken was flavorful. My BIL and husband both chowed down on this spicy and well-flavored dish. It was impressive that the fried dish wasn't greasy or oily. $10.25
Our first visit here was successful although they lost their alcohol license and are in the midst of renewal. This is our second visit to this location of Northern Café but they still haven't gotten their license. They have other branches about Los Angeles which we may try soon as those others have liquor licenses.