Northern Cafe
Chinese restaurant · University Park
2904 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Highlights
Authentic Chinese comfort food, known for dumplings, noodles, and crispy chicken.
Authentic Chinese comfort food, known for dumplings, noodles, and crispy chicken.
"While the San Gabriel Valley is still undoubtedly the best destination for Chinese food in Los Angeles, Northern Cafe presents a compelling option for familiar dishes like orange chicken and scallion pancakes in Hollywood and Downtown LA. With ample portions, it’s easy to feed a group of friends or a family without breaking the bank here. For something with a little more kick, try the Chongqing crispy chicken, and make sure to round out orders with dumplings, beef roll pancakes, and Lao Gan Ma noodles. Order pick-up or delivery on DoorDash." - Rebecca Roland
"Seen as a reliable takeout standby, this spot provided orange chicken and Lao Gan Ma noodles that paired perfectly with a DIY dumpling assembly during Lunar New Year; ordering from here relieved the pressure of cooking an entire holiday meal, gave the author more time to enjoy the celebration, and left a fridge full of leftovers the next day." - Rebecca Roland
"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
"Northern Cafe is a San Gabriel Valley original, and though it has a few locations across LA now, this order-at-the-counter Beverly Hills spot still has some of the best noodles and dumplings in the area. Finding parking on Beverly/La Cienega is a bit intense, but if you head into the neighborhood north of Beverly Blvd., the parking gods should be on your side. Everything on the menu is under $10, and we recommend the dan dan noodles and the beef roll." - brant cox
"You felt it coming on yesterday and it’s here. Sore throat, stuffed up nose, chest congestion - time for a sick day. But after one Law & Order episode turned into five, you’re all of sudden starved and nothing is open. Except Northern Cafe. The tiny Westwood spot is open all day and cooking up some of the better Chinese food west of the SGV. Think dumplings, Dan Dan noodles, and plenty of hot soup. Time to cure the soul." - brant cox
