Back in our college days, whenever we craved classic Chinese food, we'd go to Northern Cafe. And honestly... it's still the same now Of course, we had to kick things off with noodles. Then lamb skewers,and square ribs with garlic because we wanted something not too spicy Veggies were definitely needed for our Asian tummy digestion. Can't forget the xiao long bao and dumplings. This is just a classic that never goes wrong. IG: socalhkfoodies read more

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My family has been coming to this spot for a little while already, and I have been able to try a a few different things on their menu. I have liked everything I've tried, but I mainly love coming for their noodle soups! The noodle soups are really yum, very filling, and you can choose what type of noodle you want!! I believe they have knife cut, flat noodle, and a round noodle (?). But I personally really like flat or knife cut for the soups! Most recently I tried the chicken chow mein and it was good! Only thing is we ordered it spicy, and in all honesty it's really not spicy at all! Lol I would have preferred more of a kick, but that's just me maybe! The plates are shareable here which is really nice cause we can always try different things! One main thing I recommend is definitely the beef roll pancake!!! It's so sooo good! One of my fav things on the menu! The inside is clean. Not a super huge place, but I never have felt crammed or uncomfortable. Last time I went the girl helping us was so nice and attentive even when they were really busy! read more

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This place has always satiated my cravings for all things Chinese cuisine: from dumplings to classic Chinese dishes like Orange Chicken--they got me covered! I always start with their beef roll. And love ordering their juicy pork dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, and mapo tofu. Even though their speciality is not dim sum, their juicy pork dumplings are one of the best that I've had. I've only ordered through the delivery apps but I'd love to dine in. They have a cute purple and black awning, which gives a warm and friendly vibe. They are located in the same plaza as the Gen Kbbq and 85 Degrees bakery so parking may be difficult but it's nice to know that there's a lot of foot traffic--signifying that there's great eateries in this plaza! read more

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I finally tried this place out after seeing so many TikTok videos about it! As soon as we stepped inside the service was amazing. This amazing service followed throughout our entire dinner. We were always asked if we were doing ok or need anything. The food was amazing and felt like homemade food, which I always appreciate from any restaurant! Everything had lots of flavor and tasted fresh. I would definitely return to reorder everything plus more. 10/10 would recommended. At the end of our dinner, the waitress let us know about their new rewards program which we appreciated. We will definitely return! read more

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I really like Northern Cafe for their beef rolls!! Compared to other restaurants, they ALWAYS pack the roll with beef. Many other places just put 90% cilantro and 10% beef which is ridiculous lol. The roll is always tasty and they give you sauce on the side. I can't speak for the restaurant experience itself because each time I have just ordered to-go, but the times I've walked in it seemed kind of dead, maybe it was just the times I've went. It looked pretty nice inside though, at least this location did. Maybe I'll sit down at Northern Cafe soon and try it out. read more

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Always wanted to try Northern Cafe but didn't get chance earlier. Recently, a friend in my pickleball group recommended this place so I stopped by for a quick lunch. Service was quick and efficient - I didn't have to wait in spite of dropping in during a busy lunch hour. Started off with Spicy Pork Wonton Dumplings which were very good. Also ordered Kung Pao Shrimp & steamed rice on our server's recommendation and it was awesome. Portions were too much for 1 person but good enough for 2 to share. This was a really good one for a quick lunch and I bet I will be back here a lot many times in future ! read more

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The last time I came here was a few months ago, as this is the closest authentic Chinese food near me. Came here on a Saturday lately and was surprised in a bad way. We ordered my usual braised beef noodle soup , but the soup base has got weaker and bland and there was much less beef cubes. The Dandan noodle was okay, although more peanuts than ground pork. The onion pancake is still tasty. It seems like to be under new chef and old staff? I'll probably not going back. read more

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This place was on point with all their food. My favorites were the beef roll and pan fried dumplings. That beef roll is so tasty and who can resist the crispness of those dumplings. The fried rice was also very good and not greasy at all. And of course the dumplings were soft and flavorful. The restaurant itself is a good size and perfect for small or bigger parties. It's simple but clean, modern, and open. The service was efficient and it was easy to get someone's attention. I highly recommend trying this place. It's definitely going to be on my dumpling rotation. read more

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Good for groups , excellent food and service! We went at 11am on a Wednesday and there was no wait. Our server was fantastic and super personable. Everything was good, but the beef roll, green beans, jasmine tea and sesame balls (in that order!) were my absolute favorite. Parking: shares a lot with lots of other great eateries nearby, so can get very busy during peak hours Ambiance: casual Value: great quality for the price. Friend says sue prefers it over din tai fung!!! read more

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My favorite Taiwanese noodle soup place in the city of Cerritos (maximum room capacity is 43 persons and has a gender neutral restroom available), especially for the A 6 which is the prime beef golden soup with standard round noodles...it is spicy, with the red chilies, but you can adjust the spice level, but I like to have it as is. I also love D.1, the 8 juicy pork dumplings as an appetizer and goes well with the soups, very much a soup dumpling that can be eaten as a side or even as a meal on its own. You can order extra prime beef or regular beef sliced or cubed for an additional price of $6-7, which is more than 4 pieces. Well worth trying this noodle soup if you are feeling under the weather, that spice can also kick those taste buds and make you feel golden with their prime beef golden soup! Enjoy! read more

I can't remember the name of the girl who was working but she was amazing. Amazing service and honestly, made the food + experience even better. I can't believe I've never heard of this place. Everything we got was fresh & pipping hot. I really like the beef rolls here! Tons of parking, tons of seating as well read more

Food is always good. My brother ordered quite a few dishes. The chicken was delicious as well as the other dishes. Service was great. It can get really crowded from what it appears on Sundays. We go to the Rowland Heights location as we live closer to that location, this seems to have different varieties here. Great place! read more

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Yoooooooooooooooo! Whenever I'm not in the mood to deal with the ridiculous waitlist and long lines at Din Tai Fung, this is my go-to spot. It's closer to home, way more affordable, and honestly tastes very similar to what you'd get at DTF anyway--without the headache. Our order is pretty much locked in every time: juicy pork dumplings (Xiao Long Bao), cold cucumber, spicy wontons, dry-fried string beans, and the house special spicy beef noodle soup. The Xiao Long Bao doesn't always have as much soup inside compared to Din Tai Fung, but that happens at a lot of places. They make up for it by serving the dumplings with ginger and sauce on the side--add it to your spoon before biting in and it still hits the spot. The cold cucumber is super refreshing and I feel like they give you a more generous portion here. Spicy wontons are also very comparable--nice kick, great flavor, and always satisfying. As for the spicy beef noodle soup, pro tip: add tendon. I always ask for extra tendon and don't mind paying the difference since it's my favorite--loaded with collagen and makes the soup even richer. Prices are very fair for the quality and portions (hopefully they don't raise them ). Service is consistently friendly, the ambiance is chill and very family-friendly, and overall it's just a reliable spot that never disappoints. Definitely a place I'll keep coming back to again and again. read more

Northern Cafe - Cold cucumber - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

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Ordered many times and have a lot of favorite dishes. Dumplings, green beans, broccoli, fried rice, orange chicken, beef roll... you can't go wrong. The parking lot had me literally in tears on a Friday night. Very crowded with lots of cars circling waiting for spots. Transient folks pushing carts. Huge groups waiting in front of other restaurants, and folks wandering between cars. ROUGH navigating with kiddos. Will try to remeber not to attempt around busy times. read more

This location is better than the one in Gardena what I didn't know some of these locations are corporate owned, and others are franchise. Apparently, this one in Cerritos along with the one in Eldon, though and downtown Los Angeles are all corporate owned, which means the consistency of the food will be the same. The ones that are owned by franchise they have their own twist to them and they could be some differences in the quality and the size and the service. I highly recommend this location. The ambience is terrific. Lots of seating lots of parking. read more

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Really amazing green beans, noodle soup and juicy pork dumplings. I have to agree with other reviewers that this is better than Din Tai Fung because it's easier to get into and tastes just as good. Everything we tried was amazing and the service was quick and helpful. For such a small space and staff they were very on top of things even with the place completely full. It was a little chilly in there that's about my only complaint but I'm sure working there they appreciate the cooler air because it has to be hot running around and covering all those tables. read more

Came here with my mother. Place was absolutely jam packed and we got the last table. It was like mid week 5pm and jumpin in there. I've been to the 2nd street location in Long Beach a bit and it's definitely more spacious at that location, but the food was very consistent across both locations. Table was pretty small but I did kind of over order so my mom could try everything. Service was very attentive. Food came out at slightly inconsistent times, but they had their hands full. Quality of food ingredients was also good. Would love to return to either location, Northern Cafe has it down. I didn't get my servers name but she had short hair and was moving like a pro. read more

Northern Cafe - Table spread - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

Was craving dumplings and noodles and wanted something quick so decided to check this place out for dinner. As soon as we entered the restaurant, my husband and I were seated right away. We ended up ordering pan fried potstickers, spicy shrimp wontons, and dan dan noodles. The pan fried potstickers took about 20 minutes but we got our other dishes to chow down on first. Everything was tasty and superb. Would definitely recommend and comeback! read more

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Pretty solid chinese spot in a busy Cerritos plaza (right next to Gen KBBQ), so parking can be tough on a weekend. Ordered their beef roll, diced chicken with chili, and shrimp chow mein. The chicken was nice and crispy, and the spice definitely gave it tons of flavor. The beef roll had a nice flavor and the pastry itself was flaky. The shrimp chow mein had a thicker sauce which elevated it from other chow meins. Service was also nice and friendly. read more

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Place: Northern Cafe Visit date: October, 2025 Rating: 5/5 What We Ordered: * Dry-Fried String Bean $13.50 -- Well cooked and bursting with flavor, these had a great snappy texture that made them really enjoyable. * Shrimp Fried Rice $12.99 -- A solid, well-executed classic. The rice was cooked nicely and not overly oily, though the flavors were on the lighter side. * Orange Chicken $14.99 -- Possibly my wife's new favorite! The chicken was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and coated in a sauce that leaned slightly more sweet than savory. Not spicy at all, just well balanced and delicious. The Experience: We stopped by for lunch on a Sunday, and as expected, parking in the plaza was a bit of a nightmare. Despite the crowd, we were greeted and seated immediately. The restaurant was clean, and while the seating is a bit close together, it didn't feel overly cramped or uncomfortable. Their menu is surprisingly extensive, so we took a few minutes to look it over before ordering. To our surprise, our food arrived in under 10 minutes! The staff were friendly, attentive, and impressively quick--definitely made for a smooth and enjoyable dining experience. Highs: * Very quick service * Quality cooking, great flavors * Large portions Lows: * Parking (Not their fault) * Somewhat tight seating Final Thoughts: This place came highly recommended by friends, and now I completely understand why. The food was flavorful, the service impressively fast, and the portions more than generous. Even though it was just the two of us, the menu and portion sizes make it perfect for family-style dining or sharing dishes with a group. We'll definitely be coming back soon to explore more of their extensive menu--there's clearly a lot more to enjoy here. read more

Northern Cafe - Dry-Fried String Bean - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

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3 1/2-4 stars Came here tonight as this is my bf's and my go-to place for orange chicken and garlic bok choy. Unfortunately, they were out of the orange chicken so we opted for the Kung Pao chicken since we had it for to-go last time and it was pretty good. I will have to say I was pretty disappointed at how OILY it was. Although the flavor was good it was drenched in oil and sauce that it overpowers. We were going to take the rest home but it was so oily at the bottom of the plate that we just decided to leave it. The bok choy was also over steamed so it was a bit on the soggy side, compared to the usual crisp. It was still good and they have always been consistent for the most part, but tonight felt as if it was a different chef. Definitely keep in mind if you order the kung pao it is heavy on the chili oil. read more

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Tried this place for the first time as I wanted to try their noodles and soup. The food was good and the serving size is really generous. The place was packed since it was a holiday so there's a little bit of wait time. The restaurant is not too big and pretty condensed inside. The booth where I was seated, the leather covers were all torn and cover with electrical tape. I am not impressed with the service that's why I am only giving it 3 stars. read more

Northern Cafe - Beef noodles with Meat and tendon - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

Solid, good green onion pancake! Not mindblowingly good that I repeat noodle wise but I like the more flavorful versions of beef noodle soup. Maybe Szechwan. The beef wrap role was a little crispier on the outside than I'm used to but not a bad thing. The green onion pancake is uncommon to find done the right way, they do it right here! Old review so I'm pretty sure this picture is from this experience... Aug 2024 read more

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Absolutely delicious!! We came in here and were promptly sat with our 4 kiddos (our 4 year old being the oldest) and we had a great experience. Service was good and food was really good also! Ordered their prime beef noodle golden soup and it was really good a bit sweet for my liking, like if it had pineapple juice but still really tasty. Their juicy pork dumplings and wonton in spicy sauce was my favorite even had to order another order of the juicy pork dumplings because our kiddos ate them all and didn't leave us any lol will definitely be back again soon! read more

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Cucumber salad: 5/5; Crunchy, flavorful, and fresh. Spicy beef noodles (knife sliced noodle): 5/5, full of flavor, the beef stew is cooked to perfection and melt/fall apart in your mouth. Loved their knife sliced noodles as I prefer the "chewy" texture and it's very fulfilling. My kid always order the flat noodles and she loved it, too, so it all comes down to personal preference. Three delights dumplings: 5/5; the dumplings are well-made to the right size and filled with fresh ingredients- chives, pork, and shrimps. We ordered the boiled one and enjoyed it very much. Overall, authentic Chinese food and good, friendly and timely services. The space and seats for good for large and small size groups. Highly recommended! read more

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It's Saturday night, our teenage girls were out and my husband and I didn't feel like dining out after a long stroll at the beach and we thought we'd deal with the empty-netness by eating takeout and watch a movie together. So romantic! Lol! And I just got back from a 2-week trip from China. Men! I was homesick already, missing my Chinese family and the authentic Chinese food and I did not want to eat anything but Chinese food since I got back and I had been cooking and eating home prepared meals for the past 2 weeks, so we decided to do Chinese takeout and relax and Northern Cafe was our first choice. We ordered green onion pancakes and black beans sauced string beans ( because my husband is vegetarian); Beijing pork pancakes, and Xian BiangBiang mian. The green onion pancakes: it's dry and we wished it could be more layered to gain more complexity, texture, and flavor. Perhaps won't order it again. The pork Beijing pancakes: this is the first time I was trying it, total disappointment, the skin was thick, and the filling was kind of flat on the favor. Better just stick to the beef pancake roll. The BiangBiang noodles: first time trying it. It's been random that I came upon an article while I was traveling in China about BiangBiang noodles in Xi An, China, which apparently is a famous local must try dish, it's named for the sound when the chef throws the noodle dough hard on the surface. It's supposed to be a simplistic yet flavorful dish that represents the wheat flour dominant Xi An cuisine. Well, I was not impressed, you have to mix the three sauces that were provided to the noodles which otherwise were very plain in flavor. But I appreciate the garnishing green bokchoy, soybean sprouts , and the raw grated garlic; surprisingly my husband liked it and he ate 80% of it! The black beans sauced string beans: the savior! This dish is our all time favorite and it never fails and tasty as ever! Thumbs-up!! $50 for four dishes which is very reasonable because my husband usually pays ~$60 for three Thai takeout dishes. Will definitely return and I believe all the dishes sure will taste better if dine in. read more

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First time here. Everything was good. The spicy wontons star of the show Soup dumplings good. Kung Pao shrimp real good. The beef rolls were good only think I didn't like was the meat was cold inside them. Other than that. I definitely recommend. Service is A1 they are on it. read more

First time visitor Located next to Gen Korean bbq Open parking lot , plenty of spaces but pending time you go, you might be circling around Does not appear to have a waitlist / reservation system it's basically first come first serve one main dining area no outdoor dining Definetly a spot for solo date night family dining, hearty portions reasonable in price and shareable with leftovers indeed! Your provided a menu and paper and on the paper you indicate what you like and the server will confirm the selection made Open kitchen can hear and see all the action but surprisingly the smell of anything is well contained If you need something ask, it's not the type of place where they make their rounds continuously and ask and I appreciate that as part of the charm and experience, friendly overall when came by. Mapo tofu - silky tofu in a chili oil base sauce, tasty and get your taste buds awake 1 bowl of rice can be shareable pending how much can be consumed and they charge per the bowl Garlic baby bok choy tender and not overwhelming in garlic and nice crunch and not soggy Dan Dan noodle with pork and egg and everything in a kitchen sink of flavor, appears to be one of their popular bowls of goodness Fish filet in chili oil sauce - this may have been $20 but worth it for the quality quantity and flavor! Spicy yes! Sweet tart packed with fish and cabbage and bok choy in what I considered spicy for me dish, consume with rice - those bites will warm you up! House beef noodle with 6 slices or lost count of Tender beef served with daikon and there are different noodles to choose from as the server recommended the standard as the best with green onion and clear broth - comfort meal in a bowl! D Juicy soup dumplings with pork? Yes juicy and made well but could of passed on this dish for sure Online orders can be made Take out containers are plastic for soups and box ones for others that is also lined with some type of film (not plastic) so the liquid does not make your box soggy Certainly would return! Very authentic in flavors, fresh, hearty portions, reasonable in price, and wide variety of traditional dishes and spins! read more

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The dumplings are not good. I was in Monterey park a couple days before I ate here & the difference was like night and day. The Dan Dan noodles are edible but nothing worth paying for. The beef rolls were interesting but overly sweet & the meat smelled really old. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

The line here can be a hit or miss. From getting seated immediately to waiting over an hour. The people don't seem very friendly here, but there are some who are and helpful. When you walk in, it's either loud or quiet depending on how many tables are full. The food here is pretty consistent and honestly, in the area, one of my faves. The Szechuan chicken actually has good pieces of chicken whereas some places give scraps. The beef noodle dish we got was spicy but really good! The green beans were delicious! We got a fish dish and it was spicy.... But really good as well! The beef roll is always a must. (If you have leftovers, take home and air fry) We also ordered dumplings in spicy sauce but didn't come out even when we almost done so we cancelled it. Kind of sad that it was taking so long and we didn't my get to eat it... Next time... read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

This is a place that my family and I visit often. It's usually crowded which is typically a good sign. Maybe expect to wait roughly 20-30 minutes. It's a small restaurant but they do Chinese food right. It gives you that Chinese street food kind of vibe. The food, always pretty good. My must gets are the beef rolls and the soup dumplings (not photographed). Again food is always excellent. Service is fast. All around, good experience. read more

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I've been eating a lot of Asian food lately all these years can't believe I missed this place so good highly recommend you trying out everything. I really don't know the names of half of these foods, but it's not your basic Asian spot. They put heart and soul into their food. Thank you Northern Café will be back there soon. read more

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beef pancake: 10/10 amazing taste, texture and flavor! you don't need chili oil for it to taste good. it's more soft on the crunchy side. the inside is very flavorful and filling. juicy pork dumplings: 8/10 so flavorful and the pork tastes delicious. braised beef noodles knife cut: 7/10 mixing chili oil definitely made the noodles, beef and bok choy more marinated and flavorful. without the chili oil, it does taste a bit bland. the noodle texture is a great amount of chewiness. beef is filling and bok choy tastes better with chili oil. overall, came around 3:30 pm and we were seated right away. it was mainly empty. the place is spacious and large with many seating tables. service was quick and friendly. i would definitely come back again to try other items! read more

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My girlfriend and I frequent this place for their affordability and consistency. We always get their beef roll, orange chicken, and fried rice, and switch up between vegetable dishes, and our bill isn't too high considering their portion sizes. Servers are pretty attentive every time we go, but there's usually a lot of people whenever we go, so you have to wait a bit to get seated and sometimes to pay as well. Not too much of a detriment, but definitely something to consider if you were looking for a place to get a quick bite to eat for dinner. read more

If you're in the Cerritos area and craving delicious Chinese food, Northern Cafe is a must-try! The food here is seriously amazing--super flavorful and cooked to perfection. The portions are massive, so it's a great spot for families or anyone who loves a hearty meal. Great atmosphere. We tried a variety of dishes, and every single one hit the mark. The service was also fantastic--friendly and attentive. It's a hidden gem that's now at the top of my list. Highly recommend it! read more

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the food was good and the service was pretty quick, the wait just takes a while! i would recommend read more

Northern Cafe - Prime Beef Noodle Golden Soup 金湯肥牛麵 cold cucumber salad - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

Food is always good. But the service that we received on Monday was horrible. Our server decided to abandon her four tables to go count money. She did not come around to see if we needed anything. We had to go to the counter to ask for refills and one customer yelled out for refills. She went over and handled their glasses without washing her hands to remove whatever germs she came in contact with from the cash that she was handling. When it was time to go, I had to get up to ask for take out containers and to pay. My daughter enjoys their food and for that reason I will go back to this establishment, but I will request a different server and if no one else is available, we will go somewhere else. read more

It has been awhile since I was here last. So when my friends and I planned a dinner here, I was excited. This location is small but clean and spacious enough to accommodate approximately 30-50 people. Staff were nice and prompt. We ordered: 1) Spare ribs and garlic 2) Dried fried string beans 3) Chicken Chow Mien 4) Sautéed Dice Chicken with Chili and Pepper 5) Potstickers 6) Rice Everything we ordered taste spectacular and all of them is a must to try. A bit on the salty side but that's Chinese food to you! I left the place full and satisfied. I will definitely be back. read more

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Still very good option for family style dining. Please come and create your own experience. read more

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TLDR - food was delicious, but service was lacking. Food - 5 stars! We loved everything we ordered. -Juicy Pork Dumplings: True to its name - juicy! Also had good amount of meat and soup! Loved every bite of this. -Dry Fried String Bean: So so SO good! Each bean was flavorful and just seasoned to perfection. Dare I say.. better than Din Tai Fung's? -Beef Noodle Soup: Really enjoyed this one! It satisfied my noodle soup craving and had a generous amount of meat. Service - 2 stars. The service here was quite... strange. It was really slow and inconsistent. We ordered 3 bowls of the Beef Noodle Soup. One bowl came out pretty quickly, but we noticed right away that it had the wrong noodle. No worries, we decided no need to bring it up. After waiting 10-15 minutes.. the other 2 bowls still hadn't come out yet. Everyone else was more than halfway done with their meals. We decided to inquire and the server acted as if nothing was wrong and said it was coming. When she brought it out and handed me my bowl, she looked me in the eyes and said "this isn't the right noodle that you ordered, is that OK?" I honestly was shocked that she asked me this instead of just fixing the order. Very confused about this customer service. Also, our table had ordered a bowl of white rice and it seemed they forgot about it until we asked about it. Overall.. while the food was good, unfortunately, the service left much to be desired. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Cerritos, California

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