We have been to Northern Cafe many times over the years, although we hadn't visited for a while recently. It is conveniently located near UCI, making it a popular spot for students. The ordering process is simple. Just find an empty table and sit down, browse the menu, and when you're ready, walk up to the front counter to place your order and pay. After that, the staff will bring the food to your table. If you need extra plates, water, or other basic items, it's mostly self-service. Just grab what you need yourself. The setup is straightforward and efficient, which is probably one reason so many students like coming here. It's a great place for a quick meal with friends or family near the UCI area. read more

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Lots of parking available at UTC area, especially since it's located on the backside over by In-N-Out. The restaurant is pretty big and clean. There are a couple of areas where you can get free water in cups. They often have daily specials if you're interested, especially the cold foods. Service was friendly and efficient. We ordered our food at the counter and the food came out relatively fast. We ate so many good foods: XLB, eggplant with garlic, mapo tofu, and zha jiang noodles. I don't know which one was my favorite because they were all very good and the portions were AMAAAZING. We had so much food leftover to eat the next day for me and my friend. read more

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Northern Cafe has been one of our go to favorites. I'm not sure what happened but the batter for their chicken wings has definitely changed. They used to be crispy and just perfect. They changed the batter so you get this thick paste and batter now. I hate it, it's actually disgusting. They also changed the type of noodle they use in their stir fry noodles. It's much thicker now. Why are you making all these changes? read more

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NORTHERN CAFE @ UNIVERSITY CENTER The food was so yummy and it was so convenient to get, love that there was plenty of spots to sit too! The food came out in about 5 minutes and everything was pretty good. Overall 5/5 would get again read more

Northern Cafe - Food - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

The Xiao Long Bao was good, and my daughter absolutely loved it. The spicy fried chicken was definitely the best dish we had--crispy, flavorful, and probably my favorite thing on the menu. The beef pancake is also worth mentioning. They make a small hole in the pancake so the juices can drain instead of staying trapped inside, which makes it easier to eat. The hot pot was okay, although some of the broth had a slightly unusual spice taste. The cold dishes were not bad, but be warned--the spicy ones are really spicy! Unfortunately, the service was terrible, and the wait can be very long during dinner hours. The noodle soups were also way, way, way too salty for our taste. Pricing is not bad--pretty average for Irvine. Overall, there are definitely some good dishes here, especially the Xiao Long Bao and spicy fried chicken, but the service, long wait, and overly salty noodle soups were disappointing. read more

It is really hard to find good Chinese food, in my opinion. This place is consistently amazing. Its SO good. Very fresh, and quick service. You order at the counter and they bring your food to your table. The cucumber salad is THE BEST I have ever had and the garlic sticks with you the rest of the day and I am so here for it. They have good eggrolls too! Parking can be challenging as its in a huge shopping center with a ton of places and near a University but its so worth it. They fill up quickly as soon as they open. read more

Went here for lunch, and it could get packed during lunch time but the service is fast. We ordered Dandan Noodles, egg plant with garlic sauce, yangzhou fried rice, sweet and sour ribs and pork and shrimp dumplings. Dandan noodles is okay, nothing special. Egg plant with garlic sauce is too greasy probably because of they fry the eggplants first. Yangzhou fried rice is okay, lots of shrimp. Sweet and sour ribs is too sweet for me and too saucy that it feels overwhelming already and lastly the pork and shrimp dumplings is just okay, you need to put their dumpling sauce to make it taste better. They do have outdoor seating and we have our dog with us and the tables are clean despite being in a busy street. Overall, the food is just okay, service is fast and place is clean. read more

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If you're looking for authentic chinese food this is it. You order at the front and the food comes out very quickly. Its also one of the few places I know have single serving hot pots. Their golden soup hot pot is very good (if you can handle the spice) read more

I was craving Chinese and since I'm super indecisive, I "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo'd" it and landed on Northern Cafe. The reviews were good, but these days I don't solely bank on them. IYKYK. ;) Ordered the orange chicken, Lao Gan Ma fried noodles, and the beef roll. The orange chicken was really good, but I fell in love with the beef roll. The bread was flaky, the beef was incredibly tender, and it was packed with flavor. I'd order that every single time. The noodles were good, just not my favorite of the three dishes. That's not a knock on them. The other two were just that much better. Folks, this was takeout! I figured it wouldn't be nearly as good at home as it would be fresh at the restaurant. Wrong!. By the time we got home, everything still tasted fresh and tasted *chef's kiss*. AND the leftovers were just as good the next day. The orange chicken crisped right back up in the air fryer, the noodles reheated well on the stovetop, and nothing tasted like it had spent the night in the fridge. I'll definitely be dining in next time. Northern Cafe: 10/10! read more

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We love Northern Cafe! We always order the chicken fried rice, scallion pancakes, and spicy chicken wontons. The food is delicious, the portions are generous, and the prices are great. The staff is always nice and friendly too. It's one of our favorite places to enjoy lunch! read more

We visited Northern Cafe near UC Irvine with a party of four and had a solid lunch experience overall. Ordering was straightforward, food came out quickly, and it was easy to share dishes family-style. What we ordered: * Cumin Lamb - Great Very tasty with bold cumin flavor and absolutely no lamb smell. One of the standout dishes. * Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Great Well-cooked, rich, and flavorful. The sauce paired perfectly with the tender eggplant. * Sautéed Green Beans - Great Nicely blistered, savory, and addictive. Simple but done right. * Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs - OK Flavor was fine, but the meat leaned a bit chewy compared to the other dishes. * Popcorn Chicken - Great Juicy and tender on the inside with a crispy exterior. Easy crowd favorite. * Hot & Sour Soup - OK Comforting and warming, though nothing particularly memorable. * Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce - OK Decent with good heat, but not a standout compared to similar versions elsewhere. * Cold Dish (3 Veg Items) - OK Refreshing and light, a good balance to the heavier dishes. * Rice Standard and served hot--does its job. Overall: This was a solid 4-star experience. Portions are generous, prices and value are great for the area, and the food quality is solid with a few standout dishes. Conveniently located near UC Irvine on Campus Drive, Northern Cafe is a reliable spot for casual Chinese comfort food, especially when dining with a group. read more

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Northern Cafe is located at the University Town Center and serves up casual Chinese fare. Ordering is done at the front and then food is delievered to your table. I came with a group of co-workers and we decided to share some items. Chicken wontons - $12 - These were probably my favorite item here. The dumplings had good flavor and quite a bit of chicken. Scallion pancake ($8) - I've had much better elsewhere, and it wasn't as crispy and flaky as most other places. Beef roll ($13) - The beef rolls are wrapped in the same scallion pancakes so that part was disappointing and there was nothing special about the beef in the roll. Fried beef skewers ($6.50) - These skewers were so flavorful with a strong cumin flavor and I would recommend getting these if I revisited. Steamed custard buns ($6) - The buns were a little hard and didn't have as much custard as I had hoped for. Sesame balls ($6) - The sesame balls were a little doughy and had red bean paste. There weren't bad. Chinese herbal tea ($3.50) - Unfortunately this herbal team was served in a can and was extremely sweet. I didn't expect that and would pass on this altogether. Overall the food was just ok. Nothing really stood out and there were some disappointing dishes. There is plenty of seating as well as patio seating. read more

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So this place is kind of confusing. Self serve order at the cashier but you still pay for a tip there's another machine where to go people order. But I was pointed to the to go machine and ordered from wrong spot. If you dine in, you're supposed to order at the cashier. Get own water and leftover box etc So we came at 6 pm on of Sunday night and the wait time was about 10 minutes. Staff will yell your name. They won't text u. I realize this place is really busy compared to all the casual dining restaurants in the same plaza. So most people wait five minutes and they leave so even though we're in the fourth spot, we actually got in. Unless you're a big party of five or six, then you'll have to wait longer. So the confusion is in the beginning part. I wouldn't recommend to elderly Asian crowd because I know my mom would definitely be confused. After you get settled in, they will bring you what you ordered. There isn't any server to your table so if you're getting water, you have to get it by yourself if you need an extra bowl, you have to wait till the staff comes to deliver your food and use that time to tell them what you need. This place is really self-serving. The staff only comes to deliver your food and clean up your table. But we still tipped. Food was good. Soup dumplings hit the spot. Black vinegar was essential and available Come here when you need really good food and quick bite This is not recommended for a date night or business network setting I think we would come by if we're in the area. But considering that we're paying tip, I think we would go to the other location when they are full service. read more

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A fully satisfied food coma after Northern Cafe Food: The golden soup beef is undoubtedly coziness in a bowl after a long work day. The spiciness from the chopped raw chilies and bok choy adds the extra heartiness to each bite of noodle and sliced beef. It's in limbo with Dan Dan noodles especially pork over beef kinda spicy noodle soup day. Next, their orange chicken is delicious (!!!) and the epitome of American Chinese palate but hey it's only a right of passage haha we get it every time as a group and for takeout! Let's talk fiber with veggies now: Sautéed garlic Bok choy and green beans. Need another carb with protein then add in some chicken fried rice. Finally the noodles, I prefer the fried noodle with chicken over the Lao Gan Ma fried noodle with chicken which was more greasy, too much sauce and had less whole fresh veggies. The egg rolls were subpar. Service: They are so FAST for in service and take out ordering. It's a continuous flow of customers and cleaning. Over the past years, always had positive experiences and consistent take out orders replicating sit down quality food. Ambiance: Spacious for many different parties so social groups or even individual self time! I appreciate the dimmer lighting for evening and outside patio for more privacy. Overall: will be back many MORE times with my family, friends and colleagues! read more

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Food is great. It hits the spot for classic Northern Chinese food (dumplings, XLB, beef rolls/green onion pancakes, and my favorite rice cake) Price is reasonable ($13-$16 for most dishes). You order via an app so no waiting for a waiter. It was hard to get their attention for water/napkins though. The biggest frustration eating here is the mini fruit flies in the restaurant. I've eaten here a number of times, and always notice 1 or so fruit flies at the table! read more

Northern Cafe - Beef Roll - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Szechuan Mala Pot is my go-to here, especially on cold days. I like that it's served in a boiling pot, nice and hot, and with lots of toppings. Generous portions of beef, way more than what Boiling Point would give you. I do wish it weren't so salty. I find myself pouring some cold water into it to lessen the saltiness. Also wish they had dipping sauces for the meats and veggies. But other than that, it's pretty delicious. I also like the pig ear. It's sliced real thin and spicy. A perfect side dish to the hot pot. This is a casual dining environment. You order at the counter and they bring it out to you. Easy peasy. read more

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Our night out in Irvine landed us here for dinner, the very first lot we pulled into after leaving the Barclay Theater. And that was originally to find better WiFi reception. But why dillydally around? Northern Cafe seemed just right for dinner. A very busy Sunday night and with a mostly Asian clientele at an Asian eatery, always a great barometer for me. Apparently also quite popular with students from the nearby UC campus. But we were immediately seated after stepping inside. This is an order at the counter establishment, then take your number back to your table, they will bring to you when ready. So we looked over our menus first, the print a bit small, then settled on the Big Big Chicken Plate With Noodles and the Lamb Hot Pot. I guess I just assumed that the order of lamb would be simply that. But my bad, several items included in this dish were things we never eat; crab, shrimp, pork. So on its arrival, the Mrs noticed what I mistakenly had overlooked. I did however, manage to salvage most of the lamb and several quail eggs (a first time trying them for me). The chicken dish we thought was just okay, even less so as a leftover. My wife was totally dissatisfied. But the steamed rice was rather well cooked and we both enjoyed the Thai iced tea. Northern Cafe has locations throughout Southern California. We would return but with totally different menu options chosen next time. Somewhat neutral service but they keep things moving along like a production line. read more

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It was a late weekend afternoon and I was closer to this location near UC Irvine. We normally eat at the restaurant on Alton Parkway. I ordered takeout online and it was ready when I arrived. There's plenty of parking available. Inside, they had a handful of customers dining in and plenty of table tables still available The highlight for me at this location were the cold side meat dishes. They tasted so much better than the side dishes at the other location. I am going to order the side dishes from here from now on. The other regular dishes we got were just as good. I'll try dining in next time at this location. read more

We visited Northern Cafe in Irvine last weekend during lunch, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish! Ordering was super easy--we ordered at the cashier and picked any table we wanted. In just about 5 minutes, every dish arrived at our table, which was impressively fast. The Cumin Lamb ($17.99) was very flavorful and one of our favorites. The Eggplant with Garlic Sauce ($14.99) was delicious and perfectly cooked, and the Sautéed Green Beans ($15.99) were very satisfying. The Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs ($16.99) were decent, though the meat was a little chewy. The real standouts were the Popcorn Chicken ($9.99)--crispy on the outside, tender on the inside--and the Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce ($11.99), which were absolutely amazing! The Hot & Sour Soup ($11.99) was comforting and full of flavor. They also have a nice selection of cold dishes you can pick right at the cashier station. Overall, the food was delicious, the prices were very reasonable, and the service was fast and efficient. We loved the smooth dining experience and will definitely be back to try more dishes--especially their noodles next time! read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Parking is super easy since it's in Irvine's UTC plaza. You order and pay at the counter -- food comes out fairly fast. 7/10 Spicy Beef Pot ($17). I prefer Boiling Point since they have more variety and I like what they put inside their hotpots more. Wasn't a really big fan of sausages inside. The broth wasn't bland and had some flavor, so I would say it's worth a try. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I hadn't been here in quite some time but was craving Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. I ended up ordering take out on their website which was super easy to use. It says expect 20 minutes but when I arrived in 10 minutes, it was already ready which was nice. The staff wasn't personable and didn't really greet me unfortunately. They just asked for my ordered number and handed me the bag. As for the food itself, this hit the spot! I loved that it came in a quality Tupperware that wouldn't leak or get soggy. The way the lid was set up allowed for the noodles and bok choy to stay untouched from the broth which was great! read more

Northern Cafe - Spicy House Special Beef Noodle Soup - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Service: typical small Chinese restaurant style. You put your name in the electronic tablet. You get seated and you can order using a QR code. Embiance: feels new, clean and nice. Food: The braised beef rib soup: the noodles were really salty. The broth had too much cinnamon or star anise. Taste was not balanced. I've had better at Din tai fung and A and J's. Beef rolls: good. The scallion pancakes weren't greasy. Very generous with the cilantro and onions just fyi. The beef slices were extra thin. Bok choy was perfect Soup dumplings were good. The dough part wasn't too thick except at the top where it's bunched up. Also had the chicken cartilage skewers from their grill menu. They were a bit over grilled. A little crunchy snd too much spices shaken on them. Overall not bad for the food here. The servers were nice and the bathrooms and floors were clean so that was good. I would eat here again but I'll try one of their hot pot meals. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

i haven't been here in years but this place still hits !! you order at the register or kiosk and grab a number and they bring out your food to wherever you're sitting i ordered orange chicken, spicy beef hot pot, chicken fried rice, dan dan noodles, stir fried bok choy w garlic, and the juicy pork xlb the orange chicken was FIRE Spicy beef hotpot was absolutely amazing, i loved the broth and the quality of beef was sooo good chicken fried rice was dank dandan noodles were okay, not my favorite stir fried bok choy w garlic was DANK juicy pork xlb was good, the xlb skin is slightly on the thicker side everything was amazing! server was helpful when we had questions it's self serve water & you can grab plates, napkins and to go containers yourself too great spot for small or big group dining, highly reccomend! read more

Northern Cafe - Sauteed Bok Choy w.Garlic - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Northern Cafe is a solid, middle-of-the-road spot that gets the job done. I ordered the soup dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, wontons with chili, orange chicken, and sesame balls for dessert. Everything was decent across the board, nothing that really stood out, but nothing that disappointed either. It's the kind of place you can rely on when you're craving something quick and satisfying without overthinking it. Not exceptional, but consistent enough to come back to. 4 stars. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Don't underestimate this spot! I went in with low expectations and came out pleasantly surprised. We love coming here before or after seeing a movie! The mapo tofu is an INSANELY GOOD dish. One of those dishes you think about from time to time and miss it. The tofu is soft and soaks up that delicious spicy pork sauce. They have killer green beans that are cooked perfectly - still have a good snap but a little wilty on the outside and loads of garlic the way it should be. read more

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The Juicy Pork Dumplings, Bean Curd Salad, Chicken in Spicy Chili Sauce, and Lotus Root were great. Ordering at the counter was quick and efficient. The two self-service water with lemon stations made it easy to grab a refill. read more

Northern Cafe - Juicy Pork Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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As a Chinese restaurant next to UCI, I can only give this place two stars. Two stars means it's edible, but it's not what anyone who actually understands Chinese food would expect--especially for dishes like braised beef noodle soup, roujiamo, and hot-and-sour soup. I've been here many times and have ordered big plate chicken, braised chicken, fatty beef hot pot in golden broth, dry-fried beef chow fun, roujiamo, hot-and-sour soup, chicken noodle soup, char siu bao, and more. The braised chicken comes in a large portion and is filling, and the big plate chicken is decent too. But the braised beef noodle soup I tried had an overwhelmingly strong soy sauce flavor. Seriously, who taught you to make beef noodle soup like that? The char siu bao is honestly fine, but it tastes like a premade frozen product from Costco or 99 Ranch. And since there are plenty of Chinese staff here, I really have to ask again: who is making the beef noodle soup like this? The chicken noodle soup is also very greasy. It's drinkable, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it. I've only come here a handful of times this quarter, and with food like this, a place like this is very easy to stop coming back to. 这作为uci旁边的中餐馆。我只能给到两颗星。即代表能吃，但非正常人类对中餐的理解（对于部分菜品 尤其是红烧牛肉面；肉夹馍；酸辣汤） 来过这家店很多次。点过大盘鸡，黄焖鸡，金汤肥牛锅，干炒牛河，肉夹馍，酸辣汤，鸡肉面，叉烧包等。 黄焖鸡量大管饱，大盘鸡也不错。我尝试过的红烧牛肉面酱油味非常重，谁教你们这么做牛肉面的？ 叉烧包这种直接Costco或者大华买的预制菜味道确实还不错。但我看你们店员也有很多中国人，谁特么教你们这么做牛肉面的？鸡汤面也很腻 能喝但肯定不推荐。 这个quarter去这家店的次数屈指可数，这种店的出品极其容易被淘汰。 read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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I've always had good experiences here during lunch--timely service and food comes out quickly. However, dinner service is a different story. It's much busier, and unfortunately, the some of the staff seems to purposely ignore customers, which makes for an unpleasant experience. Even the white rice came out undercooked, which is disappointing. Until operations get sorted out, I recommend coming here for lunch when it's less crowded. Overall: 1.5/10 read more

Came here b/c we were craving dumplings and didn't want to wait the 2-3 hours for DTF. Def not as good as DTF, but still pretty good. No wait and it's self-service. Also, not many non-pork dumpling options just FYI. The crispy chicken had flavor, but was missing a sauce. They said they have no mayo or any kind of sauce... The shrimp wontons in spicy sauce were the best item we had. But I did feel like the dumpling wrapper itself might have been overcooked. My friend had the BBQ pork buns and the pork soup dumplings and she said both were good and would order them again. read more

Came here after seeing this spot recommended in a video. First impression was that we were not greeted at the entrance but every guest after us was, it felt a little unwelcoming. I didn't dwell on that, and still gave the food a shot. The food was alright, it's decently priced, but it upset my stomach really badly. I wasn't sure if it was the old condiments that they had out or the food itself. Please note that the place had just opened but it felt like the tables hadn't been fully cleaned and the condiments not replaced from the day before. Would love to see this place improve to come back and give it another shot. read more

Northern Cafe - Fried Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Review based on our pick up/to-go experience. The food at this location is just okay, especially compared to other Northen Café that we've been to. Located at UTC near the back. Parking can be easy or difficult on time of day. The place is a bit dark, but kept clean. Food was ready on time and ready when we came and picked it up. Staff kind of just waits until you approach them rather than trying to be welcoming. It was a slow period too around 3PM. Can't say how the service would be if we ate there. Some foods were better than others Chongqing Crispy chicken was delicious. Good spice, and stay crispy through the drive home and was even great the next day. I'd get this dish again when I'm in the mood for that mala spicy flavor. Sautéed Bok Choi with garlic was fine for what it was. Nothing special, but a solid vegetable dish. The Zha Jiang Noodles were the most disappointing. The cucumbers really should've been put in a separate container for a to-go order, When it's packaged with the noodles and meat, it just looks sad. The meat wasn't well minced, I'll get lumps of meat even after mixing. Some of my problems with this dish is that the meat was basically a salt bomb. Almost impossible to eat, especially when you're getting huge lumps of overly salted meat. The dish itself has a very strong ginger flavor. It's not well balanced so you feel like you're eating Salty Ginger noodles some cucumber. Overall, this Northern Café is just okay. Some good and passable dishes, but a poorly executed dish soured our opinion of the place read more

The Beef Roll is excellent and has enough sauce inside. Normally I expect Hoisin sauce, but the staff told me they use Oyster sauce for this. It's delicious! read more

Northern Cafe - The Beef Roll is excellent and has enough sauce inside - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Awful! All of the different dishes we recieved (a take out order) were brown. Couldn't tell the orange chicken (brown), from the brown fried rice, to the brown sweet n sour pork. All brown. Like soy sauce covered everything. Immediately had a reaction to all the msg and felt sick. . It was EXPENSIVE and the food was horrible. So disappointed. read more

The staff was really friendly and welcoming! Unfortunately, the chicken dumplings weren't very good. The chicken had a strange chewy texture, didn't end up eating any of it. :/ read more

I really love this place. Food comes out fast and piping hot. Our last dine-in experience we got a beef roll, a scallion pancake, crispy chicken, and several other dishes I've forgotten. And last night we got to take out order of popcorn chicken, pan fried dumplings, orange chicken, soy fried rice, and a terrific pancake with pork. read more

Been here twice and live the popcorn chicken lol. Tried the golden beef noodle soup, beef rolls, and cold noodles. Love that the cold noodles are chewy and seem handmade. We usually order and find a table. Food comes out fast and fresh. Would definitely come back as they have a lot to choose from - dumplings, soups, rice dishes and they also have a quick service food area to go. A great option for meals on the go. read more

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We normally go to the other Northern Cafe location on Westpark, but recently we decided to dine in on their university campus location. We came here when school was on a break, so there were actually a lot of families rather than students eating here. We had 5 people in our party so we ordered a variety of dishes, some to share and some individual. I feel like their fried rice and noodle dishes are pretty greasy, which is my only complaint. But other than that, I liked their food. My favorite is their soup dumplings - so good! read more

Northern cafe is a tiny chain in the OC. They have I believe to be 2 locations. This location is near UCI and has a more relaxed feel to it. There are water stations and to go boxes at your convenience. You order upfront and they bring it to your table. You pay before you eat. It's more casual than their other location but both a respectfully good in their own ways. Why go to din tai fung for tiny portions and higher prices when you can go here?!?! It's a no brainer for me. read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Solid Northern Chinese fare here- noodles, dumplings, even small hotpots a' la Boiling Point. You order at the counter and they bring the dishes to your table. Beef noodle soup - good beef and broth but the noodle is undercooked (firmer than al dente), hot wings and mini sesame balls are both winners -- Get them! read more

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Always in the mood for Shanghainese food & since there was only 2 of us, we ordered 2 dishes. Orders: Shanghai Stir Fry Rice Cake w.Chicken-a perfectly chewy texture that requires some teeth work, it's so worth it. Nice chunks of chicken incorporated with sauce. I also enjoyed all the cabbage that was in almost every bite. Spicy Wonton-surprisingly I was expecting a real spicy heat to it, but it was sweet, so for that, I wasn't as excited about this dish, but the wonton was great. Another wonderful dining experience that keeps me coming back. read more

Northern Cafe - Sweet more than spicy - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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