Northern Cafe offers various noodle and dumpling dishes from northern regions in China. In the front, you can sort of see inside the kitchen and there's a counter with cold meat and vegetable appetizers. Hot & Sour Prime Beef in Golden Noodle Soup: The noodles aside in a tall giant bowl containing a golden tangy broth. The sliced prime beef is pretty good, but the bowl could have used a bit more. The rice noodles are very slippery and super slurp-able. It also has mustard greens and scallions. Overall, it's slightly tart, but you'll need to use the container of chili crisp to make it spicy. Parking: The mini-mall is vast with many spots. read more

Northern Cafe - Hot & Sour Prime Beef in Golden Noodle Soup - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

I ordered A2, and the bowl of noodles came out within about 10 minutes. I took one sip of the broth and it was amazing! Very flavorful and delicious. However, when I bit into the noodles, they tasted undercooked; they were still hard and extremely chewy. The slices of radish on top were also undercooked, which made them slightly bitter and firm, when they're normally soft. The bowl of noodles is $14.50, and the combo is $18.50 which includes a side of vegetables. I came during lunch, and the place was pretty packed--every seat was taken. They have a lot of tables, so I was surprised to see it that full. Service was great. The staff brought water right away and asked if I preferred it hot or cold. They work quickly and efficiently. The atmosphere is good for small groups. I didn't see many large tables, but they can push tables together for bigger parties. read more

Northern Cafe - A2 - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

House beef noodle soup and beef roll are amazing! Try the beef noodle soup the second time today with my kid and it didn't disappoint. My kid emptied the whole bowl by himself. read more

Stopped by this other Northern Cafe location located in the same plaza as SG Superstore. They're not as busy here as the Garfield Ave location in Monterey Park and their menu is somewhat different. Their cold dish items were really good. Their house special beef noodle soup and sauerkraut prime beef noodle soup were really tasty. Their juicy pork dumplings and beef rolls were really delicious. Cute wall decor. Quick and nice service. Kinda prefer this location over the other one, especially parking wise. read more

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Won a giveaway with a $50 credit and this place did not disappoint. I have another northern cafe around my area too, but the food here is tastier. The beef rolls by far were the best out of what we ordered. I love how much beef they give you, and it wasn't too dry at all! We also got a beef noodle soup, pork buns, and pork dumplings, which all tasted fresher as well. This place seems more unique in that they also have a bar area where you can build your own plate. I've never seen that in a northern cafe too. Also props to the server who was serving the whole restaurant. He was kind and efficient. Would come back again if I'm ever in the area! read more

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Usually get the 3-item cold salad/appetizer side . It's not as good or fresh as other places, but good enough to re-order out of convenience. The seaweed one is really salty. Actually l, I haven't tried too many items from them, but I do like their Lamb Homestyle Chow Mein. I was told their Beef Noodle Soup is good, but I have yet to try it. Service this time is pretty good. Seems like they hired new cashiers since I was last here. Young man was great. The ladies previously were fine/okay. FOOD: Lamb Special Noodle/Chow Mein 4.25/5 Got it "Homestyle", but they gave me chili oil and vinegar. So, get to try all three flavors. All three flavors were good. Second time I went, they got me "Homestyle" only. No extra condiments. It was a little too Al dente on the last visit. 3-item cold salad/appetizer side 4/5 Getting harder and harder to find places that offer selection of (pick your own) cold appetizer dishes. There are two places that I usually get it from are closed. One I dislike the service and experience；therefore, not going back. This place remains one of the more feasible option that's open everyday. Dan Dan Noodle 3.9/5 It's alright. Had better elsewhere. The thing is, it wasn't warm. I feel like they gave me someone else's cuz I was there to pick it up and someone else that ordered the same thing wasn't there yet since there was some back n forth between the cashier and cook/chef. The one thing I do like is they're reliable in the sense that they're open and open late. A lot of business either are permanently closed/change of ownership or close early. read more

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Would I come back? Sure! OVERALL: ‣ Good for family-style & leftovers Here's What I Got: Juicy Pork Dumpling: ‣ [9/10] ‣ Din tai fung dup hehe Pork Potstickers: ‣ [9/10] ‣ Crunchy exterior & juicy filling Pork & Nappa Bun: ‣ [9/10] ‣ Bao cooked perfectly ‣ Inside is simply a dumpling filling, but still tasty Spicy Shrimp Wontons: ‣ [9/10] ‣ Perfect amount of spice Shrimp Fried Rice: ‣ [8/10] ‣ Shrimp cooked well ‣ Good balance of toppings to rice Chicken Stir-Fried Sliced Noodle: ‣ Homestyle ‣ [9/10] ‣ Couldn't stop eating these! ATMOSPHERE: ‣ Good for parties small to medium sized parties PARKING: ‣ FREE parking STAFF: ‣ Nice IG & TikTok: @keilanieats read more

Made my way back here after a few months since it was newly opened and I can say they fixed out a few of the issues they had when I first came. Service was fast and the food was better than my first visit. I tried out these items this time around. Braised Lamb with Sliced Noodles - LOVED this, it was like flat noodles with a heavy gravy with lamb. So good. (5/5) House Special Beef Noodle Soup - This is a fairly clean broth. They came with a TON of noodles, definitely enough to share. Good flavors overall. (4/5) Xiao Long Bao - It's not super juicy but the flavors were good. IMO Mid. (4/5) Pan Fried Pork Bun - Lacked the juice compared to many other places but the flavors were good and it was nicely fried on the bottom. Solid but also mid in comparison to other spots. (4/5) Shrimp Fried Rice - This is a basic fried rice and taste like how you'd expect it to be. It was good. (4/5) Chive Egg Pancakes - Surprisingly loved this. Took 15 minutes to make but worth the wait, its simple but oh so delicious. (5/5) Garlic Broccoli - Simple and good. You need veggies and this is a good add on. Comes with white rice as well. (4.5/5) What I see is that this place serves relatively large noodle portions. Everything is on the good/delicious side and the prices are reasonable. Northern Cafe always hits! read more

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Northern Cafe in San Gabriel has come a long way since its soft opening. What used to feel like a rough draft now feels like the real deal--flavorful, consistent, and finally living up to the Northern Cafe name. Dishes are well-executed with bold, authentic flavors. The beef rolls are crisp and savory, the dumplings are juicy, and the noodle dishes hit that comforting, homemade spot. Service is smoother now too--more attentive and better organized. If you tried it early on and were underwhelmed, it's worth a revisit. They've definitely stepped it up. read more

The chive and egg pancakes were AMAZING. The best I've ever had! I also ordered the cabbage and pork dumplings. Homemade, but the skin is way too thick. They also didn't give any soy sauce or utensils to eat with. read more

On a cold and rainy day, it's a fantastic night to eat hot soup noodles, cold dishes, and other foods. I've tried a lot of Northern Cafes, and this is still one of the best. The only thing I don't like about it is that the portion of the cold dish is reduced, but otherwise it's a nice location to dine and it stays open until 11:00 p.m. read more

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Love the food here. It's located in the same plaza as San Gabriel Superstore so there is plenty of parking. The restaurant is spacious and looks brand new inside. Service is quick and efficient, shout out to Mandy! This is the only location that serves skewers but it is only during dinner service. I loved that the baos had generous amounts of meat inside. Flavors were so good, I think it's way better than DTF! read more

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4.5 stars. Bogo 50% off noodle soup is worth the visit for soft opening. Get anything beef and soup, get a side dish from their cafeteria window. This is my 2nd time here and it tastes better than when they opened last week. I've tried A1, 2, and 4 of their noodle soup menu and I really enjoy their clear broth soup here. Good amount of sliced meat (~9 per bowl). A4 has tendon as well, and it's a bit on the salty side for me but very tender and tasty. A2 is their braised (dark soup) version that's similar to Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The flavors of red braised are there, it's just they add too much soy sauce IMO (or maybe I just don't like their brand of soy), but still better than most places that sell 'braised' beef noodle soups. There's a good amount of beef broth flavor in their house special noodle soup. I's not super salty nor light; it has a heft to it. The aromatics are good enough to satisfy my picky soup habits. The flavor and aroma really reminds me of Chinese Pho. It's more flavorful than LAN Noodle and their own Northern's own Monterey Park location. I think 1919 Lanzhou still tops them all in soup flavor. Their noodles are alright for hand pulled but still much better than premade(frozen)/dry noodle. The texture is on the soft end (past al dente) but still a bit bouncy. What bothers me is the starchy taste (like pasta water), which I don't get at other hand-pulled noodle shops. I enjoyed all the noodle types except the wide...idk it doesn't work here with their soups.. maybe try that with their big plate chicken. Ok ok I'm just being bitchy because their noodles are still miles about a lot of Asian restaurants around. The beef roll for $13 is actually quite good. Toasty fresh scallion pancake with the right amount of cucumber cilantro for that fresh crunch and not too much hoisin sauce. I wish they put more beef but I'm just a fatty. It has an excellent balance of all ingredients. This spot is a great replacement for all the failing restaurants in this corner, it has found a new home. read more

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Came here with my parents on a Thursday night and was immediately seated. This spot is located in the San Gabriel Superstore plaza so parking is plentiful. My party and I ordered the pork intestine noodle, spicy beef noodle, lamb noodle, and xiao long bao. I was very surprised by the portion of the food cause my bowl of noodle felt never ending to be honest. lol. I opted for the flat wide noodle which was chewy with a nice bite to it. My dad really liked his beef noodle with the standard noodle (he's usually picky but said the beef was pretty tender!) and my mom enjoyed her lamb noodle (although she only ate half of it cause she got full lol)! The xiao long bao was filled with soup and pretty tasty. There was a bar of cold appetizers that you can select and my parents opted for the pork, pig ears and chicken. We definitely had leftovers because everything was a pretty big portion lol. Our meal came out to $87 after taxes and tip. For 5 dishes at $87 total, it wasn't too bad to be honest especially since it was filling and we have leftovers. With everything getting so expensive, this was a decently priced place in my opinion. Would definitely recommend :) The service is quick and kind. Our waitress spoke mandarin and English which was nice and the place looked very clean. Although we got our waters after we had finished our meal, our food came out in a timely manner. Whoever was in charge of music deserves a raise because they played Blackpink which was a nice touch to dinner lol. read more

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09/24/2024 This corner spot on the San Gabriel Superstore has a new occupant. Northern Cafe with a Soft Opening special going on. You buy one noodle and get the second one 50% off. I came in and the guy pointed to sit anywhere. I grabbed a menu and looked it over. I saw Braised Lamb Noodle Soup, I have to try this one. Up at the counter area, there are sides you could choose from with other specials posted. You could select 2 meats and 1 vegetable item or a different combination. Kitchen can be seen because of the windows so you could watch them hand pull the noodles and one guy looks like he is playing a fiddle slicing in the noodles into the boiling water. $15 for the Braised Lamb Noodle Soup seems a little high to me but I should have ordered my second noodles for 50% off. Next time I stop in before the offer is gone. It was busy even late into the evening so hopefully this place stays for a while. read more

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I've come here a couple of times and it's very good--they're definitely getting better with each visit. The knife-cut noodles are delicious and loaded with veggies, and the tofu dishes are some of the best I've had. Right at the entrance, there's an array of yummy appetizers that always catch my eye. The interior is lovely, the vibe is warm, and the service is solid. Definitely a spot I'll keep coming back to. read more

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Came here for a casual lunch and left impressed by the bold flavors and solid execution across the board. Beef Rolls were the standout--crispy, chewy pancake wrapped around tender slices of beef with a touch of sweetness and fresh cilantro. Super satisfying. Scallion Pancake was nicely crisped, with a light onion flavor and great for dipping into chili oil. Xiao Long Bao had a flavorful broth and juicy pork filling. The wrappers were a bit thick but still enjoyable. Spicy Shrimp Wontons came in a flavorful chili oil--just enough heat without overpowering the shrimp. Sour Cabbage Soup Noodle was comforting with a tangy, slightly fermented broth and springy noodles. Great for a chilly day. Service was fast, and the space is clean and casual. Food came out quickly, and we didn't wait long for a table even during lunch rush. A solid spot for comforting Chinese dishes--definitely worth a visit if you're in Monterey Park. read more

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Second time here to order to go. Don't do it unless you have 45 mins to wait for order of dumplings! Only two other customers here and they can't handle the order?! Wait time is ridiculous. Don't waste your time! Go to a different northern. This one is poorly managed. read more

Came here for the second time on a Friday around 3:40pm. I was seated immediately and I would say the restaurant was half full at that time. Since my first experience was great, I could not wait to try their other food items. I ordered their stir fry lamb with sliced noodles and I could not wait to try it since I'm a big fan of lamb! It looks like there was only 1 waitress running around working at that time. She took my order, and then I noticed other tables have been waiting for their food for a while too. 15 mins have passed, I decided to wait a little longer as I see that they were getting busy. I didn't complain. What got me irritated was I saw other tables that sat and ordered after me got their food before me. After 30 minutes have passed, I decided to get up and leave. The waitress didn't even inform or apologize to me and just left me waiting and waiting wondering where my food went? The kitchen probably skipped my ticket because I saw the waitress kept going back to the kitchen and checked on the stabbed tickets. To be honest, food here is pretty good, but they need more people working! And please better management in the kitchen! I ended up leaving and went to the other restaurant in the same plaza because I was in a hurry to head to work. Very disappointed this time around! read more

Northern Cafe - Cold dish: edamame with tofu Noodles: A8 on the menu ( hot and spicy noodle soup with pork intestines) - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

1.5 stars because food is still good at Northern aside from both bad experiences that I had. I was pretty excited to find out that a Northern was opening up close to where I live because I love their noodles. I was told that this is the same chain as the other Northern locations, but from my experience, they have more of a limited menu than the other locations. They also don't have the flavored teas you could order at other locations. My go-to has always been the tomato beef noodle soup with fried egg, so that's what I ordered. Unfortunately, they do not have this specific item on their menu, but they have the dish, just without the egg. I decided to come here a 2nd time to give it another chance due to my poor experience during our first visit. During our first visit, we got there a little before 10 pm, so it was quite empty. I ordered my go-to tomato beef noodle soup with a fried egg. When they brought me my order, my soup that's not supposed to be spicy was covered in chili oil & chili flakes. We asked the workers about my order & he reassured me that it's not spicy, so we asked about the chili flakes & chili oil that was in my soup. He then brought my bowl back to the chef to ask about the spice in my bowl & came back out to ask if I really couldn't handle spicy, so I told him that I do not eat spicy food. He said the chef offered to add more broth to my bowl to dilute the spice, but that's not what I wanted. A lot of back & forth occurred regarding my soup all because the chef did not want to remake my soup noodles that he messed up on. He did not take any accountability for his mistake & told us that it's not supposed to be spicy, but that's how their soup base is supposedly made, then they backtracked & said it was actually left over chili flakes from the last soup noodle that they made for another customer, but to me, that sounds worse because they don't clean their pots before starting on another customer's order... Also, it was clear as day that it was not just left over chili flakes, they literally poured chili oil in my soup noodles & denied doing so. By the time they finally decided to remake my noodles, it was 10:30 PM, so we took it to go instead because they were closing soon. He made my soup base from scratch, so it just tasted like a chicken broth with no tomato flavor whatsoever & they forgot to add my fried egg that we paid for. Terrible 1st experience. On our 2nd visit, I ordered the same exact thing. I asked them to not put green onions or cilantro in my soup since I know it comes standard in their dishes. When they brought me my soup noodles, it was covered in green onions & cilantro that I had to pick out myself.. On top of that, they forgot my fried egg again. Fortunately, there was no chili oil/flakes in my soup this time, BUT it did not look and taste anything like my go-to order at Northern when they claim to be the same chain. We flagged down the server & asked her if this was the same exact item on their menu that I even pointed at to which she confirmed that it was, but it looked nothing like their menu photo. They gave me a plain beef noodle soup with a few tomato slices.. lol. The flavor wasn't bad, but it's still not what I ordered. Overall, I probably wouldn't come to this location again. There was definitely a language barrier between us & the server which most likely played a role in the mishaps from both experiences. read more

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VERY SMALL PORTIONS!!!! I spent almost $19 on a three item combo, the amount of food that they gave me was probably less than $3. Other similar restaurants charges $15, but the amount is twice what I got here. The food was not fresh, tasted kinda staled with no flavors. I will not come here again, thought it was a soft opening and the food quantity and quality would be good, not the case. read more

Northern Cafe - Not filled, tasteless.. - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Northern Cafe is absolutely bomb! This spot is a must-try for anyone in San Gabriel or even visiting the area. The food is packed with flavor and tastes so authentic, I couldn't believe how good it was. In fact, it was so amazing I had to go back TWICE (I really did) in the same day and bring a friend just to make sure I wasn't imagining things, and guess what? It was just as incredible the second time! The juicy pork dumplings are a total standout perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. The beef noodle soup? Pure comfort in a bowl. And don't sleep on the chicken fried rice. it's next level good. Plus, the prices? Totally reasonable for the quality and portions you're getting. The service was also A+ both visits lol. super friendly, fast, and attentive. Honestly, Northern Cafe deserves all the hype. If you're still reading this, stop what you're doing and just go. Trust me, this place is a total gem, and you won't regret it!! read more

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The food is good, I was surprised about skewer,it's so good,really love the taste. The service is friendly ,highly recommended! read more

Northern Cafe - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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Waiting so long time just for a bowl noodles ! If you can wait , no problem, if you can not wait , pick another restaurant!!! read more

Northern Cafe - Waiting so long time just for a bowl noodles ! If you can wait , no problem, if you can not wait , pick another restaurant!!! - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

I really enjoyed my first time eating here but I just dined here today and was disappointed. Portions felt less than before. In the beef noodle soup they gave two thin slices of beef and some tendon. There's no way you feel okay charging $15 for that non existent portion of meat. Honestly very disappointed read more

Northern Cafe - Beef noodle soup with almost no protein - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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Ok! The fact they make their own noodles is amazing enough! But honestly you gotta try this place! It was recommended to me by 2 local women! And boy it does deliver, both in taste and quality! The price is great, and the place is clean and comforting! I recommend ordering off the main menu! Staff are attentive and very friendly! A San Gabriel must try!!!! read more

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Northern Cafe has some of the best authentic Chinese food I've had in San Gabriel and it's comparable to Din Tai Fung Some of their most popular items are their beef rolls, spicy wontons, and beed noodle soup, but the best item on the menu is for sure their xiao long baos aka juicy pork dumplings Their dumplings are handcrafted everyday and filled with pork bone soup, signature sauces and spices, and steamed to perfection And believe me when I tell you this - they are JUICY! Each dumpling is packed with so much flavor and overflowing with that soupy goodness They also make their signature dumplings in a panfried version that has a crispy outside texture, but still holds all that juice inside. This is a must-try if you're in the SGV. read more

Beware - Dishonest Billing Practices & Underwhelming Experience I typically don't leave negative reviews unless something truly crosses the line, and unfortunately, my experience at Northern Cafe in San Gabriel did exactly that. To begin with, the food here is nothing special. Dishes are average at best, with bland flavors, small portions, and a lack of freshness. For a restaurant that appears to pride itself on traditional cuisine, it left much to be desired. Service was similarly unimpressive -- rushed, inattentive, and lacking the warmth or attentiveness you'd expect even from a busy casual eatery. But the real issue -- and the reason for this review -- is the dishonest billing practice I encountered. After paying my bill and leaving a tip, I later discovered that my credit card had been charged more than the total I signed for. I didn't notice immediately, but when I checked my statement days later, the amount didn't match what I had authorized. Thinking it might be a simple mistake, I contacted my bank and filed a dispute. Here's the shocking part: when the bank completed its investigation, they confirmed that the signed receipt submitted by the restaurant clearly showed a lower total than what was actually charged to my card. That means someone at the restaurant altered the amount after I had signed and left -- without my knowledge or consent. This is not a misunderstanding. This is not a one-off human error. It is a deliberate and unauthorized change to a payment amount, which should raise major red flags for any potential customer. My advice: if you still choose to eat here, protect yourself. * Take a photo of the receipt before you leave. * Check your credit card charges carefully after your visit. * Do not assume that what you sign is what you'll be charged. There are plenty of honest, high-quality restaurants in the area that respect their customers and value integrity. Sadly, Northern Cafe is not one of them. Until this kind of behavior is addressed and corrected, I cannot in good conscience recommend this place to anyone. read more

The food was amazing and came out in a timely manner! I loved the dumplings not so much the noodles but everything I got was still good!! The service however was terrible the cashier was so rude, she didn't ask us if we wanted our food for to-go or inside the restaurant instead she gave us our food to go. I ended up staying there to eat my meal that she bagged up for to go and after I finished eating the workers never said bye or thank you on my way out! The only thing she said was "trash can outside" with a very rude undertone! I liked the food but because of the service I probably won't eat here again read more

Good food good service ! Large portion ! You can share with another friend! I recommend this place ! It's clean noodles place , they open late which is a good thing ! read more

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Went there to pick up an order, the people there wer very Asian rude if you know what that means. Took 30 minutes for two orders. Complete waste of my time, will never go there. read more

Excellent noodles and cold dishes. The scallion pancakes and potstickers are among the best I have had.

We ordered over the phone and picked up the order to eat at work. The spicy beef noodle soup had NO meat at all. I guessed they must've forgot the most important ingredient. Then we opened the house special beef noodle soup and there was 3 small pieces of tendon and 3 small sliced pieces of beef. Definitely not worth the price and we are disappointed. read more

Yesterday around 10:20 I bought 2 house beef noodle soup and 3 sides, that was the only thing I ate yesterday so I knew this gave me food poisoning, beef looked really bad dry and a unusual color to it and had a really bad after taste almost tasted like bleach or a similar smell of that sort anyways go at your own risk. read more

Went here tonight with the family, drove a half hour from Glendale, and we're all aglow over how good the meal was. Every bite was delicious: soup dumplings were so flavorful, we got "noodles in soy bean paste" for our spice-averse members, the edamame salad was amazing, beef roll tasty but not warm enough, and chive pancake was also really good. We all left excited to come back soon! read more

The food here is very good, and the service is also very good. If you want to eat spicy food, I recommend the old-style pickled cabbage beef noodles. If you don't want to eat spicy food and eat with children, I recommend the clear soup beef noodles. It's super delicious. I will always come to this restaurant. They also have a lot of delicious cold dishes. I like the vegetarian ones. read more

Took our food away cause it looked unfinished, but we still wanted to drink the soup :(( Didn't ask if we were okay with it! Also workers be lurking, please stop watching me eat. #weird read more

Me and my wife shared a bowl of beef noodle soup, broth was perfect in taste. Ordered a side of spicy wonton and it exceeded our expectation. Service was good considering it is just their soft opening. Hopefully it stays this way and definitely will be coming back. read more

The food is delicious. We ordered the flat noodles with our soup and loved them. I also recommend the egg and onion pancake, and the cold sides. read more

the staff is so nice, we've tried the cabbage, skewers, beef pancake, spicy chicken, food is chefs kiss and open late immaculate