Northern Cafe

I came here with family, and really enjoyed their wide variety of shareable dishes. The hot pot was really cool - an individual bowl of soup over some charcoal that the waiter lights upon dropping it off at your table. It was full of a wide variety of meat and veggies, from super tender beef and tofu, to some kind of tempura, lots of cabbage, and mushrooms. The orange chicken was some of the best I've had in a while. It was crispy, with a wonderfully sweet sauce, and tender chicken pieces. I also really enjoyed trying a couple of the dumplings that others at the table ordered.I loved the set up of the restaurant, because you find a table first, look at the menu, and then go to the counter to order. It makes it great for groups, especially if people want to pay separately. They started bringing the food within literal minutes of ordering, it was truly impressive. From there, it was nice that the dishes came out as they were made, so we had time to try everything right when it was fresh. We ended the night with some sesame balls, which were absolutely perfect, served hot and fresh, crispy on the outside, doughy and slightly sweet in the middle. We also felt the prices were really reasonable, and easy to order a good amount of food without breaking bank. I will most definitely be back here to try more dishes (I had wanted to order everything on the menu, it wasn't fair!)

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.

We came here before seeing a movie. It's great because you go to the counter, order, get a number, sit down & they bring it to you. It's good because when you're ready to leave you can just go. The mapo tofu was AMAZING & incredibly flavorful. It's best over rice. The dumplings were juicy & packed with savory goodness. The green beans had all that good garlic flavoring & the cooked it perfectly.

I ate at this restaurant during Chinese New Year and it was packed. The line was really long, but the service was really fast and the food was flavorful and delicious. We ordered the fatty beef with scallion which was one of the newer dishes we have ordered and was the best. The meat was very tender and so fragrant and flavorful. The green and white onions added a nice sweetness and crunch to the dish. We also got the eggplant which was perfectly cooked and not too mushy and had a nice firmness to it. The sauce was nice and garlicky and had a nice caramelization on the eggplants. We got orange chicken which was my least favorite. It didn't have the orange flavor I wanted and I thought Panda Express was a lot better. The texture wasn't crispy and some pieces just had batter. The last dish we ordered was the yang zhou fried rice which is always a staple. It has a nice combination of Chinese sausage, chicken, shrimp, spam, carrots, and peas. I like to put their chili oil on top for extra flavor.Overall, this is a great Chinese restaurant if you are in the Irvine area. There are multiple locations so I would definitely recommend checking this place out. Another perk is that their dishes are very affordable and give big portions!

Came here on a rainy night for a quick dinner. The restaurant is brightly lit and clean. You order your food with a QR code on the table. Food came quickly piping hot and fresh. You can tell the soup dumplings are made to order. The food was all delicious. The soup dumplings are so juicy and the soup was full of flavor. The chicken noodle soup was so good. The broth had a deep umami chicken flavor with some bok choy and slices of chicken. Def a solid place to have a quick meal.

I had lunch here with my daughter and friend. We ordered the following to share:Beef noodle soupDan Dan noodlesBeef roll Juicy pork dumpling Pork potstickers Steamed red bean paste buns Overall, we enjoyed the food here. The Dan Dan noodles were a bit too salty, but everything else was great. Our favorite were the steamed red bean paste buns. I could've eaten a basket full of those and be really happy! The restaurant is pretty casual, you order at the counter and food is delivered to the table. There is a water station with cups that is self serve. The food was tasty, reasonably priced, prepared quickly, and the portions were large.

This place is the definition of comfort food. With great prices and great-tasting food with lots of different options. Many places lack a variety of options, but this place has it all. We tried the beef dumplings, which were stuffed and tasted great with the sauce they offer at the table. The chicken wontons were also one of my favorites, full of flavor and very juicy. One thing I would definitely stay away from is the shrimp wontons they were ok and they just seemed to fall apart. The beef noodle soup was also a great pick, nice and hot with lots of meat; I would definitely order it again. And lastly, the green beans tasted amazing, and they are just as good as any other in the area.

Parking: Northern Cafe is located the University Town Center across from UCI. Parking can get rough especially during lunch.Exterior: There is a patio area for outdoor dining.Interior: The interior is spacious and relatively clean. The tables are spaced out in a way where it does not feel too crowded.Service: There is minimal service. They have a kiosk for ordering takeout. For dine in, you will need to order at the cashier. They will give you a number and bring it to your table.Food: Northern Cafe is a decent Chinese chain restaurant. Their food is solid and decently priced. I would recommend their beef noodle soup (both the spicy one and the clear broth one) for those who are going for the first time. Their savory pastries are also good choices. I have never tried their hotpots but will probably do so soon.

Worst Northern Cafe location.We ordered for pick-up over the phone and arrived on time but had to wait an extra 10 minutes for our order. The biggest letdown was that our food came out lukewarm! The dumplings were so bland and dry! The beef roll was oily and the beef was chewy and sweet. They didn't even give us enough sauce to dip our food.Wow. This location is a stark difference from the LB location on 2nd Street. Never coming back to the UCI location ever again.

Northern Cafe Chinese Kitchen sits in the University of Irvine, California, vicinity. An easy sit and eat situation, they have a variety of dishes that is best preferable if you have a group of friends to eat with. The place is fairly clean and the people there are friendly.You order food at the counter. The utensils are made for self-service and someone will bring the order to you. Some dishes our group of friends ordered includes yangchou fried rice, juicy pork dumplings, sautéed green beans, lychee shrimp balls, chongqing crispy chicken, and popcorn chicken. The spices used in these dishes were fantastic. It was bursting with flavor. I thought the lychee shrimp balls would be sweet, but the taste was better than I expected.I think the chongqing crispy chicken caught me by surprise. I liked the seasoning but I didn't like that it was cold. Maybe it was meant to be served cold? I wished the menu had said that since I thought it was a hot dish.My favorite was the juicy pork dumplings. It is perfect to eat on a cold day.