Northern Cafe

If you're craving delicious, no-frills Chinese comfort food in the heart of DTLA, Northern Cafe is the spot! I came here on a whim and was blown away by the quality and flavor of their dishes. The **dumplings** are a must--juicy, flavorful, and perfectly pan-fried to get that crispy bottom.The portions are generous, so come hungry! Service was quick and efficient, and while the place can get busy, the food comes out fresh and hot. The casual atmosphere makes it a great spot for a quick lunch or a cozy dinner. Overall, Northern Cafe is a gem for authentic Chinese food in DTLA. Highly recommend the dumplings and noodles--I'll definitely be back!

First time at Northern Cafe since they opened up in DTLA. My friend and I arrived around 3pm and made it in time for HH (50% off cocktails). The restaurant ambiance was great - Modern and clean. Servers were all nice and friendly. We ordered family style and shared the green onion pancakes, garlic green beans, and orange chicken. The green onion pancakes were nicely fried without being overly greasy. Green beans were crisp and garlicky, while the orange chicken had a crunchy outer layer with soft interior. We came in without expectations so it was a pleasant surprised that everything tasted so good!As for drinks, my friend and I thought they were just okay and nothing special. I had to return my Thai milk punch cocktail and switched for something else because it wasn't what I had in mind.Overall, I would come back if I'm ever having Chinese food cravings!

HORRIBLE SERVICE. I ordered at the sat at the bar once and when I came back from the restroom the waiter was practically sitting in my seat chatting with the bartender it was really awkward. Another time when it was empty I ordered to for take out and left to check out macys across the street while it was being prepared. I came back 15 minutes later and the same employee who took order just ignored me another 10 minutes went by and I asked if it was ready and he was "oh" yeah and pulled it out from under the desk. It was very quiet day how hard is it to remember? Another time the dumpling sauce for my veggie dumplings opened inside and made a huge mess and i didn't have any sauce.The last time i came I specifically said no soy & chili packets only dumpling sauce please he gave me the exact opposite, i think he did it on purpose to be rude because i was very specifics. Also the eggplant is very greasy it tastes like old / stale grease that's been recycled and they give you like a teaspoon of rice. Never going back here it's also very dirty

For Lunch:If you come here past 12pm, it can get crowded quickly however anytime before then, you'll be able to get a seat right away.I've been eagerly anticipating a legit chinese food spot in DTLA and this certainly met that criteria.I ordered the beef noodle soup and crab/pork dumplings. The beef noodle soup had the perfect spicy mildness. The soup was tasty, the noodles were chewy and the beef was decently tender. The crab/pork dumplings were pretty good, like any dumpling you'd typically eat.The interior is well lit and nicely designed, very welcoming and modern.

Came here before meeting a friend elsewhere and was pleasantly surprised! This place has a full bar and a happy hour. I didn't get anything to drink but the drinks were fun. Happy House is 3-6, I believe. I got the garlic cucumber, which was a big portion, and wontons in chicken soup. Both were really good. Service was super nice. The restaurant is also very clean and modern. I heard that it was their second month open. I hope more people come. Seems like a much better choice for food than most of the places nearby!

This is one of my favorite Chinese go to spots in San Gabriel Valley and I'm so glad they finally opened one in DTLA. Came here today for their soft opening and had wonderful experience. It's Located across from Macy's (the Bloc) shopping plaza, next to JollyBee. Lot nicer than other Northern Cafe that I've been to, very modern and spacious. Plenty of seating options plus counter with a bar. That's right a "BAR". Good for big and small groups. I was able to get seating right away.They serve a variety of Sichuan/Shanghai style dishes and very affordable. Service was quick too. I ordered beef noodle soup which was delicious. Soup arrived piping hot and broth was very flavorful. Beef was perfectly tender and they give a good amount of meat. Noodle was chewy and on point as well. All in all, best addition to DTLA and looking forward to coming back.

I've been waiting for months for Northern Cafe to open and they did not disappoint.The interior is well decorated. Feels upscale. I came with a party of 4 on a Tuesday at noon and there were many already dining in. We didn't have to wait as they sat us immediately. We ordered family style. The food came out very quickly one by one. The beef roll was well fried and had a subtle hint of sweetness . The beef was very fresh. The chili oil wontons really blew me away. It had the right amount of spice and sweetness. The pork meat inside was very juicy.The fried rice tasted just as you'd expect, with the spam meat, the Chinese sausage, and shrimp. The xiao long bao was the last to come out and it was STUFFED. I'm used to the soup dumplings from Din Tai Fung which are a smaller in comparison. Northern Cafe really stuffed theirs! The pork was seasoned well and the soup was delicious.My group ordered boba as well, but it wasn't very good. It was watered down. Boba topping was brown sugar and it was nice and chewy! I'm kind of a boba snob so I'm going to have to deduct a star for the drinks. I wish I could give a .5 deduction though!The team is already plotting to return very soon. Can't wait to come back and try the other dishes!

Nice and clean modern eatery, nestled in the heart of DTLA across from the BLOC, Macy's and Sheraton Grand Hotel. This newly-opened Chinese restaurant is equipped with a full bar and fortunately for us, is only 2 blocks away from work. Lunchtime can get crowded so come early to avoid the wait. We were a party of 7, and wait time was less than 10 mins. Service was fast! Food came out fresh and authentic!* Chicken and salted fish fried rice was bomb (huge chunks of chicken bites; yet it was so good. Gotta love the aroma of pungent salty-fish)- 5/5* Fried Noodle with beef- 5/5* Beef roll- 5/5* Pork soup dumplings- 5/5* Pork wontons in chili oil- 5/5* Beef with broccoli- 4/5* Onion pancake- 4/5* Steamed Cabbage- 4/5* Orange chicken (some chicken bits were hard to chew, not sure if it was part of a tough membrane or what but least of my favorite)- 3/5

Dumplings were yummy. Service was great. Food came out quickly and hot! It even reheated well.

We came here for dinner last week but weren't really impressed with the food. The crab & pork soup dumplings had no soup in them, which was really disappointing. We got a few other dumplings and shrimp chili wontons, but the food didn't taste freshly made. The dough felt like after you take dumplings home and fridge them, then microwave them the next day. For Asian food, we prefer the restaurants in San Gabriel Valley a lot more.The one really nice thing about our visit was how thorough they were about food allergies. They went through each item we ordered and let us know if there were peanuts/ other alternatives.