Northern Kitchen — Restaurant in Bloomington

So, when I say "hole in the wall", I'm not being misleading or theatrical. It is tricky to find this place.

Food: Every time we've been here the food has been hot and our entrees have had the right amount of heat (spice) and the meat has been tender; tender to the point where I specifically note it.

Our most recent trip had us trying the cumin lamb and I'll be real I could eat that dish every day for the rest of my life and die happy.

Service: I'm weird when it comes to chinese food and waitresses (ers). I get that a lot of westerners might take issue with having to point to the dish they want to order but, in its own way, I take that as a positive sign. I've yet to be wrong.

The service was top notch. This is the kind of place that has real chopsticks for their place setting and no forks or cutlery so you'll have to ask. Very polite staff though.

Atmosphere: The dining area is clean and well kept. Zero complaints. Booths are spacious and numerous. Probably not the best place to bring a wheelchair but doable.

Would I be able to bring my daughter here? Yes, and we plan to for her birthday unless she swerves on us and wants italian. Noise levels are acceptable, lighting is mostly from a large front window, and the color scheme on the interior is laid back and mild.

Criticisms: So hard to find the place. You would not know there was a restaurant there without being directly told.

The only other caution I'd give is that the spice level is not for casual midwest temperments. It isn't a bad thing by any means, however, our cumin lamb was about as spicy as my husband could handle--I was feelin' it and the feeling was tasty and hot; loved it.

Pros: For what it is, a casual sit down chinese diner, it is peak. This isn't a dress up fancy type of establishment but the food is great, the service is good, and the overall vibe is chill. Will be going back.

tldr: Pay this...

This is one of those low key hidden gem restaurants that serve authentic food without a doubt, because it's not only difficult to locate, but also relatively exclusive in terms of its clientele. I enjoyed everything I have had here so far and definitely appreciated the authentic aspect of the food they have. The only improvement I could suggest was the taste of a lot of their dishes, as flavors tended to be on the mild side. It doesn't mean their food is any less authentic, though, and I would recommend all that are looking for authentic Chinese food to visit here.

Individually, I ordered dishes that I would normally order in Chinese restaurants, so while I am not sure if there's anything I can necessarily recommend yet, I will say that I thought every dish I have had were above average in comparison to the same dishes I have had elsewhere. My favorite so far is the fried pork in scoop (锅包肉) and I don't even regularly eat pork. There was a nice layer of sweetness and sourness witht the sauce outside the pork pieces. The vegetable dishes like eggplant in garlic sauce (鱼香茄子), green beans with garlic (干煸四季豆), and Chinese cabbage (手撕包菜) are all tasty enough. The Chinese cabbage contained a lot of vinegar, and I bet some people would enjoy that. I didn't taste enough cumin in the cumin lamb (孜然羊肉) dish, but there was an abundant amount of lamb and I appreciated it. The spicy pepper chicken (辣子鸡) was very delicious and had the right amount of spice in my opinion.

There is a Relaxing Healthy Center that's connected to the restaurant and apparently that establishment has been very popular, especially in the evenings. I have not visited there yet but I heard that it was similar to saunas in China, and I would love to visit there soon. Regardless, this is a hidden gem, hole in the wall, type of spot and I would definitely...

I recently had the displeasure of dining at Northern Kitchen, a place where my expectations for a satisfying meal were shattered by questionable food quality and unprofessional management. Although most dishes offered satisfactory taste, my experience with the "Stewed Pork Ball" dish was extremely unsettling.

The dish was notably undercooked, exposing customers to visible pork blood and raw meat, posing serious health and safety concerns. Despite the alarming nature of this issue, my immediate appeal for an improvement in food quality was disregarded, and no apology was made.

I found a stark contrast in demeanor between the server, who was amiable and courteous, and the owner, whose rudeness and unprofessionalism were truly disheartening. The owner not only refused to acknowledge the issue but also proceeded to remove anyone questioning the food quality from the restaurant’s promotional group chat after the sharing of incriminating photos. This response reveals a deep-rooted reluctance to maintain food safety and quality standards, which is alarming.

The removal of concerned individuals from the group chat was a highly unprofessional act, demonstrating a disturbing lack of transparency, responsibility, and willingness to rectify glaring mistakes. It seems that Northern Kitchen is missing the essential qualities that are integral to running a respectable and trustworthy dining establishment.

While the kindness of the server is worth mentioning, it sadly does not compensate for the owner's rudeness and the overall terrible experience stemming from the concerning food quality and the dismissive attitude of the management. Consequently, I cannot recommend it and would advise potential diners to explore other establishments where food safety, quality, and exemplary customer service are given the importance they...