Northern Cafe — Restaurant in Irvine

NEWEST REVIEW:

Every few months I take a chance on this place in hopes that it will be good as they have much potential but again as always i felt super let down.

Lazy cooking with seemingly old reused and reused again frying oil.... the Kung pao tastes like fish (again and again) ... the crispy chicken had huge chunks of cartilage (i thought it was a bone)..... the noodles are soggy and oily..... etc etc... consistency is not their strong suit.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:

I order from here about twice a month and lately it seems the quality has gone down hill. I normally order a couple chicken dishes and fried rice and don''t really order the hot pot stuff to go.

My last order the Kung pao chicken had a fishy shrimp after taste almost if had been in the same pan ias a shrimp dish and left a terrible after taste.

I used to order the crispy chicken it's delicious but I put it in the toasted once to heat it up and make it more crispy and literally about a quarter inch of grease drenched out from the fried chicken... is this what I have been eating?

The beef sandwich things were completely off and we couldn't even finish one of the pieces.

This place seemingly used to be much better...

If you're looking for a flavor-packed adventure, look no further than Northern Cafe at UCI! I tried their spicy beef hot pot and sour vegetable noodle soup, and let’s just say: my taste buds went on a rollercoaster ride of excitement.

The spicy beef hot pot? It’s like a warm hug with a little bit of sass. Tender beef swimming in a bubbling cauldron of spice— it’ll make you break a sweat in the best way possible. It’s fiery enough to make you feel like you’ve earned that second bowl of rice, but not so hot that you regret it immediately (looking at you, other spicy foods).

And then there's the sour vegetable noodle soup. It's like the perfect mix of tang and zest that makes you feel like you've just won a flavor jackpot. The noodles were just the right amount of chewy, and the sourness of the broth had that "I can’t stop slurping" effect. Honestly, it felt like a rejuvenating spa day for my soul, except with more noodles and less cucumber water.

All in all, Northern Cafe isn’t just a place to eat — it’s a spicy, sour, and soul-satisfying experience. You’ll leave with a smile on your face and a satisfied stomach... and maybe a slight craving for another round of that spicy...

I would definitely come back when I am visiting Irvine. We came with a party of 5 not the band, but me family and I. The place looked like it was popping’ from the outside so I decided to give it a swing. Walked in and immediately we were stopped. How many? 5. We were seated. You get your menu go to the counter once you are ready to order, place your order, pay, get your table number with receipt attached. No lie the food came within like 5 minutes. They also have free lemon water placed in 2 different locations. The food was delicious they have self serve to go plastic containers, bags, napkins, as well as soup bowls and soup spoons. The bathrooms are ice and clean as well. We ordered orange chicken, two different types of chow Mein, steamed broccoli, two bowls of jasmine rice, two bowls of of spicy beef noodle soup, and a Thai tea. Next. Time I’m going to order some seaweed salad and chicken dumplings. I hope this helps and you all enjoy we did. All with all that we ordered we had no lie six small bowls of left overs. Share with one...