Authentic Northern Chinese Comfort Food
Northern Cafe, newly opened in Huntington Beach, is a casual restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes all in one place. The spacious and pleasant environment made it a great spot to visit with family or friends, and the atmosphere was perfect for ordering multiple dishes to share.
During this visit, I was able to taste a variety of dishes including Fried Lamb Skewers, Kung Pao Chicken, Fatty Beef Scallion, Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs, Egg Fried Rice w Soy Sauce, Crab Meat Dumplings, Shrimp Wonton Soup, and Steamed Custard Buns. The diverse menu, featuring stir-fries, dim sum, rice and soup dishes, and desserts, made it easy to enjoy a variety of options according to personal preferences.
One of the most impressive dishes was the Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs. The sweet yet slightly spicy sauce reminded me of Korean-style seasoned chicken, and the rich seasoning paired well with the ribs, making it a dish you couldn’t stop reaching for. The Shrimp Wonton Soup had a broth that was not overpowering but still flavorful, making it enjoyable without any heaviness, and its clean taste was memorable.
The Fried Lamb Skewers allowed me to enjoy the flavor of lamb grilled with spices, while the Kung Pao Chicken had a spicy seasoning that complemented the chicken well, making it great to eat with rice. The Fatty Beef Scallion combined tender beef with fragrant scallions for a light and enjoyable experience, and the Egg Fried Rice w Soy Sauce was perfectly fried, with a subtle smoky flavor and the umami of soy sauce, making it a good accompaniment to various main dishes. The Crab Meat Dumplings featured moist crab meat filling wrapped in thin dumpling skin, making them easy to enjoy, and the Steamed Custard Buns, which were filled with sweet custard in fluffy bread, were a delightful way to end the meal like a dessert.
Northern Cafe (Huntington Beach)
Northern Cafe was a place where you could enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes in a casual atmosphere without any burden. It was great for family gatherings or visiting with friends to share multiple dishes, and the ability to choose from a variety of menu options was also appealing. Since it has just opened in Huntington Beach, it’s a great place to visit if you’re looking to enjoy diverse Chinese cuisine nearby.
Authentic Chinese Flavor
The Northern Cafe Irvine branch was a place where you could enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes in a casual yet vibrant atmosphere. The restaurant was particularly bustling during dinner hours, with tables quickly filling up with food, creating a natural dining atmosphere. It felt like a comfortable space to visit and share various dishes.
On this day, we ordered a wide range of dishes from BBQ menu to hot pot, stir-fried dishes, rice, and dim sum. For reference, the BBQ menu is available for order after 5 PM, so I would recommend visiting during dinner time. The table was filled with grilled dishes that had a smoky flavor like Lamb Skewers, Charcoal Grilled Fan Scallop, Charcoal Grilled Squid, and Charcoal BBQ Corn Kernels, as well as rich-flavored dishes like Spicy Beef Pot and Eggplant with Garlic Sauce.
The lamb skewers were clean without any gamey smell, and the Fan Scallop and squid had a nice nuttiness enhanced by the charcoal flavor. The Corn Kernels were not just a simple side dish; they had a great blend of smoky flavor and seasoning that kept us reaching for more. The Spicy Beef Pot was a hearty dish centered around generous ingredients and a moderate spiciness, making it great to pair with rice, and the spice aroma was not overpowering, allowing me to enjoy it even more. The eggplant dish was fried to a perfect crispness, and the savory garlic sauce penetrated well, smoothly tying together the entire menu.
Yangzhou Fried Rice had a good mix of various ingredients, allowing for both umami and cleanliness in flavor, and the portion was generous, making it a good accompaniment to the other dishes we ordered. The Juicy Pork Dumplings were moist with stable texture, making them easy to snack on in between, while the Steamed BBQ Pork Buns were filled with sweet BBQ pork inside a soft bun, making them a delightful choice. Overall, it was impressive that every dish was satisfying without any misses.
Northern Cafe (Irvine)
Overall, Northern Cafe offers a wide selection of menu items and is a great place for multiple people to visit and share various dishes. If you want to enjoy a variety of dishes from BBQ to main courses and dim sum in a casual atmosphere, it’s definitely a place worth stopping by in Irvine.
