Northern Cafe Westpark

Went in for lunch and the place was empty at 11 am and maybe 2 more tables filled until I left. The beef roll was pretty good and the portion was perfect for sharing. The shrimp wontons was a fail for me because of the mushy squash inside. The beef soup dumplings was ok but didn’t like slight herb scent, so it might be better for Chinese tastebuds. But I liked they provided other meat options besides pork.

Stopped by on a weeknight and found the restaurant relatively full but I get it! The restaurant itself is open and clean. The service is fast and friendly. Given so many people I was happily surprised how quickly the food came and how attentive the service was. The food, honestly, loved it! The portions are a good size. The flavors are spot on. They offer a grilled menu after 5pm, which is fun to eat!

Chinese food is not that high on my list. This chain restaurant might be changing that. This place has put cumin and lamb back on my taste bud radar. Each dish is jam-packed with flavor. Their mild is mild. Their kitchen staff turns out the food just as fast as a fast food restaurant. It takes longer to get seated than to get your food. The dining area is too small for the popularity of the food. They’ve outgrown the space. Lamb skewers and cumin lamb stir fry are a must try. Their green onion pancakes are nice and crispy but lack green onion flavor. Family style, good portions. Great prices! I’m glad to know they have chains in LA too.

We tried almost one of everything and there wasn’t anything that disappointed. All the food was so good!!! What really stood out to me was the service. We had a large group with a little boy that was sometimes fuzzy and the staff was super helpful, attentive, and friendly. I have the day that the way one of the servers interacted with my nephew helped keep him calm and happy and made the experience greater. Can’t wait to be back!

We totally hit the jackpot with the cumin lamb, Chongqing crispy chicken, lamb skewers, soup dumplings, beef with scallions, and sauteed green onions—basically, a dream team of flavors that made us feel like food royalty. The Mapo tofu and pork rib stew? Eh, they were the benchwarmers of the meal—fine, but not MVPs. We ordered eight dishes for five people, and somehow we still ended up waddling out of there stuffed like little dumplings ourselves. Service? On point! They were so attentive, we felt like we were being waited on by food ninjas. And the best part? The prices won’t have you re-mortgaging your house. Total win!