Barsha - Hermosa Beach

The coolest restaurant in the South Bay, the best in the Beach Cities. The nondescript strip mall it sits in is hardly anyone’s aesthetic, but venture inside for a memorable menu and soak up the unbeatable vibe. There’s only ceiling fans beating in the beach breeze, and they frequently blow out the mood-lighting candles that illuminate every table. Our servers fight a valiant but losing battle, lighting and relighting ours with every change of plates, even when we tell them there’s no need for such trouble. Service is that dedicated and is rendered with a genuine warmth and merriment that shows this place is built on joy. 

And the plates are joyful as well. Starters are strong, as the Hand of Fatima kicks off our meal with five fingers of fabulous, and we soon find out that everything on the menu really is that good. 

My faves here are the aromatic, herbaceous pesto and the rich and salty tapenade. The other fingers are loaded with juicy olives, earthy harissa or a creamy-smooth hummus, all of which are delectable when caught by the tiny tines of crusty bread. 

The sides are as strong as standalone dishes, approachable items like Sumac Shishitos, which have a bitter, tangy finish punctuated by vivacious wedges of preserved lemon with an almost-candied peel. 

Zaatar Fries are crisp and fryer-fresh, generously dusted with an earthy, herbal mix. 

All of our entrees are hot plates of hearty comfort, starting with the a warm and stewy Beef Cheek Cous Cous. Every chunk of melt-in-your-mouth meat is saturated with a tomato-pepper soak, texture added by grainy bits of couscous and shreddy strips of squash.

Lamb Meatballs are big flavor-bombs, crispy crust sheltering tender meat, meeting fat globules of m’hamsa for a clever contrast of textures. 

Gumbo was that night’s special, a dark roux with shrimp, crab, andouille sausage, and seasoned with a Tunisian twist. The shrimp are succulent, the crab adds a sea-breezy base to give everything else a flavor boost, and a giant fried okra has a breading that beats all breading.

Dessert is another special, my personal favorite of all desserts; the Bread Pudding. Soft, sweet, gooey, creamy, drizzled with caramel, it’s everything you’d ever want. 

Don’t let my photos talk you out of eating at Barsha. Between the poor lighting and the monochrome colors of meat and tomato, it’s hard to tell what we even ate. But believe me when I say the flavors are anything but dull. The spices mixes are perfection, the flavor combinations are complex and feel so complete - I can’t think of a single element missing from any dish, and every plate has an incredible beauty and warmth. I guarantee the food at Barsha will amaze you, in a way that defies description.

Cafe Cuba & Cakes - Hawthorne

So this is what Potato Balls are supposed to taste like. Still warm from the Doordasher’s car to my doorstep, these wonder-balls boast a super-crispy breaded crust which encases a firm layer of mashed potato, shielding a moist and well-seasoned ground beef core. Perfect spheres, packed with flavor, absolutely spectacular.

Sandwiches are another specialty here, especially the deceptively simple Cubano. It’s a layered ham and cheese, but the slices of roasted pork, smear of smooth mustard and interspersed bits of pickle give it a subtly elegant finish. 

The Bistec de Milanese features a very tender cutlet, but it seems less exciting as it comes across a bit blandly. More tang to the onion and pepper mix would have made all the difference.

Pan Con Lechon, what a luxury. A roll stuffed to the gills with roasted pork is so filling and full of comfort. The pork just has milder garlic notes, but the the tenderness and texture are so good I don’t mind it having less punch. That said, if you add a dash of whatever hot sauce you have at home, the result is bound to be better, 

I’m sad you can’t Doordash the desserts, but I’m quite happy with the sandwiches anyway. They’re a good size and a fair price, and despite being packed full of protein, they’re quite well-balanced. Would definitely eat these again. 

Little Belize Restaurant - Inglewood

I took a trip to Belize many years ago as a single lady, in the company of another single lady and had the time of my life. Zip lining, diving, yoga poses for pictures atop majestic temples; it was a celebration of a friendship that I hope will last forever.

I learned a lot about myself too on the trip, falling into the kind of introspection that only happens with travel. I have only amazing memories of Belize, many of which are all about the food, their colorful combination of Latin and Caribbean,  memories I will never hesitate to eat. 

For starters, I love starters. Their Sampler Platter is a selection of important classics, including panades filled with fish encased in crispy corn, garnaches of fried tortillas garnished with beans and a tomato and onion semi-jam, and salbutes with a thicker base and juicy shredded chicken in the same sweet tomato and onion sauce. All are hearty, none too heavy, and every bite tastes better when it’s shared.  

There was also a Plantain Boat, which didn’t seem like it should go together. The plantain is sweet and deliciously fried, but the tangy-savory chicken-tomato-onion filling is far better served on a simple tortilla or something similar as they simply didn’t go with the sweeter, fruity plantain notes. 

The Oxtail is a decent entree, doused in a heavy brown gravy that tastes like viscous beef. A bit on the salty side for me but not so much that it’s off-putting, especially over rice. The oxtail itself requires minimal coaxing to abandon the bone. A solid stew overall, but it’s the actually the rice and beans I can’t forget. Stewed and spicy, the savory flavors run so deep that it could be a stand-alone dish. The cole slaw is mayo soup - opt for literally anything else as a side.

Desserts are nice but not a necessity. Milk Cake is simply sweet with a thin layer of dulce de leche, a bit dry overall.

Lemon Pie is lovely, with a custard-y filling of zesty lemon.

Nothing tastes better than nostalgia, and I like Little Belize for it. Are they the best Caribbean cuisine in Inglewood? Probably not but that’s okay too - competition is keen. I plan to try the other options before I decide which one to stick with, but as of now, I’d gladly order Little Belize again.

Al Watan Halal Restaurant - Hawthorne

It’s okay, I know you didn’t come to Lawndale for the food. What seems to be the world’s smallest city doesn’t have a lot going on, though I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some of the ethnic gems in neighboring Hawthorne. Dig deeper, and you’ll find a very deep field of southeast Asian cuisine in this area, with paragons of Pakastani and Indian cuisine. 

Al Watan is said to be among the best, and despite my doubts that anything could stand up to the ace of Al Noor or the king of spice that is Zam Zam, I wanted to give them a chance.

They did alright, but they didn’t do all that well. 

Starting with a rather lackluster Lamb Khorma, I really wasn’t impressed. The meat is tender, the spices are fine, but it’s generic, not a standout. 

If goat is on the menu, I gotta get goat. The Goat Karahi here is nice, with some tang from the tomato and sweetness from the onion. It’s my favorite of everything I ordered, and this is one I liked. I like it but I don’t remember it. 

Palak Paneer is always a solid option as well, the perfect vegetable to offset all the meat. 

The Chicken Biryani is one to avoid. Mine had large, pale yellow grains of obviously overcooked rice that simply didn’t have the depth of flavor that slow cooking should imbue. 

Garlic Naan and Onion Kulcha are the preferred  carbs, flatbread with great texture - just the right ratio of fluff and chew. The naan has a fresh garlic-studded sharpness, and the kulcha is more moist with an aromatic filling of finely diced onion. 

Given the geographical proximity, I can’t help but compare. Al Watan is pretty good but Al Noor is so much better. And with Zam Zam also on the same street, there’s just no way I’d get Al Watan again.  

Poke & More - Lomita

During pregnancy I avoided all the P’s. Pate, precut fruit, prosciutto…and poke. Poke was the hardest. 

I got poke and more poke from Poke & More, a fantastic way to break my poke fast. those fresh tuna chunks are slick and smooth in simple Shoyu, multi-layered with sharp and spicy favors in Spicy Mayo,

And pungently bold with Spicy Garlic. 

The sweet & spicy Salmon was a bit more slimy and didn’t taste quite as fresh as the tuna, but the poke bowl is still good deal.

And here’s where it needs to end. Poke & More needs to be “Poke & No More” because less is more when it comes to their cooked food. 

In their defense, dishes like Loco Moco just don’t travel all that well, and this one is alright. The gravy reminds me of the southern-style stuff you’d find over a biscuit or a slab or chicken fried steak. The texture is more runny than creamy, but there’s a meaty finish to it. Overall a bit heavy on the salt as the meats (beef patties and Portuguese sausage), are already so salty.

A side of Crunchy Spam Musubi is a fun idea, but the spam gets lost in the batter. That said. the rice takes on a mochi-like texture which is pet awesome. Their regular musubi is pretty lackluster. 

The Beef Rib makes me wonder if they actually know how to cook food. The smaller pieces are like jerky, almost as dry as the bone they come on, and the sauce is desiccated brown salt. 

Order the poke…and no more. The fish is good, the rest is okay, and the special is a disaster.