Ngu Binh - Westminster, CA

My quest to sample the best; LA's 101 best, one stop at a time. 

Of all the places I've been, Ngu Binh is among my favorites so far. It's one of those no-frills, all-thrills, affordable-food joints where you just go for the food. Basic tables, open early, fresh, hot food all day. 

The menu is a single page, 20 numbered items, starting with a fantastic (1) Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet. Slightly spicy, savory soup with pork knuckles and cubes of blood. The broth has a real pop to it, and it's one you'll drink to the last drop. 

A combo platter (5) lets you sample Banh Bot Loc, Banh Beo va Banh Nam. Banh beo is the classic rice cake discs with shrimp and pork. Banh bot loc is little bits of shrimp and pork wrapped in chewy tapioca. Banh Nam is more like a rice cake roll, long, flat squares full of shrimp.

(20) Nem Chua makes a tasty little snack, a cold bit of fermented pork in between hot bites. Only order if you actually like gelatinous, fermented pork. This one is an acquired taste...which I have fully acquired. 

(14) Mit Zuc Banh Trang is another cold option, a refreshing jack fruit salad. It's bland without the fish sauce dip, but I just can't diss fresh jackfruit.

They're known for these (18) Banh It Kep Banh Ram. A complex cloud of glutinous rice cake filled with pork and shrimp sits upon a crispy saturn-ring of the same fried rice cake, basically mochi on top of more mochi. It is glorious but it is rich. A single one of these will fill you up so be sure to share. 

I think this dessert is called Banh Da Lon, a layered sticky rice cake, slightly gelatinous with a mildly sweet mung bean filling. Green with pandan aromas, these little discs are too pretty not to eat. Just be prepared, these are more about texture and subtlety in flavor. You'll have to get your sugar rush somewhere else. 

The food is so good here. Everything is exquisitely made, the perfect blend and balance of sweet, sour, umami, and everything else. I've never had a bad meal in Garden Grove, but I don't know if I'll want to go anywhere else after this one. 

Bistro Na UPDATE - Temple City

Bistro Na has all the red flags for a restaurant that doesn't live up to the hype. The dining room is beautiful, full of ornate carvings and imperial Chinese decor, including ceiling-height alcove displaying traditional ethnic instruments. The service is swift and polite, and all staff seem perfectly bilingual. The menu is a bound book, with every, literally every luxurious dish that's ever been associated with traditional Chinese cuisine. 

There's a small wine list to start, and that includes some teas as well. An iced Yuzu Lemon Tea is perfect for a hot day. It's not too sweet and you can taste every little bit of the fresh citrus rind. 

Jellyfish Salad is a slow starter, with crunchy medusa-heads in a light dash of vinegar. Tastes better the next day, IMO, when everything has had a chance to marinate. 

Na's Spicy Chicken is so tender and carries a spicy kick. Just spicy enough to make your mouth water for more. 

The kitchen comps up a mysterious dish, these gooey strips of jellied, candied carrots. Seemingly simple but the flavor and texture are an all-consuming combination.

Stir Fried Pea Sprouts with Mushrooms are our token green vegetable, fresh and fried just right. A big bland as there's just a hint of salt but a good contrast for what to come. 

DUCK. Peking duck requires a phone call at least two days in advance, but there's no doubt you'll make it. This crispy, fat-dripping, golden-brown wonder is first presented in its entirety, followed by a chef with a rolling tutorial. 

The skin on the breast is to be eaten immediately, dipped in hoisin sauce and sugar, made to melt in your mouth. 

The rest of the skin is supposedly less crispy but when it's so hot and fresh, it's really not far off. 

Each pancake is paper-thin and as chewy as humanly possible, made to hold exactly two pieces of meat, a smear of hoisin, and a couple pieces of everything else. 

They'll prepare the remaining duck as a dry-fry or a soup for a little extra or you can opt to take it home for free. They wrap it and bag it and leave you to do as you please. I opted for the take-home, but I'm sure what they did was better. 

I have to say, I am impressed. It's a long menu with many difficult dishes, and it's hard to make any of them so well, nevermind all of them. That said, whether you decide to eat here should be determined by the experience you want to have. The food is authentic but it's the luxury version and it's a lot cleaner than your childhood memories, to the point that there is some sterility to the experience. If you're shooting for grandma-nostalgia, you'll want a more down-to-earth establishment. But if you want the best duck in town, you know what to do.  

Miyabi Uni UPDATE - Torrance

We caught them during a promo week; Free upgrades of all house uni to Hokkaido, and we were ready to gorge. 

It isn't until the server repeats your order three times to confirm that you truly want this obscene amount of food AND another server feels compelled to ask him if he heard correctly, that you realize what you've done. 

We'll start with the Uni Tomagoyaki. The omelet is fluffy with a dashi that is divine, but I think I just like uni better cold and raw. That said, this dish makes a delightful leftover if you eat it cold later. 

Yes, we want everything large. Yes, we want one large Miyabi Kaisen EACH. And each bowl is beautiful. The uni is unspeakably fresh and sweet, the salmon is stunning, the scallops are slick, the tuna is meaty, the toro liquid-fat. The ikura is most impressive. Zero fishiness, a gooey and almost sweet finish. The last time I had ikura like this was Jiro's in Japan. 

Plenty of other options if you prefer a more focused approach. A small Uni Scallop Salmon & Roe gives you more control over the contents, which are equal in quality but seem far less sumptuous after experiencing the kaisen in all its glory. 

Yes, we ALSO want a LARGE uni bowl to share. I don't need to say anything about this. Greatness requires no explanation. 

If you want something a little less raw, the Uni Cream Pasta will save you. Imagine the polar opposite of sushi/sashimi, and you'll see it here. The cream sauce sticks to every strand of spaghetti, and there's plenty of uni throughout the sauce. 

If you've left room for dessert somehow, the Yuzu Sorbet is creamy but also refreshing, much more sweet than citrus.   

The Matcha Tiramisu is amazing, with mascarpone cream that finishes light despite being beautifully dense. The matcha flavor is full but without the bitter finish, each layer its own delight. 

Come at lunch to escape the crowds or come for dinner if you want a little more glamour. If you want the best uni in town in a very large quantity, come anytime. It's barely a splurge at this price point considering the quality and the goods. 

Rolling Zone Creamery - Lawndale

Finally, a local spot for locals. Lawndale doesn't have too much in the way of walkable places, but the drive here is short and the parking is always open. 

They specialize in rolled ice cream, a trend from Thailand that didn't last long down here. I suspect it's because most places that make rolled ice cream never learned to make it well. It wasn't until I got to Rolling Zone that I actually realized I love it. 

Their best is still Banana Pudding, it tastes like the real thing but even better. Real bananas are gooey with an occasional Nilla wafer crunch. It rivals the best stuff from the south.  

The Coffee Break is great, like an even creamier latte. The caramel and toffee make it even better. 

Wild Mango is my least favorite because it's more cream than mango - I had hoped for a little more tartness and fruit. 

Rocky Road is the real deal - they even top it off with a hand-torched marshmallow. 

I think my favorite is S'More for the crunchy graham crackers and mix of nutella. 

So this is what rolled ice cream is supposed to taste like. After years of disappointment, I finally found a place that got it right. If you've been lukewarm about rolled ice cream in the past, do give Rolling Zone a chance before you write it off entirely.

Bopomofo Cafe - San Gabriel

A big menu of brightly-colored drinks, all sorts of fruity, and all sorts of fun. 

Unusual combinations, moving far past your traditional milk tea...which is probably why their Brown Sugar Pudding Milk Tea is just alright. It's great with all that egg pudding underneath, but it's truly just a tea. 

Go for the more signature options like the HEY Sesame Milk. The black sesame is so savory, and honey sweetens the deal. 

Half sweet is just enough for these drinks - they do go easier on the sugar as promised, and their dairy-free milk is a bonus as well. I do wish I'd been more adventurous with their fruit or corn drinks, but what I did drink leaves me wanting more. 

Wax Paper - Frogtown - Los Angeles

I get a bit cynical about sandwiches these days. They're just a bunch of stuff, stuffed between two slices of bread, and they seem to be a lost art. Assemblers tend to do too little or too much so they feel like an afterthought or something that tries to be special when it isn't. 

Not here. Only the best sandwiches come out of Wax Paper's pickup window. Some of LA's best bread blankets fresh white turkey in this Terry Gross. The focaccia is the best I've had, and it's the highlight of the sandwich, but it enhances the flavor of the ingredients, including shredded cheese and a crisp, refreshing slaw. 

The Steve Julian is in the style of a banh mi without trying too hard to be. The roast pork inside is shredded and mixed with miso aioli so it finishes like a like tuna salad but more savory than I could ever imagine. That full flavor blooms under a chewy baguette, contrasted by light pickles and veg. 

They make magic here, but don't expect over-the-top, hit-you-hard concoctions using exotic ingredients only found in three places on earth. The secret is in the balance, in their seamless, harmonious, not-too-many-ingredients but-each-one-essential approach. They know how to make a good sandwich here, and this spot is perfect for grabbing a filling lunch that won't make you fall asleep at your desk all afternoon. 

Fatty Mart - Los Angeles

I love Little Fatty, but I just can't get out to LA on a random night anymore. but now there's Fatty Mart, a cute little curated store full of all the things that make being Asian a joy. 

They don’t have decaf, but they have all your standard coffees. Props on the biodegradable cups. Get one or don't - the Taiwanese Breakfast Roll is the reason you're here. Crispy scallion pancake encases eggs, cheap cheese, and a fabulous Chinese sausage with spicy mayo. The pickled mustard greens make it classically Chinese and evokes cold winter mornings when you wake up to porridge and pickles. 

The Breakfast Burrito is fun as well with the addition of tater tots for crunch. Their beef birria is solid, especially with pepper, onion, and salsa, but it's just not as special as the other.

If I am to be honest, I don’t need to leave the South Bay to get most of the groceries, but they do offer some unusual flavors in candy and chips. They even carry stuff from La Espanola Meats (South Bay pride!). 

It's too early for the lunch options, but you can grab some of their better offerings from the fridge for later.

Be still my heart, they sell their Hainan Chicken here. So far it's the only Hainan chicken I'd ever go out of my way to order. The skin is fatty and yellow, and the meat is full of real flavor, unlike literally every other blanched-bland iteration of this inexplicably popular white stuff. The rice is the same yellow color, packed with fatty savor.

Dan Dan Noodles also reheat surprisingly well, and these squiggly noodles are the best. Savory with a kick of Sichuan spice, this dish is awesome in the afternoon. 

Great little store, much fun to be had whether you're popping by for a pickup or staying for a quick and casual meal. Until I can get to the restaurant, this little mart will do.

Tastea - Torrance

Far as boba goes, theirs are not the best. Not bad but more whimsical than SGV-serious. The classic milk tea is alright, and smoothies like the Strawberry Sensation are good when you don't want caffeination. You can also get jugs for a group, and fruity teas like The Unknown are bound to please a crowd. Just remember to ask for a lower level of sweetness - they have a heavy hand with the sugar. 

If you like toppings, they do have a ton. All sorts of fruit bits, plus the standard jellies and pearls. My favorite is crystal boba because it's the best of both worlds. If you're like me and love adding texture to your drinks, this is where you let your imagination run wild. 

They also make fried finger foods. Calamari is okay, and the Fries come with a surprisingly addictive seasoning. Not something you'd think to order but those fries do go quite well with boba. 

My favorite thing here is the drive-thru, which makes it a little too easy to grab a cold drink whenever you want. You do have a wait in a line of cars no matter when you get there, but you get to wait while sitting in a car. 

Destroyer UPDATE - Culver City

Still a mostly industrial area, Destroyer keeps its office hours of 8-4. Inconvenient for many, but it couldn't be better for us on one of our many weekdays off. 

There's no line, but even on a Monday, more than half the tables are full. The pastry case is more than half empty, and I snagged the last Passionfruit Tart to go. It has a light cream and some of that fabulous sweet n' sour, but I do wish there was a stronger flavor. The Sweet Corn Cookie is a subtler show-stealer, much like a sugar cookie with the aftertaste of sweetest corn. There's a Pecan Molasses Cookie as well for a gooey something-sweet.

But the pastries are for later - the real menu is so much more.  

Start lighter with a bowl of Forbidden Orchard Berries. Icy blueberries in a creamy coconut yogurt. I usually hate coconut but this has a perfect, thick texture, and tapioca pearls to bring out the flavor and add a bit of gentle grit. Black currants and candied beets add a rich sweetness.

There's Loaded Avocado Confit, a glorified melange of why millenials have no money. The charred avocado is creamy, the cherry tomatoes are blistery and cozy. Smoked prosciutto brings salt to the creamy burrata, and a fried egg with its gooey, runny yolk ties it all together. Smear all over a slice of crusty country bread for the best combination of flavors. 

That giant half-loaf slab is the beautifully, evenly egged Persimmon French Toast. Beautiful persimmons line a bowl of apricot-passion fruit jam, centered around a creme fraiche you'll never get enough of. Drizzle light syrup over the spongy bread and take big bites. 

The Smoked Fish is nordic in a nutshell. Flaky slices of gorgeous white fish under a silky, savory yogurt covered in a crunchy layer of onion granola. A seedy icelandic rye adds earthiness to the smoky-sea fish.

It's all good and mostly great, but this Sweet Corn Porridge is the real standout. Sweet corn kernels are interspersed with little pearls of couscous, each coated with viscous porridge, packed with so much flavor. Mix in the poached egg to add the liquid yolk, and crunch on bits of chicken skin and burnt onion. Dig deep for leaves of blanched lettuce which adds another layer of depth. 

If you go to Vespertine expecting to see some high-end translation of Destroyer's magic fare, you will be sorely disappointed. Destroyer is where the magic is made, and it is where the magic stays. Both breakfast and lunch are affordable here, and I'm surprised they haven't earned any Michelin stars.

Submarine Crab - Hawthorne

I’ll admit I was flabbergasted when I saw the "coming soon" sign across a Submarine Crab. Another nondescript, seedy-looking complex now slinging sacks of seafood boil. 

Turns out the owners are locals, and the opening of this Garden Grove giant may be the best thing that’s happened to me all year. This is the south bay’s best seafood boil to date, and their Torpedo sauce rocks. It hits but not too hard if it's mild, and it covers every inch of every shellfish. The crawfish are sizeable, with firm and fresh tails that pluck right out. Shrimp in their shells are succulent, and juicy little clams and tender mussels soak through with sauce. The Mini Sampler is the best deal for two, and you even get some corn, potatoes, and sausage. 

Plenty of other items on the menu to supplement your seafood if you wish. Unnecessary but available. Popcorn Chicken is deliciously, freshly fried, 

and Garlic Noodles are pretty great, just chewy and buttery with a garlic bite. Only order if you like garlic. 

Eat there if you'd like, but their takeout option is pretty great for a night in front of the TV or at a rowdy family dinner. They include paper for easy cleanup and gloves in every bag so you can enjoy it anywhere you like, emphasis on the JOY. 

Lobster Guys Rolls & Fries - Redondo Beach

Finally, you can get a good lobster roll without having to chase a truck! Lobster Guys comes to Redondo Beach with their little shop of shellfish and fries. 

Connecticut Style is the best style, a brioche bun stuffed full of warm, buttery lobster butter. They keep it simple, as it should be, with just mayo, green onion, and a sprinkle of old bay. 

Maine Style is more like a salad. The lobster is chilled, and the lemon herb aioli comes on strong. There's more of it than I'd like, and I do think the brioche bun in both is also a bit overpowering to the more delicate lobster flavors as well. That said, it's quality lobster, no complaints about that. 

I know it's a lobster joint, but they do Wings quite well. Fried crispy on the outside, evenly coated with a sticky sweet chili sauce, these will complete any pint of beer. 

The Fries are just fries, but they're the kind with the super crispy shell, and whatever, they're good. 

Not cheap but prices are fair considering it's lobster in this location. I'd come back in a heartbeat for a Connecticut roll next time I want a treat. 

Old Ferry Donut - Torrance

The decor is very...orange, I think it's an attempt at vintage-cute. Bright colors, all your basic coffees and a nice selection of tea, a glass case displaying some very pretty donuts. 

They're not so photogenic in the box but I promise they look better live. 

Butter Pistachio is the office favorite, a cake donut filled with light pistachio cream, a crusty, sweet glaze on top. Tiramisu has all the flavors with a nice filling of mascarpone cream. The Lemon Poppy Seed Ring has a clear lemon zest in both the batter and the icing, and the Raspberry Ball has a filling of sweet jam. White Chocolate Sesame Cake has a great sesame flavor, and the Earl Grey Cake icing is sweet but a bit more robust. They're all sweet donuts, but I commend them for their more judicious use of sugar. It's there but it's not overpowering. 

The flavors are creative, and the donuts are very elaborate which is probably why they're not made to order. That said, I do wish they were more fresh - most of the ones we got around lunchtime were already tasting like they had sat out for at least a day. Plenty of potential here if they up the freshness factor.