Good-Day Korean Restaurant - Torrance

I miss my mom. She's on the other coast, and I usually prefer it that way, but there's no one who can cook like her. No gourmet, but she has her style, and her food will turn any day into a good one.

My mom has been on an organic kick lately, but the dishes are still the same. Hearty and hefty; steamed, boiled, or pan-fried sizzling; the smell is unmistakable. Nothing comes close...wait, what is that? Stewed, pulpy cabbage clogs my nose in a robust Cabbage Short Rib soup. The ribs are chewy and sinewy as you rip them off the bone, sacrificing savor to flavor the broth, and the cabbage has an earthy sweetness. It tastes like something mom throws together on those winter days when we don't feel like shopping.

When I was a kid, I was really a picky eater, and my mom would coax down an entire bowl of rice, ssam bap style. She rolled a marble of rice into a leaf of lettuce and added a bite of vegetable hidden by a chunk of meat. Well the Ssam Bap with Bulgogi is irresistible, no tricks needed to scarf this one down. I don't know what leaves they use, but there is a bold and bitter aftertaste that cuts through the gooey purple rice and saucy slices of sweet beef.

Wholesome and fresh, organic and clean. It's easy to feel at home in Good Day, an unassuming strip-mall spot in random little Lomita. Korean comfort food that tastes homemade will make any day a Good Day.