The Depot - Torrance

So this is where all the cool older kids hang out. Serious-looking guys in suits chowing down on a mixed meat platter, striped-sweater couples sipping cocktails...The Depot is suave-casual, like the living room of the fancy Victorian house of the aunt you grew up simultaneously admiring and being a tiny bit terrified of. 

Be terrified of me. I tried the Rock Shrimp Sausages, and I just might breathe on you. Tender, shrimp-meaty logs of creativity. I like these a lot, and I like the crispy rangoon wontons too, but the twice-baked garlic sauce is what really rocks about this dish. I actually ate the individual cloves of roasted garlic off the plate because they were that good. I'm super happy with this dish. My husband at bedtime? Not so much.

Neutralizing garlic with Grilled Scallops...in garlic sauce. Tender, barely-seared sea-steaks on a mashed potato bed.

I'm sensing a theme here. The food at The Depot will make your night and ruin your marriage. I've never stolen food from my husband, but I ate half his dinner without asking and I'm not really sorry. He got this Aji Tuna special on a bed of beets and gorgonzola. First of all, I've never had a tuna steak taste this good. They're usually dense and bland, but this one is softer than sliced bread and the greatest thing since. And damn, do they know how to season! 

Forget the tuna. This is the Chilean Sea Bass has to be the best thing on the menu because I can't imagine anything beating this. Each bite is buttery and supple; giant flakes of almost creamy, savory rich-fish. A sweet side of mashed butternut squash is hearty, and the snow peas crunch crisp and green. They're doused in butter and sea bass juice and it's like the best semi-soup ever.

I can't breathe. I've spent the better part of an hour using my dinner fork like a shovel. Picking out a couple of desserts. The Lemon Tart Brulee with orange sauce is a great combo. Creamy-pudding citrus filling sitting in an orange lake. 

The BEST Banana Cream Pie? I think...yeah, that's about right. Big banana chunks with a bunch of sweet custard-y cream, some thicker whip drizzled with caramel and pecans. Can't finish in one sitting, makes a hell of a leftover for later.

I was worried. I had no idea what to expect from The Depot. Never heard of it, never even noticed it sitting there. Who are you Michael Shafer? You are SO on my radar!

Umi by Hamasaku - El Segundo

On the small and intimate side, Umi is a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of The Point. A mix of Japanese small plates and sushi, its portions are a reprieve from the bulging burgers of Hopdoddy and heaping pasta plates at North Italia. 

We're looking to eat light before our work-out tonight, but for this Umi Potato Salad we make an exception. The concept is good, and the ingredients are quality. Dense potato chunks are filling, and they mash and mesh with a gentle smoked salmon. The dill perks it up, but the truffle blue cheese cream sauce is undetectable. Egg yolk adds its riches, and gem lettuce lightens the carbo-load. Could use a little more salt, but that's a personal preference.

Grilled Hamachi collar is a favorite. Cooked well, tender meat, love the chili ponzu sauce and a touch of yuzu on top.

Sashimi Moriawase sets a good standard. Fresh salmon and the tuna has some weight to it.

I can't resist that Jidori Dashi Omelette. The egg is fluffy yet compact, and the clam lends it some sweet n' savory sea notes.

I'm curious about the omakase. The small plates are just okay, but their clean aesthetic channels a comforting KonMari balance. I guess I just need to see their skill with sushi before I can accurately judge them.

Boteaga - Los Angeles

Mixed feelings all around. Six dollars is a ton for a tea or smoothie. This Dragonfruit Chizu one tastes like diluted sugar-water...then again, that's a pretty accurate representation of dragonfruit.

The chizu (cheese foam) is frothy and rich, and the salt mixes well with the fruit. Unfortunately, these cups are too tall and narrow to do much mixing, and there isn't enough foam to assert its creamy, salty flavor. And don't forget to ask for the boba - it's extra. I forgot and I'm sad. 

On the plus side, their wall and their drinks are very instagrammable. I just wish I wanted their drinks more. 

Duke's Malibu - Malibu

You don't know what you got 'til it's gone. Arizona houses the majestic Grand Canyon, North Carolina boasts the Blue Ridge Parkway, Alaska doesn't deny Denali. California had Malibu. A safe-haven for celebs, a bounty of breathtaking beauty of cliffs that jut out over the edge of the world, views of oceans that illuminate every sunset. If there were a single restaurant to define Malibu, it would be Duke's. Loved by most, enjoyed by all. Affordable pricing and an approachable all-American menu, Duke's stands strong, and after recent events, I hope it continues to help this community come together. 

A friend had been itching to visit this place, and I'm glad I went along. Maybe he knew we should experience this place while it stood, to get a fleeting taste Malibu while we can. It was so much fun sipping a beer from the tap at their bar, and there's nothing like watching the waves crash on the rocks in the darkness. 

The food is undoubtedly quality, and they serve all your favorites. The Shrimp Cocktail is a classic, and it turns out to be my favorite thing on the menu. These jumbo monsters are as tender and juicy as they get.

Lilikoi Ceviche is a cool customer. Tender fish stewing in its own citrus juices, a plethora of accent veggies, a splash of spice from the fierce fresno chli.

The Banana Leaf Steamed Island Fish & Shrimp is a fun concept. They really do know how to cook their shrimp.

The thing is, they make a stink about their seafood, but maybe their calling is the steak. This Kona Coffee Crusted New York looks like just a steak n' potatoes, and it is, but the quality does persist.

It may be a while before we get another taste of Malibu. My in-laws lost everything in the fire, and rebuilding from the ground up will take all the strength we have left. But Malibu is strong, and Malibu is resilient. Malibu is so much more than a collection of cliff-side mansion and celebrity dwellings as the media would have us believe. It won't be an easy recovery, but if anyone can do it, Malibu can.

Nouilles of 3rds - Lomita

Cambodian comfort north of Long Beach and it awaits at Nouilles of 3rds. The location is authentic enough, so the food must be close. Good luck finding the shopping center, and if you have to take a left across PCH at rush hour, their food that may be to die for...literally.

I'm really not into meatballs. A ball of mystery meat, no thanks, but I do love the Street Meatballs here. The tendon softens the more rubbery texture of the beef, and I love the savory flavor that drips juice from inside a crispy crust. The sharp garlic oil and sweet chili sauce are great embellishments, and they get your fingers sticky. 

Nouilles is French for noodles, and the Bah-Bong Noodles are comfort to the max. The chicken is tender and the egg rolls are bomb. Rice noodles are al dente, and the veggie mix meshes with coconut cream.The hubby says it tastes like Cambodia and he would know. 

The No3 House Noodles Soup. Impossible to find good pho in the South Bay, but this iteration makes a savory soup all the same. The prime beef does taste prime, and the beef bone marrow is the absolute best part. Tendon is tender, beef balls are baller, and I prefer the rice noodles over egg.

This is how Asian food should be. Nothing flashy, nothing fancy or gourmet, just good stuff made well, bowls of soup and steaming noodles cooked in the heart of a heartland fire. Nouilles of 3rds won't be rising to widespread acclaim anytime soon. They seem to have lost their website too,  but I like that they keep their profile low. I'd rather not wait in line every time I crave their noodles, and I predict I will crave them fairly often.

Belmont Brewing - Long Beach

Drink on an empty stomach. Drink here only if you can and eat only if you must. But drink first until you can't taste the food. Thumbs up for the beer but thumbs down for the food.

I do like the beer. The tasting flights are well-priced, and there are several standouts. The Strawberry Blonde is a great ale, the IPA has a smooth finish, and I really liked the Pale Ale as well. The view of the pier and the shipping cranes in the distance are stunning, and unlike the South Bay's beach cities, Long Beach doesn't come with a side dish of douche.

Steamed Mussels go well with any beer. These are in a standard garlic-butter-white wine mix, but they are a little bit mushy. Better overcooked than under, but they could be cooked a little less.

The Poke Bowl was a mistake. MY mistake, not theirs. It's a nice mix of ahi tuna, salmon, and shrimp, and all the seafood is quite fresh. I love all the veggies as well, but the house made poke sauce ruined it for me. It tastes like mostly hoisin sauce, and I'm not a fan. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if plenty of other people are - it's just too much for me.

The Mediterranean Burger is a fun one. Bacon strips flop over a juicy patty, and the goat cheese is a creamy touch. The brioche bun is a a nice little extra as well.

The Brussels Sprouts are...confusing. Bitter and crisp, these little nubbins are cooked right, but they’re also coated with balsamic, which makes them strangely sugary-sweet and sticky. I’m usually all about contrasts, but this is strange.

I am dramatic. The food here isn't bad. It's fresh and it's not wrong; it's also not extremely right. That said, don't come for the food - just grab your meal elsewhere and enjoy your bottoms-up at Belmont.

Nikuman-Ya - Gardena

Food stall in a mart, next to a Beard Papa. Who would have thought this unassuming bao-hub would be the best meal in Gardena?

Their bao are FRESH! Fluffy, steaming shells conceal a soft and gooey filling, and no details are overlooked. The ingredients maintain an impeccable balance. 

The red bean and yellow sweet potato filling is smooth with a starchy core. More like a dessert bao, filling without being too heavy. The red bean has an almost-whipped texture so it's a little more thin and you don't feel gross for finishing it.

The bao of the month is the spicy seafood bao. Flavorful with a kick, full of fresh tempura shrimp crab and gingery shreds of cabbage and green onion. 

The crab and pork Shumai taste like a filling my grandma would make. The filling is a solid, jam-packed with ground pork and some crab stripes on top. There's just a touch of crabby brine, enough seafood to add the salt-water savor but not too much for the seafood-shy to handle.

Potstickers! Seared to a delightful crisp, legit stick-together crust all across the bottom. They won't start these until lunchtime so time your arrival accordingly. They taste like pan-fried home.

The pork bao. The bao-wow of bao. Tender ground pork makes a fluffy filling, the finish is a meaty-sweet. It's almost enough for a meal by itself. Forget Din Tai Fung. Enjoy your XLB there, but Nikuman-Ya has the best bao in town!