Mama Says - Torrance

Mama says to eat your vegetables. And I did listen a little bit. I loved some vegetables as a child, and adult me loves them all. But salads. Salads are the bane of my existence, and I will never understand the American drive to consume large quantities of crunchy, tasteless chunks of raw iceberg lettuce. I love carrots in hummus as much as anyone, but I will never understand a salad. 

But Mama Says speaks of a different kind of salad. A customizable container of roughage, featuring suggested combinations like the Proscuitto di Parma that I can not only live with but actually learn to enjoy. The key is the soft slices of cured Italian ham on crusty chunks of bread with balsamic, but they also include a base of romaine lettuce, which carries more weight than iceberg-water. Less common options like gooey sweet potato and discs of lentils add depth. Their original dressing spice up the salads as well, though the Italian is tossed best with a simple oil and balsamic. 

Mama says you can have your less healthy options when your vegetables are gone. The salads are generous portions but they disappear easy and quick. You won’t be hungry after one of these, but you may still want to split a Carbonara between a couple people when you’re done. Al dente spaghetti is coated with eggy cream, and bacon brings its own savor. Add chunks of chicken if you want the protein, but you don’t really need it as they don’t really mix it in. 

Maybe I would have listened to my mama more if all vegetables could taste this good. I’ve never willingly ordered a salad anywhere else, and though I’d readily order from Mama Says again, I doubt I’d go anywhere else. 

Yogi’s Teriyaki - Torrance

Think Flame Broiler but more Japanese. Think Yoshinoya but more homemade. 

I prefer the Teriyaki Chicken, but the Teriyaki Beef is fine as well. The chicken is in tender chunks, and the beef is in moist shaved sheets. None of it is dry, and it’s all sandwiched between a thick bed of rice with a solid though generic sauce on top. The steamed veggies are another option to add if you want a little more nutritional value to your lunch. They are bland and a little watery but no better or worse than anywhere else. 

I don’t know if this place is a chain but the taste is a mix of mass produced with a nice touch of mom n’ pop. It’s simple and it’s cheap, a decent bowl to scarf down, better to go. Good for picky eaters and those in a rush, even better for frugal yet reluctant cooks. 

Bollywood Zaika - Redondo Beach

Fast-casual Indian, the best takeout there is. The never-soggy breads travel fluffy, the curries reheat like they were never cold, and the spices soak deeper and deeper with time, making leftovers better by the day. 

Bollywood Zaika is no exception, but they do make an exceptional Palak Paneer. I’ve never cared for this dish, but I’d put up a fight for this one. The spinach has a creamy quality, the fenugreek adds a pop of pungency, nothing like the pulpy filler-slime you might find elsewhere. The taste is bold and fresh, and the chunks of paneer are bright and cheesy, a firm and assertive contrast against the surrounding slurry. 

Order the Chicken Vindaloo with cautious recommendation because when it comes to spice, they don’t play. The chicken comes in tender chunks, perky with a bit of tart, a lot of smooth tomato, and a slightly nutty finish to delay the inevitable burn. It’s not Indian-hot, but it’s at least Indian-mild, which will set a spice-wimp sweating. You won’t die but have some milk or yogurt handy because it’ll hurt you good. 

Garlic Naan is is good, though this one has just a dusting of the breath-killer. The texture is soft and chewy, evenly thick, evenly cooked. Do make sure to order a side of rice as the naan alone won’t be enough for two.

I like Bollywood Zaika, but I think I would love it if I tried it some more. If they have even one other entree as life-changing as the palak paneer, I’ll add them a star on my Bollywood boulevard.

Chubby Rice UPDATE - Hawthorne

We’ve always tried to support local businesses, buy we haven’t always done it as much as we should. If you’re waiting for the right time, know that the time is now. Order pick up or delivery from the places you’ve been curious about, splurge in the restaurants you’ve always wanted to try. Even n/naka is featuring an affordable bento at $40. 

One place that’s always worth supporting is Hawthorne’s Chubby Rice. Fantastic modern Chinese food is only a few clicks away on Ubereats.

I was afraid the quality wouldn’t survive a cross-city journey, and I was even more concerned that like many restaurants, Chubby Rice may have lost some steam since my last visit every years ago, but they remain infallible and formidable. The General Tso’s Chicken is such a juicy thigh in a just-right layer of fingernail-thick batter, never soggy in its sweet and clingy sauce. 

The Mongolian Beef has perfectly sautéed onions that turn sweet with the heat but maintain enough crunch for contrast. The beef itself melts in your mouth in marbly sheets. 

Sides are not to be neglected. The Hot n’ Sour Soup is a mildly viscous cup of comfort, made with fresh tofu and tender mushrooms. Less abrasively hot and less shockingly sour than your typical fast food iteration, this one has a more nuanced flavor profile that makes it easy to sip. 

The Chow Mein comes as a side but works just as well as a stand-alone. There’s a smoky wok-char to the curly egg noodles, and it fits like a glove with some steamed vegetables that are steamed only to the cooking point so they don’t lose their textural integrity. 

Our order came with a couple of brownies, a heartfelt thank you from a hardworking owner trying to keep their business alive in trying times. These words are their own rewards. I’ll leave you now with no more words - the food at Chubby Rice speaks for itself. 

Kokio Chicken - Harbor City

Beer and wings, wings and beer. Is there anything better? 

A: Korean wings and beer. Korean wings and beer are so much better. Kokio offers a Half n’ Half for variety, and the sweet n’ sticky Honey Bee Wings are a must. Garlic Wings are good as well, a little sticky, a little garlicky, a little smooth and just a little creamy. 

Waffle Fries are a fun side, though not necessary with all the chicken. Plus your comped container of lightly pickled daikon is more refreshing anyway. 

I’m sorry to say that take-out doesn’t travel well from Harbor City to Torrance, but I can tell that Kokio has potential. The wing sauces are good, and the quality of the chicken is decent, but dine-in or to-go at a shorter distance would be preferable. I’ll definitely sample some more after this lockdown is all done, though still wouldn’t stop me from ordering next time I’m wanting wings. 

Rinaldi’s of Redondo - Redondo Beach

Sometimes it’s nice having someone else put your lunch together. That’s what they do at Rinaldi’s. Their brand is freshly-sliced Boar’s Head, and they carry a long menu full of every combinations of lunch meat.

The Owner’s Favorite is simple, a basic honey maple turkey, a TLT with mustard. 

The Godfather is a heavier, more filling choice, the sandwich of carnivores for sure. Your arteries will feel the Italian meats, steak, and bacon, but all of it warm with melty cheese makes for fewer regrets.

If you’re in Redondo and want to grab an easy lunch to eat by the beach, Rinaldi’s is definitely several steps above Subway. That said, I’m not sure I would go back. They don’t really “make” sandwiches, they just assemble them. The deli meat is fresh, and the bread is fine, but you won’t remember anything you had here. If you just want a good lunch-meat sandwich, this will hit the spot for a bit more than you’d pay to do it yourself, but you may want to save your money and do it yourself. 

Shrimp By You - Torrance

Maternity leave and social distancing have put a damper on my food adventures to say the least. Ordering in is limited to places close enough to deliver, and photos will be of to-go boxes and cartons unceremoniously dumped onto my kitchen’s plates for a while. 

Photographer I am not, but believe me, this Clam Chowder looks much better than the grayish hue my soup cup would suggest. The consistency is on the thinner side so you’re not assaulted by cloying  cream, and there is a fair amount of clams in fresh-tasting micro-chunks

Yelp thinks they do a decent seafood boil, and I don’t disagree. The whole shrimp are probably better, but the Peeled Shrimp are a lot less work. The shrimp are decent quality, like the kind you’d get in a supermarket cocktail. The Cajun sauce is a little bit watery and I wish it would have soaked into the shrimp more, but the spices are nice enough.

The Mussels do taste fresh and tender, and the simple black pepper sauce works just fine.

A pretty good seafood boil to go, though I imagine it would taste even better in house. Good quality, satisfying enough. If you’re craving seafood with a hint of Cajun, Shrimp By You is fine by me.