Umenoya UPDATE - Torrance

We should start interviewing new hospitalists at Umenoya using the Spicy Miso Ramen as a litmus test. So much would be revealed for the price of a noodle soup.

"Have a seat."

[Open the menu.] 

"What would you like? I recommend the Spicy Miso Ramen - there's no better broth, spicy miso chashu if you're hungry."

[You order.]

Order anything else and we'll send you packing, dietary restrictions aside. Order the spicy miso, advance to the next round. 

[You start to eat.]

"What do you think?"

Is it the best you've ever had? Yes? At least one boss will vouch for you.

Love it? Advance to the next round.

Like it? Just okay? Pretty good? Noncommittal or vague answer? Red flag. You're a big MAYBE. 

"What's your favorite ramen? What other places do you like?" Answer carefully for your future with us depends on it.

Not your thing? Get up, get out. You're not going to fit in so you can't sit with us. We'll forgive but we won't forget this. 

They do make other stuff. Vegetarian friends swear by the miso, those with allergies enjoy the corn butter and the shoyu. I opt for the Tsukemen when I can't stomach so much broth. 

They also make a fantastic spicy tuna bowl on a hot day, and apps like Takoyaki can be fun. Don't worry, we won't do the Gyoza Roulette with you until after you're hired. The spicy one will be your initiation. 

Pass the ramen test? I'll raise my green tea (they don’t serve alcohol) and toast. A warm welcome to you and a warm thank-you to Umenoya, the unofficial ramen of HCP!

Madre UPDATE - Torrance

If I could only eat the Tamal de Mole every night, I'd be the happiest person. I'd be twice the person I am today, but also twice as happy. 

There’s nothing better than that sweet chocolate burn that seeps through the cornmeal and saturates every shred of chicken. I love everything I've eaten at Madre, but there's nothing I love more.

That said, the rest of Madre's menu is not one to ignore. The dishes are a stunning array of diversity done well. 

The Nopalitos are great to start. Refreshing, a freshfreshfresh dice of nopales, a mix of mild tart and slightly fruit, a firm and supple squeak. Add chunks of ripe avocado, pico, and queso fresco, and you’ll never need a salad again.

Ceviche de Pescado with catch of the day tastes like it just came out of the water. A buttery and juicy fish, full of hopping jalapeño and lime. 

They even top it off with fried calamari for just a little extra.

The Burrito de Madre is an option of comfort, for those no-fork nights. Fill it with carne asada, and fill you up on this brick of rice and beans.

Barbacoa Tacos come in soft and crumbly tortillas, and the shreds of goat meat are so juicy they drip. Dunk everything in the side of stew - the concentration of flavor is incredible.

Having guests over and don't want to cook? The Parillada serves 2-3 starving people and winner gets lunch tomorrow. 

You can try half the menu without any guesswork, but don't take my word for it - let these crunchy squares of all-fat chicharones speak for themselves. 

The veggie corner has grilled nopales, chunks of pepper, onion, and portabella, and there's some charred leak on the side. I'm not sure how you eat those bean-looking things, but I would love to learn. 

Cecina is a thin and flavorful filet of pork, perfect on a handmade tortilla (pay for the upgrade!). Add black beans and Mexican rice for the best taco. Tasajo is the beef option, and they even have little nubbins of chorizo that kick. Quesillo is like string cheese married mozzarella with all the queso fresco. I don't normally like chiles rellenos, but these are so perfectly breaded and fried, and the balance of sweet and spice is right.

There's not a single thing I don't love about Madre. The attention to every detail in every dish makes them a rare find in both quality and taste. Plus their food travels well so there's never a reason not to order. 

Zam Zam Market - Hawthorne

Most reviewers describe Zam Zam as small and simple; a proud mom-and-pop market with specialized groceries that stands tall in a strip mall serving up hot platters from a focused menu. 

This description barely scratches the surface of what comes out of that tiny kitchen, starting with their "legendary" Chicken Briyani. They call it legendary not to boast, but because that's what it truly is. The chunks of chicken are juicy, and every spice sinks through to the bone. That meaty umami seeps into every single grain of rice, and each bite is all-consuming.

Dip a wedge of a fluffy naan into the Lamb Korma gravy. Each meaty chunk glows scarlet beneath, tender like it's been braised for days. This curry is creamy with a yogurt base, and it manages to balance all the elements, giving equal pause to sweet, salty, tangy, earthy, and umami.

Almost everything has a little burn, and the Chicken Karahi is no exception. Acid sweeps the senses in a slurry of onion and garlic, pungent and bitter. The sauce is simultaneously sharp and seamless, with an attention-getting sophistication, and it's such a unique flavor that even I found new and exciting.

Michelin went to Gardena but he forgot to check out Hawthorne. I may not be familiar with Pakastani food, but Zam Zam is on par with half the Michelin stars I've tried. They deliver dishes that are undeniably superior with a skill that I can’t imagine is commonplace. I've eaten by way through the South Bay's best, and Zam Zam Market jumped to top five favorite in a single bite on a single night. 

Caps & Corks - Torrance

You love your sandwiches and you love your beer. You've just bought one and you're dying to pair it with the other yet you loathe the idea of going out again. 

Caps & Corks has everything you need. Fridges full of beer, most of them craft and many of them local are bound to have everything you like and then some.  

LOOK at this thing! This Philthy Philly Cheesesteak with gooey white American cheese seeping through the layers of steak, a pile of grilled mushrooms and onion and red pepper dots. Is there anything that goes better with beer? Is there any beer that doesn't go with this??

Not feeling the bread? Three words: CAPS Cali Burrito. A warm tortilla bulging with bits of beans, juicy carne asada, potato, guac, melty cheese, and pico. They put a ton of work into this thing - all the ingredients are pre-mixed and evenly spread so you never get a bite with just pico and you never run out of meat.

Love this place. Everything I want, all in the same store, fantastic quality to boot. A lot of thought went into these sandwiches, a lot of effort in curating the beer. Just a great little local shop that I'll always want to visit.

Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop - Gardena

 

I hate bowling. I don’t know what size ball I need, I don’t know how to throw it, and yes, I will still bowl a 63 with gutter guards. 

I will NOT go bowling. I will NEVER...wait a minute... Did you say cafe? Well a bowling alley cafe is right up my alley. 

This cafe serves Japanese-Hawaiian soul food, some of the South Bay’s best. Hearty heaps like the Hawaiian Royal are EXACTLY the kind of food I would eat at a bowling alley...because I would have to be very drunk to there, and there is no better hangover prophylaxis than this. The colors are brighter than a lei, and the radioactive-red chashu chunks are as delicious as they are suspicious. It’s a beautiful mess of a scramble, a literal green eggs and ham as chopped scallion perks up a fluffy mix of eggs, chashu, and sausage over rice.

They have sandwiches if you’re more about lunch than brunch. Bonus points for the Chicken Katsu Sandwich cutlet for overhanging the bun, and an extra point for toasting the bun like this.

The Loco Moco is truly loco. That slab of hamburg is half the size of the box, and a fried egg runeth over. Plenty of smothered onions and a thick brown gravy to cover the rice and keep you eating. 

Don't get your hopes up about me bowling, but if you go to Gardena Bowl I’d go in a heartbeat. And I’d cheer you on...with my mouth full. 

Izakaya Hachi UPDATE - Torrance

 

It’s been a long year. Learning to live in lockdown has been trying, and I've struggled to make peace with so many ups and downs. But just when I think I've achieved acceptance, something tears me up all over again, like this most recent moment when I lost Izakaya Hachi all over again.

There’s no substitute for the inside of an izakaya, and this one had no equal. The counter had a lively buzz as friends old and new bonded over beer. The dark wood tables held happy couples, romantic and platonic, and the whole place would vibrate with undeniable chemistry under dim yet revealing lights. The servers would bustle as people filed in to relax from their daily hustle.

Covid came and took that away, and I never really processed that loss until I ordered Omakase Plus. I thought that a platter of pinchable pleasures would bring back fond memories, but the feelings were bittersweet. 

The beginning box of chef's choice Sashimi was pretty, but immediately there was a difference. The fish is great: The tuna is lean and mean, the toro tastes like butter and fat, salmon is creamy and slick, the snapper is meaty and sweet, and the pretty white slices of squid and halibut are fresh and seamless. But it just doesn’t taste the same in a plastic box, and the plating loses its impact when it’s not on their artisanal plates.

Then there's the platter. A little cup of this, a little tray of that, packed on a plastic plate. I love the little samples, but I want them one plate at a time. 

Everything on this plate is exquisite. I’m not a fan of the raw octopus due to personal preference, but I do love their light tempura of sweet, juicy jumbo shrimp, and that root vegetable with ground meat to the right is divine. I'm not sure what that was, but I love the earthy flavor with mildly fruity notes and the starchy yet tender texture. 

Karaage is juicy and crisp, and concentric layers of tamago are soft and fluffy. Potato salad glows pink, sea-soned with artificial crab and a lot of mayo. Next is a slightly random salami and olives. Keep rotating for some mild pickles as a palate cleanser. 

The fried oysters are fabulous, buttery and meaty with not much brine. The sausages look like cocktail weenies, but they have a lot more snap and smoke.

Rare-red slices of Beef Tataki sit center, co-starring with tender rings of a large Boiled Squid. 

My heart broke a little more when I tried to order the best thing they make. Their beef tongue steak has no equal, especially not this Ribeye Steak Ponzu. A good steak for sure, but not enough to get over the hurt of not having beef tongue.

I miss you, Izakaya Hachi. More than you’ll ever know and more than I could understand. These takeaways are good, but so much of your essence and your spirit are lost. I thought I had made my peace with covid, but now I hate it more than ever. It’s already taken so much, and it can’t have you too. Hang in there, Izakaya Hachi, as soon as you can safely open your doors, I'll be running in.