Kang Kang Food Court - Alhambra

We walk in only 30 minutes before closing. The industrial kitchen is still steamy from a long day's work, but the atmosphere is icy as the woman behind the counter speaks bluntly to me in Mandarin, entirely ignoring my friend who is Vietnamese. "You can only order to go,” she says immediately, “We close in half an hour."

But we can order anything, she adds, even the Sheng Jian Bao which are a pain to make, take forever to cook, and must be made to order. Mine are still steaming and crunching when I get them home more than half an hour later. 

I also ordered regular XLB, which are absolutely alright but not the valley's best. 

The Sticky Rice Shumai are also just alright. The rice is moderately savory but you have to really like sticky rice shumai and even then these are middle of the pack. 

I always say that the food is good if the service is bad, but this isn't entirely fair here. Her manner is curt and she doesn’t waste words, but her actions speak louder than words. When my friend orders four pork-filled buns (through me), she slips an extra into the box. “Let’s give you one," she murmurs…to me. 

Then she holds out a styrofoam tray of mochi rolls with red bean filling. "Do you want one? $5 and we just made them. Still warm and haven't even gone into the fridge". I hesitate for a moment, and she repeats, more insistently, "They're fresh and they’re still soft". And I can see the plush mochi wrapper stuffed with flakes of coconut with the creamy-smooth red bean spilling out. Yes, one for each of us. They might be the tastiest thing I ever ate.  

I tell her we will pay and she says "But you want the Beef Noodle Soup too?" I said no thanks, I'd ordered a lot. 

"Are you sure?" She repeats. She tells me it’s one of their best dishes and I can’t manage to refuse. And holy moly, what a bowl of flavor. Fatty chunks of liquid meat are steeped in a thick brown broth with enough msg to put you into a coma. It reheats well for days, and I ate it with zero regrets. 

Come to Kang Kang for Chinese comfort, cash-only classics. They do a fantastic job replicating grandma’s neighborhood restaurant, and the service is consistent with the vibe. Be prepared to order with numbers and gestures if you don’t speak Chinese, but it’s a momentary discomfort in exchange for sheng jian bao and one heck of a soup. 

Bistro Miyoda & Sushi Ichiriki UPDATE - Redondo Beach

It was a random dinner with friends a few years ago, yet another a nondescript storefront of a bustling bistro in yet another suburban strip mall. 

But there was something same-same but different about this bistro too, a buzzing ambiance, a cool-without-trying vibe, making it the Torihei of sushi spots.

We forgot about it for a while, but now, with it’s more Doordash-accessible location, it’s our new go-to place, with beautiful cuts of fish at twice the quality and a fraction of the price. 

They make a fabulous Fried Chicken - a perfect, golden batter, and they have a long list of creative artisanal-appearing specialty rolls. The Seared Ono Roll remains my favorite, and you can’t go wrong with classics like the Catepillar. 

Soft-shelled Crab is another sweet starter, not one but TWO crabs, classically fried. 

The Sushi Pizza makes it sound white-washed, but it’s a playful concoction of crispy rice topped with avocado and spicy tuna, a contrast of hot and cold, cream and crunch. Call it whatever you want - you won’t enjoy it any less. 

When you have a place with such quality cuts, stick to the straightforward. The Una-don, for example is slices of tender eel, drizzling its juices into the rice beneath. 

I've never met a dish more understated than their Tekka-don. They call it a bowl of tuna, but these fatty cuts are clearly toro. It makes the most beautiful bowl, and these oily slices are spectacular. 

The name is long and the location is random, and I think this makes Bistro Miyoda one of the better-hidden and perpetually underrated Beach City secrets. Splash into someplace sexy closer to Catalina or the pier if that’s what you’re looking for, but if you want real, affordable quality and a more relaxed atmosphere, make the drive to Bistro Miyoda where the sushi is great and the parking is free. 

Mendocino Farms - Torrance

So much excitement surrounding the newest link on the Mendocino chain. 

So much disappointment in that first found of sandwiches. I know they're busy on weekends, but when you put a sandwich in the panini press it really helps if you plug it in. 

The Proscuitto & Chicken has the grill lines but the bread isn’t even toasted. Good proscuitto, good chicken, good mozzarella. Shrug. 

The Chicken Pesto Caprese is pretty similar, same stuff different sandwich.

The Chimichurri Steak & Shishito Bowl is something different, but there’s so much salt and so much lemon you can’t even taste the steak and the broccolini is actually sour. 

Banh Mi has a nice pork belly inside but it barely covers half the bread. The pickles are fun and they don’t hold back on the jalapeños, which distracts a little from the lack of meat…and this time they seem to have plugged in the panini press halfway into the pressing. 

Oh yummmm, I love a good ahi amarillo, and they don’t hold back on the heat in the Peruvian Steak sandwich. Great flavors, the best thing I’ve had here so far. 

Great concept, love the closer location. But it seems like no one knows how to toast bread here and it just isn’t worth the madness of that parking lot. Drive to El Segundo if you want to be wowed.

Bistro Napa - Reno, NV

Situated on the second floor of the Atlantis, this place has all the trappings of casino cuisine. A long list of steaks and high-end cuts of meat make up half the menu, and for their impressive list of wines, they simply hand you an iPad for you to peruse. 

There’s quite a gap between the bread and the appetizers, but the service is attentive and the speed is quite appropriate for a full house on a Friday night. 

But an adorable amuse bouche tries to bridge the gap, a cracker-crostini with a shaved beef salad. 

The appetizers come, for me this Classic Escargot, which is made exactly as it should be. Six wells of tender snails sit in a soup of butter and pungent garlic. Soak up all the sauce with all six toast points - your taste buds will thank you and your breath will peel the paint of the walls.

The server recommended the Caesar Salad, for reasons I cannot comprehend. It looks like something poured out of a supermarket bag, though the dressing tasted a little better. 

At this point I realize that this bistro has a bit a red flag; Beware the boundless menu. At first glance, the wide variety is welcome, but what it translates to is everything good and nothing great.

Their signature Sea Bass is where it starts to show. The fish is cooked properly, but it’s just a little bit fishy, and I can tell it isn’t entirely fresh. The risotto is the highlight here - looks exactly like a stock photo, so creamy with super tender shrimp.

The Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs are also labeled as a signature, but I find them nice but somewhat forgettable. They have a heavy sauce, a rich red wine that savors it up, a fine-dining meat n’ potatoes. Delicious but been done. 

Thrillist lauded this bistro for its California cuisine, but I don’t agree with their description. Praised for their emphasis on seasonality, the sheer size of the menu would suggest otherwise. Aside from serving root veggies in the winter and working some string beans into late spring, there are just too many dishes to not buy in bulk. I like them, and I think they’re exactly right for their target audience (the casino-goer population), but if I want fine dining, I would pick something less generic.  

La Cucina UPDATE - Reno, NV

I'm still quite pleased with this place. 

They make some simple stuff, but it's simple in a really nice way. The Calamari Steak Strips, for example, are exactly that. A sizeable slab of squid, sliced into strips and breaded with a cheesy crumb. The squid is super tender, and the crust isn't crunch but rather, it's all soft from soaking in olive oil. I've never had squid prepared like this, but I don't have any complaints.  

The Shrimp Scampi was also exactly that. Fresh shrimp, a splash of garlic over fettuccine. A bit bland, TBH, but definitely not bad. 

The Grilled Cheese was off the kid's menu. Good bread, good grill lines, though the world's pickiest toddler never touched it. 

Pasta Primavera is a pleasant surprise. The house-made pasta is perfect, and the combination of spinach and lemon adds a lot of citrus to the dish. White wine and olive oil brighten it up some more, and they weren't shy about adding so much garlic it's almost spicy. Plenty of textures and flavors with a mix of meaty portobello, acidic artichoke, sharp sun dried tomatoes, and tender asparagus. I love how bold and bright they make this usually-boring dish, though they could do a little better with the green beans. 

Hey, this was fun. The big flavors and fresh veggies in my pasta were a nice break from the heavy meats we've been having. Still a nice place to go. 

Republique UPDATE- Los Angeles

At night it's a little more formal, but during the day it's all cafe. 

I will never not love this place, and I will never tire of the Gioiella Ricotta Toast. A sweet, thick cream of a cheese covers a crusty bread, topped with seasonal fruit. This time I caught those gorgeous peaches and figs. With chunks of pistachio and a drizzle of honey, it's absolutely bliss. 

Fungi pile high on a slab of Mushroom Toast, interspersed with slips of spinach and slices of house-cured ham. A creamy hollandaise creeps into the crevices and coddles the eggs, a Benedict-but-better that will warm you to your core. 

A simple Steak Frites is a slightly gristly cut, brimming with butter, dripping with juice, decadence in a dish. 

A lunch is simply not enough, and we continue the fun at home with a box of baked goods and a baguette to go with dinner. The baguette is just perfect, a crust with a real crunch that rips open to reveal a soft and chewy center.

In our box, we have a dulce de leche black sesame pound cake, a truly perfect pound cake, where the sesame adds savory and nutty notes. No need for the dulce de leche - this layer of decadence distracts from the pure loveliness of the pound cake. Plus there's plenty of that in this dulce de leche pastry, an impossibly flaky crust over a rock of creamy caramel-sugar filling that oversaturates your sweet senses. The raspberry hazelnut donut is a fine frosted donut, light and airy but just a donut all the same. The raspberry matcha bundt is a favorite, however, a firm yet moist bit of cake covered in a matcha crust. It's a sweet cake, infused with so much matcha flavor yet none of the residual bitterness. 

Make no mistake; Republique may look like a Paris street, but they're no corner cafe, and their prices reflect their rent. Be prepared to pay to play, though I don't find the prices off-putting given their location in Los Angeles. Beautiful restaurant, beautiful food, always worth another visit. 

The Living Room - Beverly Hills

 

We fancy. It's high tea at THE Peninsula, and the Living Room didn't disappoint. They have all the trappings of an upscale tea salon, with comfy couches and cozy booths for lounging with your pinky up. 

The price reflects the service as well as the quality of the food, though I don't love that it requires a glass of champagne. It's a good champagne and goes great with the starter of Strawberries & Cream, but it'd be nice if they offered to take it off the tab for those who either don't drink or simply don't want to drink at 11 AM. 

Choose one tea for your afternoon service. They carry a suitable selection, and all of them seem lovely. I had my Earl Grey with lemon, and hubby opted for a smoother Oolong. 

The 3-tiered service arrives not a moment too soon, and it is spectacular. Make no mistake, each offering is exquisite, as delicately rendered as they are heavily buttered and covered in cream. 

The bottom boasts of so many sandwiches, the silkiest house smoked salmon with a dab of caviar and a slice of citrus. English cucumber sliced fresh and thin tempers a bold pumpernickel . Egg salad is creamy and smooth, soothing the only rye bread I've ever liked. Chicken salad is a sweet surprise, elevated by honey, raisins, and mascarpone. Charred zucchini is a dreamy summer squash, sun-sweet on a bed of bright tomato. 

That middle tier weighs heavy on your middle, impossible to finish if you don't want to leave more than full. A pumpkin spice latte mousse celebrates the season, and a pretty pecan tart is not-so-ideally enriched with two layers of cream on top. Battenberg Cake is a checkerboard of almond and a slim line of raspberry, a cinnamon hazelnut financier is the cousin of a pound cake, and an apple pie square is a gooey caramel apple that doesn't stick to your teeth. 

The top tier holds top-tier scones, one studded with cranberry, and one that's buttery and plain. They're still warm from the oven, and they dissolve into buttery bits on your tongue when spread with curd and clotted cream. 

A signature Peninsula Cap Cake concludes your meal. Discard the stiff white chocolate cover - it's just too much sugar to enjoy. There's a moist, danish-looking cake beneath, with strawberry in the middle.

I can never finish my afternoon tea because it's always too rich and too much, but I've always admired the efficiency. Each bite is exquisite because no bites are wasted, every tiny sandwich and cake is made with the utmost care and maximum flavor. It's a beautiful experience at The Peninsula, but be prepared to pay up to enjoy it. Worth it...but only if it's what you're looking for. 

Lunasia Dim Sum House - Torrance

I just can't tell if the Michelin recognition is well-deserved. The new Torrance location is South Bay's first in big-name dim sum, and I'm still trying to sort out the real vs the hype. 

First of all, everything is clean but too clean. If you're looking for creaky little carts with cute little dumplings, this isn't the place for you. The Shrimp Hargow are crystal-clear and pristine, but they are huge. Each is easily the size of three regulars. The shrimp filling is perfect, though, and they're absolutely the best thing here. 

Even bigger still are the Pork Shumai, boulders of ground meat that settle in your stomach like a rock. 

The Spinach Shrimp Dumplings are fun, a chewy green wrapper and a bit more veg inside. Not a favorite but quite good all the same. 

The Scallop Dumpling with Squid Juice has a fine-dining feel, with a chunk of shelled scallop sitting atop a black wrapper boat. 

I love a Bean Curd Roll but not here. It's served as a soup, which dilutes the flavor and turns the chewy wrapper soggy.

BBQ Pork Bao are always popular. I prefer the steamed because the baked ones have a more meh wrapper.

Rice Noodle Rolls are a must. Pork and Shrimp are fine, and the Crispy Shrimp have a crunch, which is fun but extremely filling. 

The Turnip Cake, another staple. Rarely bad but even more rarely good. Filling but not particularly thrilling.

I always opt out of the Mixed Puff with Pork, but these are exceptional, a mochi tube housing savory little bits and pieces. 

I love a good Egg Yolk Bun. This is not a good egg yolk bun.

No thanks on the Chicken Feet. They are the reason I never try the chicken feet. Soggy and the sauce is generic.

Spareribs. At least two orders...per person. These are amazing. Fall-off-the-cartilage tender, great steamy pork flavor. 

They do entrees as well, but you come for the dim sum. But it's you like jellyfish, the Marinated Jellyfish makes a crunchy salt n' vinegar app. 

Steer clear of the Chinese Broccoli. It's boiled with zero seasoning, just a little side of oyster sauce for dipping. There is not enough sauce in the world to save this. 

Pan-Fried String Beans are a good green side, though, 

and the garlic Eggplant is great. 

Someone ordered the Seafood Udon to satiate a carb craving. The noodles are al dente, but the sauce and the shrimp aren't fresh and you can tell.

Salt & Pepper Pork Chop gets soggy in transit, but the breading and seasoning have potential. 

Save room for some Sesame Balls or a flaky-sweet Macao Style Egg Custard Tart. 

Cantonese Sponge Cake is light and fluffy if you're feeling cake without so much sugar. 

I am constantly conflicted about Lunasia. Do I like it? Wholeheartedly yes. Do I love it? I'm not so sure. I like a lot of the stuff they make, but my mind isn't exactly blown. Still, it's great to have a legit dim sum house close to home and I'll gladly continue to eat all my dim sum here.