Red Rock UPDATE - Torrance

Beef bowls, the best in the business. 

The classic American Sliced Beef Don comes paper thin, covered with crack sauce. 

The Cut Steak Don is a cap of rare-red grill-lined steak over a perfect bed of rice. 

Omu-Curry & Rice with Pork Cutlet sounds complicated, but that murky black curry is simply superb. 

Steak Curry and Rice is the same curry with a smaller steak.

For a kid-friendly, adult-appealing option, don't overlook the Beef Omu-Rice at the very end. Choose the ketchup rice for a little tang, or opt for this garlic rice which is simply savory until the last blissful bite. 

Quality beef, quality rice, simply supreme. I just can't describe what makes this place so unforgettable - you'll have to see for yourself. 

Banadir Somali Restaurant UPDATE - Inglewood

Keep it simple and do what you do best. That's what Banadir is doing, and Banadir is the best. 

Meat and rice with a side of salad and a banana. A bottle of water instead of tea. The Goat is falling off the bone, it's rich but it's lean and clean. 

Lamb looks like goat, but it's more gamey and equally great. 

Tilapia is a new venture, and these thin and flavorful slabs of fish are a safe adventure. 

The salad is mixed greens, covered in a creamy white dressing. The real standout is the rice. It's fragrant and flavorful, so savory as well. Firm yet tender long grains create the perfect texture, and it's good enough to stand alone. Smear on the green sauce. It stings skillfully and lightens the heavy meat.

Did I mention these generous practically 2-people portions are only 15-17 dollars? It's hard to get anything good for that price in this economy, but if you're looking for exceptional and exceptionally cheap, Banadir is where it's at. 

Hurry Curry of Tokyo - Santa Monica

Hurry here to get your curry.

Fried Calamari is a crispy app,

comforting like these juicy pork Gyoza.

The mains are so varied, and each dish as distinct as it is devilishly delicious. 

The Tokyo Curry is a style I've never had, it's almost a stew of ground beef, significantly sweetened by coins of carrot. It's like no curry I've ever had, and I  have yet to see it elsewhere. Sub rice for spaghetti if you like that texture better, but this curry can do no wrong. 

Ironically their classic Chicken Cutlet Curry is my least loved, but loved all the same.  The breast filet is breaded to perfection, and the addition of eggplant is smooth like silk.

The Chicken Pasta feels like something I'm not supposed to like. The sake-marinated karaage is spectacular, and the stir-fry of mushrooms, onion, pepper and corn is great, but mix that up with their "secret" white sauce, which is morbidly mayo, and the result just can't be good, except it's amazing. 

Love this creative curry house, hate that it's so far away. They won't deliver to me, but it just might be worth the schlep to Santa Monica.

Gong Cha - Gardena

I'm getting spoiled! Here's another authentic boba joint in the South Bay, conveniently placed across from Kura where there's a perpetual line, designed to quench your thirst as you salivate for sushi. 

Get a good Milk Tea or some variation, and slurp it up with some proper boba. 

This one is a passionfruit juice-mix with boba and lychee jelly. They had some sort of special, and it was perfect for a non-caffeinated choice. 

I like it, and I like its location a lot. Good boba, solid tea, great for grabbing a drink and killing time. 

Grand Central Market: G&B Coffee, Clark St Bakery - Los Angeles

A dollar for a ride down the Angels Flight deposits you in front of the iconic GCM. 

A steaming Cappuccino and a sweet Ethiopian drip await at a convenient counter. Standing room only, elbow height for composure as you consume your daily coffee. Good service, friendly and efficient, not at all brusque or overbearing. Great start to the day, best start to a morning food fest. 

The line at Eggslut is unbearable, but it's Toast Tuesday right next to that pacing pile-up. A mere $6 buys a slab of bread with waves of avocado piled a whole inch thick. The seasoning is perfect, with chili flakes to add a little fire. 

Even BCD's Godmother hasn't got a chance compared to this Jambon-Beurre. Soft country ham covers this crusty roll, and nutty aged comte is given a lift by acidic yellow mustard and crunchy cornichons. 

It's an adventure every time. There's always something new, whether it's sipping a halo halo at Sari Sari or grabbing a taco to go. I don't know if I'll ever get everything I want here. The new stuff always pops up, and the classics never get old.

Humble Potato - Los Angeles

If my husband had a spirit restaurant, it would be the Humble Potato. It's the artful combination of everyone's favorite comfort food covered in rich decadence, with an Asian zing and a Japanese mastery that makes every bite an unforgettable explosion.  

The Gold Finger wings are these sauce-drenched yet maximum-crunch concoctions that sizzle while they burn. The pungent garlic adds oomph to sweet sambal, and the yuzu is a sweet citrus that somehow lightens the burn.

Craving a burger? The Spam Musubi has the works and then some. A juicy cheeseburger patty is topped with a crispy hash brown, seared spam, bacon, and avocado, and a fried egg lends its yolk. HP sauce, which seems to be some sort of sriracha mayo oozes from beneath. 

Craving a soup-and-sandwich? Have both in the Katsu Kare Sando. The chicken breast katsu is perfection, and it's dripping with japanese curry, spiced by a yuzu-jalapeno slaw. 

It sounds like a lot, and it is, but it's never too much yet always just enough. Every item has a hardcore heap of heavy flavors and substantial savors, put together by a touch of genius, applied with just enough restraint to make it mesh. The menu may seem a bit much, but it's an establishment that excels.

Pinwheel Bakery - Torrance

There are a few for-real French bakeries in the South Bay, but I never did think I'd find one that served real Escargot. 

Get 'em at Pinwheel - they'll make them at any hour! Seriously, I asked around 8 AM and they offered. Without judgement. 

They're alright escargot. Plenty of butter, no shortage of garlic. Not the best I've had, but as good as any cafe in the streets of Paris. 

Best when washed down with French Onion Soup. Also not the best I've had, but also a perfectly fine broth with a handful of onion and plenty of bread bits. The compulsory gruyere crust is there as well. 

They also do plenty of quiches and a variety of sandwiches. My fave (and only) so far is the Brie Sandwich, with apples and arugula stacked over slices of brie on a finger-thin ficelle. 

Of the breads, the Baguette is bomb. Crispy crust and a chewy center. The baguettine lacks the crust so go big or go home. 

But don't overlook the bread of the day either. I like the one with olives, but the one with dates is divine. 

The pastries are pretty great. Flake away the layers of a barely-sweet Kouign Amann,

or opt for a classic Apple Turnover. Caneles are drizzled with honey, and every fourth one is free. 

The Apple Tart is cute but pricey. 

Like 'em all, love 'em all, but you're it's the scones where they really shine. Plenty of flavors; lemon lavender, cranberry orange, blueberry, blahblahblah. Skip straight to the Fig and Honey Scone because it is the best baked good. Ever. Anywhere. 

I love Crossroads shopping center because everything is there, but good stuff tends to get buried, especially amongst the flashier fronts like Whole Foods or Lunasia. Pinwheel is tucked into a corner and won't win over Sidecar, but it's always been my pick when I'm craving a great taste of France.

Chubby Rice UPDATE - Hawthorne

Some businesses stand out because their food is just that good, others because of character. Chubby Rice has both. 

I can't help but smile every time I hear their name, fondness from the lockdown days when every takeout order came with a couple of home-baked cookies and a handwritten post-it note, thanking us for supporting a local business. 

Humble and sweet, full-flavored but clean, most of the menu is deliciously straightforward, yet whimsical items like the Chubby Eggroll throw in the sass. This forearm-sized, deep-fried, crispy-crunch egg roll wrapper houses a medley of shredded veggies and perfectly seasoned meat. Anyone who says bigger isn't better never met this eggroll.  

Pan Fried Dumplings are just that. Gyoza with a chewy, crunchy wrapper and a juicy filling of pork. 

The Chubby Wings are another delightfully fried item, super crunchy, dipped in their sweet and sour sauce. 

I hate cream cheese, but I can't get enough of their Crab Rangoon. There's something about that sweet center and the texture of minced crab in cream. 

General Tso's Chicken is everyone's favorite dish and undoubtedly their best. Tender thigh meat goes in steaming hot, and each bite has a sweet n' sour tang with a little bit of bang and burn. The chow mein is so good - golden noodles without the extra grease. 

The kung pao chicken lacks the spicy pep I've become accustomed to, but the Mapo Tofu is kinda nice. This dish is sweet and soft with plump pork and firm cubes of tofu. Just spicy enough to give you a little kick. 

The Salt & Pepper Pork Chop is not my fave, but the seasoning is solid, and they make a great fried rice. 

Go for gold with the Pork Chop Sandwich instead. It's a giant telera roll, stuffed with a crispy pork chop, aioli, and slaw, and the fries are formidable. 

The pandemic brought out the worst in most people, but Chubby Rice only got better. When times got tough, they showed their resilience, and their clear sense of community may be the only good memory I have during that very dark time. They survived and I hope they thrive - if anyone deserves to do well, it's these awesome cooks at Chubby Rice!

King Mediterrano - Torrance

Think back to your 20s, the worst hangover you've ever had. Now think of the cure. 

If you lived in SoCal back then too, it would look exactly like the Chicken Shawarma Nachos. This Medi-Mex fusion creates unique concoctions like these crazy-good seasoned pita chips topped with chunks of chicken, rivers of sauce, and a handful of olives and tomato. It's a fun dish, perfect for watching a game but leaves you feeling a little less gross. 

The Falafel Plate is a bit more wholesome, 14 balls of falafel on a bed of white rice, invading both the baba and the hummus. The baba doesn't taste like eggplant and the hummus has too much lemon. Still, 14 falafels for under $14 was enough food for almost four days. 

Gotta get my Gyro Meat - they make theirs with beef and lamb. Even the side is so much, and I love how thinly sliced it is. 

They're a step above fast food and a smidge below fast-casual, but they're far from gourmet. Still, the food is fun, and the helpings are huge, especially at this price point, and in the days of inflation, it's pretty great to get multiple meals at this price. 

Pho Hue Oi - Redondo Beach

It's down the street, it's easy to eat, and even Eater LA endorsed it. 

I was all ready to feel satisfied, but the disappointment became so clear. The P2. Filet Mignon Pho was supposed to be a favorite, but it certainly wasn't mine. The filet was fine, but this bare broth was light and thin. I liked Pho So 1 so much better. 

We also got a couple of sandwiches. Banh Mi Hue Oi with cured cold cuts and Banh Mi Bo Ribeye Beef Nuong. The bread isn't great, but the beef had a nice lemongrass flavor, and props for a housemade pate.

It'll do. I'd eat it, but I'd rather have another. I know I can't drive farther south than the South Bay for better sandwiches and pho, but I'll gladly drive a few streets over for someone else's.