Barsha - Hermosa Beach

The coolest restaurant in the South Bay, the best in the Beach Cities. The nondescript strip mall it sits in is hardly anyone’s aesthetic, but venture inside for a memorable menu and soak up the unbeatable vibe. There’s only ceiling fans beating in the beach breeze, and they frequently blow out the mood-lighting candles that illuminate every table. Our servers fight a valiant but losing battle, lighting and relighting ours with every change of plates, even when we tell them there’s no need for such trouble. Service is that dedicated and is rendered with a genuine warmth and merriment that shows this place is built on joy. 

And the plates are joyful as well. Starters are strong, as the Hand of Fatima kicks off our meal with five fingers of fabulous, and we soon find out that everything on the menu really is that good. 

My faves here are the aromatic, herbaceous pesto and the rich and salty tapenade. The other fingers are loaded with juicy olives, earthy harissa or a creamy-smooth hummus, all of which are delectable when caught by the tiny tines of crusty bread. 

The sides are as strong as standalone dishes, approachable items like Sumac Shishitos, which have a bitter, tangy finish punctuated by vivacious wedges of preserved lemon with an almost-candied peel. 

Zaatar Fries are crisp and fryer-fresh, generously dusted with an earthy, herbal mix. 

All of our entrees are hot plates of hearty comfort, starting with the a warm and stewy Beef Cheek Cous Cous. Every chunk of melt-in-your-mouth meat is saturated with a tomato-pepper soak, texture added by grainy bits of couscous and shreddy strips of squash.

Lamb Meatballs are big flavor-bombs, crispy crust sheltering tender meat, meeting fat globules of m’hamsa for a clever contrast of textures. 

Gumbo was that night’s special, a dark roux with shrimp, crab, andouille sausage, and seasoned with a Tunisian twist. The shrimp are succulent, the crab adds a sea-breezy base to give everything else a flavor boost, and a giant fried okra has a breading that beats all breading.

Dessert is another special, my personal favorite of all desserts; the Bread Pudding. Soft, sweet, gooey, creamy, drizzled with caramel, it’s everything you’d ever want. 

Don’t let my photos talk you out of eating at Barsha. Between the poor lighting and the monochrome colors of meat and tomato, it’s hard to tell what we even ate. But believe me when I say the flavors are anything but dull. The spices mixes are perfection, the flavor combinations are complex and feel so complete - I can’t think of a single element missing from any dish, and every plate has an incredible beauty and warmth. I guarantee the food at Barsha will amaze you, in a way that defies description.