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!

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. 

Chubby Rice - Hawthorne

How could we possibly pass a restaurant with a name this cute and not go in? 

We went in. And we walked right into an impressive menu.

I have no self-control...Bring on the General Tso's! Wait, how could this be General Tso? General Tso is sticky, sour chunks of bland-in-the-middle chicken and steamed-to-a-pulp pieces of broccoli on the side. This is light, crispy, and flavorful. This is small, manageable slices of juicy chicken thigh, wok-kissed with an even coating of a sweet chili sauce; a touch of tang, a dash of spice. Interspersed are moist mushrooms and green onions to freshen the fried. As good as this is, the sides almost steal the show. The eggroll is as deep-fried and dark as I expect, but this is no ordinary eggroll. The shredded cabbage keeps a firm, non-soggy texture, and there's a curry after-burn to highlight the flavor. Even the Fried Rice is exceptional. Not a single drop of grease detected, and the rice is fluffy and light. The soy sauce shines through in a way that is enhancing rather than overpowering.

The Pork Chop Sandwich. Wow. This may be the best sandwich I've had in the past five years!  A crispy pork chop brick; the tenderest, juiciest, most delectable brick EVER, a slight slaw, enriched with chili aioli. All of it captured between slices of fluffy, toasted torta. To hell with the Godmother, THIS is the best sandwich in LA!

The sandwich comes with a side of fries, which they advise me to eat with green ahi sauce. Best advice I've gotten all week, calorie counts be damned. 

Wow, what is this place?!?! A lot of effort goes into each dish, far more than you'd expect for fast food, and the result is almost a cuisine of its own. This is Chinese take-out with polish and a sprinkle of sophistication, and it makes all the difference!