Ensenada's Surf N Turf Grill - El Segundo

Seafood in El Segundo, stuffed inside cheap tacos, no less? HARD. PASS. 

But don't pass. Try it once and you'll never pass again.  

Their Baja's Burrito is a flaky, impressively fresh and perfectly prepared fish and shrimp-filled wonder, stuffed full of rice, beans, cabbage, and crack-cream. It's enough for two meals, and it's a dollar off on weekend special. 

They make a decent Burrito de Carne with steak as well if you're feeling more turf than surf. 

A Taco de Camaron is a steal for $2 on special, and don't be fooled, two of these fried shrimp delights are quite filling. 

The Shrimp Cocktail is a legit refresher. Tender shrimp in cold liquid tomato, topped with a few avocado chunks is filling enough for a meal. 

Be sure to get bites of hot pepper between mouthfuls of carbs and creams. The roasted yellow peppers are a sweet, sweet burn. 

So far, there's not a single not delicious thing on this menu. The daily specials are an awesome deal, and when in El Segundo, there is no reason NOT to pop into this taco and burrito heaven. 

India Sweets & Groceries - Torrance

Veggie Indian food next door. It took me years to make it over, and I'm not sorry I did. 

They make a solid Mango Lassi, and their prices are super affordable whether you're looking for a quick meal or satisfying snack. It's worth popping in just for Chapati and a dipping soup if you don't feel like making a meal at home. 

I love that they make Pani Puri. Hollow out your little deep-fried crepe-y puff stuff in the onion and chickpeas. It gets a little messy when you try to fill it with tamarind water, but it's totally worth the mess. You get sweet, sour, and savory and liquid, solid, and crunch to simultaneously saturate the senses. 

They make a decent Masala Dosa as well, though All Indian down the street is better. 

I've had better Indian food, but I wouldn't pass up this place in a pinch. They have all the veggie staples, and it's an inexpensive meal with no regrets. The vegetarian fare is lighter though not on spices or flavor, and next time I want to just Netflix and chill, there may be a lassi and chapati in my future.

Angler - Los Angeles

An SF treasure makes a splash again the backdrop of Beverly Center. Angler casts a line amongst the posh dining scene of Beverly Grove. Even the table settings are exquisite and the salt-shaking quail has us weirdly obsessed.

Seafood swims, lively and fresh in a row of tanks not unlike a Chinese banquet center but a heck of a lot cleaner with better lights. Order the daily specials immediately if you know what you want - their limited quantities are market-fresh and sell out fast. 

Start with something sweet and simple. The Sea Bream Ceviche soaks in a lemon broth with a hint of earth from root-y lemongrass. A plantain chip adds a starchy crunch, and the lemongrass lifts and refines, bringing out the silkier textures and creamier notes.

A Whole Grilled Marble Fish slips in a slurp of lemon butter with a tender mi-cuite texture that melts into a buttery haze. 

Spoon some yuzu pepper for a kick of the green and wrap in a leafy veg for a pop of something bright and bitter.  

They fry the bones into chips to dip, giving a whole new meaning to "fish and chips".

Bull's blood Beets are a critical offset to the treasures of the sea. Their clever cooking makes them meaty and dense, still with the sweet and salty-savory root-vegetable soul.

The prettiest, most succulent invertebrates on the table, take a bite of the Santa Barbara Squid. No squid has ever been so supple, and the simple seasoning of lemon and salt shows how less is so much more. 

The Striped Bass Head and Collar is a deceptively smaller plate that packs a hefty portion. The heads require meticulous dissection, and you'll miss the liquid-fat fish cheeks if you're not too careful. The heavy brush of sticky sweet soy sinks into the pure, smooth flesh. 

How good can a Sundae be? Famous last words. Their handmade pound-of-cream-per-square-millimeter house-made soft serve will render all other sundaes obsolete. Sprinkles of cacoa nibs add so much with so little, and don't ever stop them when they ask if you want more salted caramel. It may look like it's flooding the sundae, but you're wrong. Any less than 2-3 ladles and you'll be begging for more. 

Alright, I get it. Michelin was right on in SF. You get what you pay for here, and Angler can do no wrong.

A-1 Chinese BBQ - Lomita

Cantonese barbecue, recommended by a friend who would know. 

They're out of the roast duck, which is the entire reason I came, but if the Chow Mein with incredibly flavorful slice of BBQ pork is any indication, I'll have to come back for more. 

Just don't substitute the Soy Sauce Chicken for the duck. It's pretty meh on flavor and the skin is a soggy, wrinkled mess. 

They have quite a range here, and the menu is overwhelming. I was hoping to get some good dumplings but they ran out of the juicy ones, and the Szechuan Style Wonton in Hot Chili Oil are pretty solid wontons, but the sauce is just some oil. 

The Orange Peel Chicken is my other favorite dish on this table. I know it's not the most authentic, but the breading is super crispy and the sticky-citrus coating is perfectly even, wok-tossed to perfection. 

Overall a cheap eats place I'd readily revisit. Better to take-out perhaps, and be sure to order with care. Not all dishes are created equal here, but it's a nice experience overall. 

All Indian Sweets & Snacks - Torrance

I’ve driven by a million times, and I’ve never gone inside. All eyes on me when I enter. I’m picking up lunch to go and I'm the only non-Indian person for miles. A good sign, right from the start. 

The menu has a healthy and hearty variety, equal parts meat and veggies, highlights from both the north and the south. Dosa Masala is one dish I’ll never ditch, and theirs is a thin and delectably chewy pancake tube oozing soft potato. 

The Sambar is a dip with a little burn, a soak for everything, especially the fluffy Idli.

The Lunch Special veggie platter is the most affordable meal for miles, and I doubt you’ll find anything close in quality at this price. 

Daal Makhni is smooth and hearty, Channa Masala is a little sweeter with some tomato tang, and Malai Kofta the size of tiny fists are a veggie meatball swimming in a creamy pool. 

There was Gulab Jamun to end things sweetly, and a single order of these milky fried dough-balls in concentrated sugary honey just isn’t enough.

What I love about South Indian food is that you can eat so much without the feeling of gross regret. The taste is big and the spice profile is imperceptibly complex. It’s also harder to find as most places favor the meaty tikkas of the north. The only thing I regret is not grabbing a few more dishes, but I guess I’m just saving that curry goat and shahi paneer for next time.

Shoya Izakaya - Lomita

It's places like this that keep me in SoCal. The cost of living is astronomical, and good food is never cheap, but there's no magic like ducking into a 9-seater bar-only mom-and-pop grill with a handwritten menu that you can barely see in a random strip mall off of PCH. 

They're known for their oden, various items stewed in soup. We tried just the Chicken Ball, which is juicy and meaty, though a little too chewy to cleanly cut with chopsticks. 

There's a small-plate Abalone with garlic butter, where the thin and tender strips sizzle and sing over a bed of salad greens. 

The Grilled Shrimp with sea salt is simple yet out-of-the-ocean fresh. 

A Cod Roe Rice Ball is hearty and dense, necessarily filling between the slow stream of courses. 

The Dashi Omelet is another more substantial dish, fluffy egg-sponge soaked in sweeter soups. 

A hearty Pork Bowl showcases curly strips of soy belly, with fat the drips between the underlying grains of rice. 

The charm of this particular izakaya lies in its literal interpretation of "mom-and-pop". Pop makes the food and mom does everything else. They make a functional team, but they are not the ones to rely on if your dining is time-sensitive. Your food will be many things here, but it will not be fast. That said, if you're looking for a relaxing night of quiet conversation with someone you know well over sips of beer and lighter nibbles, there are many worse and few better seats in the South Bay than the nine bar stools here.