Hong Kong Bakery & Deli - Torrance

The word "crude" comes to mind. 

I had a craving for dim sum, and they delivered...an approximation of what we know to be Hong Kong brunch. 

Everything is jumbo size, but the only thing not big is the flavor. The Hargow are not poorly constructed, but the wrapper is thick, not at all like something that's supposed to be crystalline. The Shumai are geode-sized pouches of pork, rubbery texture, more yuck than yay. 

Steamed Char Siu Bao. Not pictured because there's nothing to see. Pillowy bao wrapper, very fluffy...so much fluff. This much fluff is only desirable on cats. The wrapper to filling ratio is 10:1, and the filling is bland, and the pork is wet and runny rather than moist. 

Rice Cake. C'mon you can't mess up a rice cake. These are fine. Big slabs of semisweet stuff, also not pictured because again, there's nothing to see. 

Sesame Balls. More like sesame boulders. Surprisingly crispy after a trip in a Doordash car, the size of geodes with a red bean filling. Probably the best-made thing here, but they are so large that a single one will send you into oily overload.

Their Hong Kong is not so good, so I thought I'd give the Hawaiian a shot. A BBQ Mix plate is a sampling of all they offer, and it is awful. The teriyaki chicken is the only edible item, but the sauce is slimy and congealed. The beef is dry and striped with a generic soy-based something, and the pork is an abominable hybrid of Chinese char sui and cardboard. 

Hong Kong Bakery is a triple threat of the worst kind. They make Chinese, dim sum, and Hawaiian equally poorly, and they unapologetically serve it to unsuspecting people just looking for a lunch. I used to order from them all the time when I worked nearby, but I can't imagine ever going back again.

Jus’ Poke UPDATE - Redondo Beach

From my first visit six years ago to my most recent take-away last month, Jus’ Poke has never failed to deliver. 

There’s never been a single piece of tuna that hasn’t been fantastic, and unlike the mixed-to-order assembly-line style of their competitors, tuna from Jus’ Poke marinates all day long. Even the sample of tofu poke I tried out of curiosity was full of flavorful salt and soy. 

They have the freshest tuna, gem-sized chunks that glow ruby-red. The Shoyu poke gleams burgundy-brown, the Wasabi pink with a glint of green. The sides are always perfectly cooked edamame and fresh seaweed salad, and I always snag a Musubi when I can. 

There’s not a single piece of poke here that I don’t love, and this is an homage to one of my oldest favorites, one of the first to make poke before poke stormed the South Bay. Jus Poke put down its roots long before the slew of Pokebars, and with unquestionable quality and infallible ingredients , they’ll be here long after the others are gone. 

Fatto a Mano UPDATE - Redondo Beach

Fatto a Mano, this fatto has missed you and all your carbs!

The Gnocchi is the carbiest of them all, little potato pillows with with a fresh slurry of Pesto.

Ribbons of Pappardelle get evenly coated with anchovy sauce. There’s extra surface area for the fish-oil to cling, and the flavor is both bold and fragile, a flavor-burst like roe. This sauce also has some serious spice so every bite will bite you back.

The Fettuccini is a smooth and silky, covered in a luxurious Bolognese. The bits of ground meat are juicy and incredibly tender, much fattier than your average meat sauce, with a tomato base that is on the sweeter side with a hint of tang.

The Spaghetti highlights some fresh, tender Clams. The brine is minimal, and with a simple toss of olive oil and parsley, the end product will dazzle.

My first encounter with Maccheroni and my first with the Porcini Mushrooms and Sausage as well. The tubes are floppy and ribbed, and the ends taper like the shell of a snail. I've never seen a pasta this pretty, especially when paired with mushrooms a and mild sausage. I love that this sausage gives the porcini a boost, yet the pork doesn't overpower. 

I don't know when I forgot, but I forgot how much I appreciate Fatto a Mano. The menu makes is all seem so simple yet the result is anything but. The flavors are robust, the sauces are hearty, and the pasta is perfection. Some Italians brought the best of Italy to Redondo, and I’ll be bringing that home as I can for as long as they’ll let me!

Taishi Hainan Chicken UPDATE - Redondo Beach

What's better than a box of Hainan Chicken? A PLATTER of hainan chicken!

I married a white man, and aside from me, his Asian obsession is this white chicken. He loves his hainan, and ironically, it was me who wasn’t all in. Steamed chicken can be as white-bread as it looks unless it's done right and steamed chicken is easily slimy with a minimal margin of error. Taishi’s chicken is juicy and tender without being mushy, and I even prefer the steamed to the fried. The garlic rice is great as well, and the sauces are not to be skipped. One is biting and sharp and full of garlic, and the other is a smooth and simple soy. 

The platter comes with some Chicken Soup, a clear broth meant to lead into the meal. I barely sample the soup most days, but this one is exceptional. It is so savory and so flavorful, a sip of a chicken's soul. I swear I could have had nothing else and this broth would have been enough.

The broth is great, and I’ve heard the five spice soup is even better. Setting that up for next time, which should be soon because aside from being extremely delicious, Taishi is extremely affordable. For a pretty healthy take-out option on nights you just can’t cook, Taishi can easily become a staple. 

The Pan - Lomita

We used to say that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but these days the opinions diverged. The battle between the “most important meal” crew and team “intermittent fasting FTW” is raging, but The Pan can be their Switzerland. 

Their all day breakfast menu serves up day-starters to break your fast whenever you think is best, and if you don't mind waiting, you and your crew of don't-eat-elites can still clink mimosas at 7 PM or whenever you choose to stop starving. 

Start with some Pancakes if you're looking for a classic. The Pan does all sorts, and all of them are all sorts of awesome. 

Cynical me always said that a pancake never changed my life, but these Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes are an obsession. The pineapple cooks like it's candied, and the syrup infuses that pineapple-y essence into this three-stack.

The Lemon Dream Pancakes are fluffy and sweet with a whipped cream topper that turns curd into chiffon. Enough of a sugary tang to keep the lemon lighter but enough creamy curd to keep it filling and bearably dense. 

A little less sugar in the Georgia Peach Corn Cakes if you’re wanting a little more savor. Cornmeal tempers gooey summer peach in the form of a pancake-and-cornbread love-child.

If you're feeling something savory, don’t let my careless Ubereats guy turn you off to the Short Rib Benedict. The photo makes it look like short rib regurgitated, but the flavors are super fun. The short rib is barbacoa style, and it's full of lots of juice. I’m a sucker for sweet corn cakes and the smooth drizzle of street corn calls to me. The creamy poblano sauce adds some spice to bite through all the goo. Beware: the poached eggs will cook en route so the yolks will lose some run.

Don't overlook the a la carte menu either. Get a Biscuit and Gravy for a sample of southern comfort.

They make a good side of Hash Browns as well, but why settle for just hash browns...

When you can have them Loaded? Pile on sunny side up eggs and interweave bits of sausage and bacon. Melt some cheese on top with stripes of aioli with a bit of spice. It's a heart attack on a plate, but I can think of worse ways to go.

Just want a simple breakfast? The Lumberjack has all the things. Get your bacon, your sausage, your eggs any way you want them, and some notable well-seasoned, evenly-cooked house potatoes. 

Covid has forced all couples to compromise, but at least at a place like The Pan, breakfast doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Eat it or don't and eat it if they won't, but it's an option anytime you’re willing. 

Terranea - Palos Verdes

In the true spirit of a quarantine Thanksgiving, Terranea will make you a meal to go. More than enough to feed a family, expertly packed and loaded into your trunk by a couple of gloved-and-masked men who now think I live in my car. Word of advice: clear out your trunk BEFORE you pick up dinner. 

Don't worry, it was worth the humiliation once I got that dinner home. 

For starters, there's a cream Soup with a hint of butternut squash and a drop of ginger. The flavors are smooth and sweet for those who prefer less pungency. The ginger isn't really detectable, so it makes the soup appeal to more palates.

A Harvest Salad is a supposed side could be a main by itself. Sweet slices of roasted acorn squash are punctuated by pomegranate and all sorts of seeds add a hearty, earthy touch. A sherry vinaigrette has some sweet to temper the tang and brings out the sharper flavors of all the mixed greens.

Half a Turkey will feed four if all are famished. The meat is tender and juicy, and the skin is crispy and pretty close to melt-in-your-mouth. Even the usually-bland breast holds some, and the gravy is light but rich.

It’s Cranberry Compote instead of canned supermarket sauce. It’s tangy with the finish of a real fruit and may be the only cranberry sauce I can truly love. 

Add some cranberry to the Brioche Stuffing as well. The fluffy shreds of bread make an airy accompaniment. I’ve never liked stuffing, but this one works, even for me.

The Mashed Potatoes are buttery, fluffy, well-whipped with cream. The best part is you get two containers. 

The Candied Sweet Potato is surprisingly, pleasantly minimalist, simply roasted with cranberry and pecans. You taste just the natural sweetness from the yams, and there's little-to-no sugar added. 

Eat your vegetables too. The Roasted Root Vegetables: turnips, shallots, beets, rainbow carrots, and honey nut squash give you quite the selection and a variety of texture, too. 

You only get half a turkey but you do get a whole pie. We got Pumpkin Pie for tradition, but they have a lot of mouth-watering choices including pecan. The pumpkin pie filling is one of the better ones I've had, a super-smooth, creamy texture, a lot less pulpy than most I've had.

The best dinner is a dinner I don't have to make. Holiday outsourcing will become my new passion if all efforts turn out like Thanksgiving at Terranea, and I am more than happy to never baste a turkey again. At least this Thanksgiving, Terranea has all my thanks.

Messob UPDATE - Los Angeles

Last review of the year to complete my 100, for a restaurant that completes me. I love you Messob! 

There's no equivalent experience to sitting at a table sharing a steaming injera, but the Super Messob Exclusive travels just as well if not better. Where other foods get soggy, the sauces have more time to soak into the bread beneath. 

They divide this meant-for-two combo into two take-home boxes in case you shouldn't share or if you don't want to share with your spouse. Start with a heaping helping of Doro Wot to the left, fall-off-the-bone chicken stewed in an earthy red pepper sauce. Other meats include square of Siga Wot, beef in the same sauce; Yebeg Siga Alicha, cubes of lamb in a yellow, very mild, almost-curry; tender Tibs, a buttery stirfry of beef cubes, and my favorite ground beef with assertive spices. Moving on the veggies, there's Yemisir Wot, that rich red pepper sauce on lentils; Yater Alicha, the only split pea stew I'll ever eat; fresh Collard Greens; Yatakilt Alicha, potato and carrot in a yellow comfort stew; and Tomato Fit-Fit, bits of injera tossed in tomato. 

Grab your injera and dip a little into every dish. Alternate your veggies, rotate your meats. This platter is a playground for the palate, with all sorts of flavors and all sorts of spices. It's a sampling of some of the best of Messob, but don't hesitate to add on some house specials if you're serving and sharing with a party bigger than two. I think I'll try a few new things next time I order, but it really says something that I still love this sampler platter after seven years of going to Messob!