Torrance/Gardena
Kantaro Sushi - Lily recommended Hole in the wall sushi place with excellent quality
North End Caffe-3421 N Highland Ave,
Manhattan Beach,
CA 90266 - Kahlua Pork Eggroll, Pancetta Carbonara - 310-546-4782
- www.northendcaffe.netLink: http://dimelife.blogspot.com
AZUMA is a hole-in-the-wall Japanese izakaya that has amazingly huge, almost-reminiscent-of-Hawai'ian-plate-lunch sized specials which are usually in the vein of "chicken katsu and omelette rice" dinners. They're in Gardena, but close enough to Torrance.
Breakfast at Joe's on PCH and Carnelian in Redondo Beach. Try the chicken fried steak, the "John Wayne", or any of the "Mad Dog" omelettes of the day.
CHO DANG is the one soon-tofu place (hot-and-spicy bubbling cauldron of Korean tofuliciousness) to rule them all (in the South Bay, anyway). If you like cheap Korean, this is the place to go. They also have the standard Korean BBQ fare, minus the "cook yourself" environment.
Miura - Sushi
Sanuki No Sato - Udon
DEPOT is a slightly upscale "Chez Melange"-style restaurant (think: Cal-French-Med-Asian or Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink style cuisine) that has a good selection of seafood and pastas. Their steaks aren't half bad, either. Not unique, but considering you're coming from Chicago, it might be all right ... ;)
Ramen California in Torrance?
Pau Gasol -
I also go to a place in Manhattan Beach called
Petros. It's close to our practice facility and it's on my way home, so I'll stop by and have lunch or dinner. I'll start with a fig salad if they have it in season. Or a peach salad, which is also good. And a third option is the cantaloupe salad, but I'm not a big fan of cantaloupe. After that, I'll have the lamb if it's lunchtime and the snapper if it's dinner. The fish is really tasty.
And on Sunday morning, a good breakfast place is
Martha's Corner in Hermosa Beach. There's a nice patio and it's right by the beach. Usually I get scrambled eggs, turkey sausage and orange juice or apple juice, and if I'm really hungry I'll get pancakes too. Night walk at the Strand in Hermosa Beach.
Bruddah's Hawaiian Foods (Hawaiian food, Loco Moco is very good here)
1033 W. Gardena Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247- 4957
(310) 323-9112
Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop (Very good Bacon Fried Rice with eggs, breakfast and lunch fish plates, U.S.A., Japanese, Polynesian, Continental Food)
15707 S. Vermont Avenue.
Gardena, California 90247-4328,
(310) 532-0820
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Komatsu Restaurant -
Excellent tempura, light and not oily!Kappo Seafood -
Excellent set meals and special discount on certain nights!Oumi Sasaya -
Excellent Natto Udon and Beef+Soft Boiled Egg Bowl - Need to go back!Patisserie Chantilly -
Excellent Pastries!Gaja Okonomiyaki (Japanese) -If you've never tried okonomiyaki check this out. you grill it yourself at the table and it's fully satisfying and absolutely unique.
2383 Lomita Blvd, Lomita, CA 90717 (310) 534-0153
YUMMY!Il Chianti - pretty good Japanese Italian restaurant
Eboshi Noodle Bar - Ramen was ok, Karaage not crispy enough
MAMA RAMEN -
Not that good. Kimchee is decent - in the Torrance Crossroads mall is a shoebox-sized ramen joint that I think has one of the better interpretations of the "good stuff" ... I really enjoy their miso and shoyu ramens, as well as their kimchi fried rice (definitely not traditional but it's frickin' delicious).
Spoon House:
Seafood Salad!
Japanese Italian food. Uni spaghetti and cod roe spaghetti are good and unique but they also have standards like carbonara that will stick to your ribs
1601 W. Redondo Beach Blvd,, Gardena, 310 538 0376.
Santoka Ramen -
Not that good. Very Oily.21515 S. Western Ave.(in the Mitsuwa Supermarket foodcourt, Torrance, CA 90501
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