As the weekend approaches, Southern California residents might be looking for new spots to try, whether it's classic Cantonese seafood in Monterey Park, a returning food market in Downtown LA, a French-inspired Hollywood restaurant, or a quiet Korean debut in Torrance. Here’s a look at what’s on the menu.
Over in Monterey Park, Seafood Palace at 684 Garvey Avenue continues to draw attention for its Cantonese dishes. Kat Thompson, an audience editor, described the experience of editing video footage from the restaurant as stomach-rumbling, particularly noting the ginger-scallion lobster and fried crab with crispy garlic. Beyond platters of seafood, the menu also features glazed sweet and sour pork with pineapple in a neon red glaze, as well as crispy honey walnut shrimp tossed in sweet mayonnaise. Other options include seafood gravy served over crunchy chow mein, garlic green beans, and fried rice that combines shrimp and smoky char siu. Thompson suggested that to satisfy a craving, a group of friends might be needed to enjoy the spread and utilize the lazy Susan.
This Sunday, Smorgasburg is set to return to the Row at 777 South Alameda Street in Los Angeles after a short break. The open-air food market offers nearly 60 food vendors, making it a spot where visitors can explore a wide variety of culinary options. While nine new vendors will be showcased, Mona Holmes, an editor, encouraged celebrating the established vendors, such as Melnificent Wingz. Holmes, identifying as an “obsessed wing lover,” highlighted owner and chef Melissa Cottingham’s lemon pepper wings, describing them as perfectly brined, deeply juicy, and peppery. These wings, Holmes noted, are the kind that can make visitors return to Smorgasburg repeatedly.
In Hollywood, Mr. T, located at 953 North Sycamore Avenue, is described as a French-ish destination. This restaurant is a sibling to a Paris establishment of the same name and occupies a large corner on the busy Sycamore corridor. Rebecca Roland, a deputy editor, suggested setting aside expectations, as the restaurant’s French roots do not limit its creative approach to dishes that blend cuisines. During the day, the menu includes a breakfast burrito filled with chicken sausage and hash browns, and the Mr. T burger is served with mimolette foam. Evening offerings bring crispy rice cubes topped with avocado mousse, truffle macaroni and cheese crowned with shimeji mushrooms, and a crunchy chicken paillard dressed with lemon chimichurri. Roland found the menu approachable without becoming dull, noting that a simple margherita pizza could appear alongside dishes like rock cod beurre blanc and steak frites. For those visiting during the day, a pastry case offers cookies, including chocolate chip and peanut butter and jelly.
The South Bay has seen the quiet debut of Onki, Korean celebrity chef Lee Won-il's first U.S. restaurant, located at 21209 Hawthorne Boulevard, Unit B, in Torrance. The name 'Onki' translates to 'warmth' and also refers to the dark brown pots used in Korean cooking for fermenting sauces and other dishes. Correspondent Matthew Kang praised the restaurant's straightforward menu, particularly the spicy stewed gamjatang. This dish features pork necks cooked in aged kimchi with sizable potato chunks; Kang clarified that while 'gamja' means potato, in this dish, it refers to the pork necks. Kang described Onki's version as the best he'd encountered outside of Seoul, highlighting the pork as exceptionally tender, easily falling off the bone. The broth, rich and umami from the aged kimchi, possesses a “can’t-stop” quality, especially when soaked up with rice. Other suggested dishes include grilled short rib served with mashed potatoes and lightly steamed pork jowl, both noted as excellent appetizers to the gamjatang. For those preferring noodles, the japchae, which uses wider, pasta-like vermicelli, is another reliable option. Kang noted that while a location in Koreatown or Buena Park might generate more buzz, the Torrance spot allows the South Bay community to benefit from the chef’s culinary skill.
