TORRANCE: Best Ethnic Food Within 15 Minutes?

[echoparkdirt]

I'm considering a job in Torrance. Any thoughts on great ethnic food (excepting Mexican) within 15 minutes of Torrance?

[Uhh]

There's Japanese and Korean every few blocks here. Hawaiian, Vietnamese of varying degrees, Thai. Depends where in Torrance, though.

[Servorg]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/635024

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/629825

[Joe Blowe]

I see your links, and raise you two more ;-)

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/569742

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/360745
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[Servorg]

Hot links!! Mmmmmmmm

[westsidegal]

one suggestion:
bombay grocery on pch at oak (south of narbonne)

great ayce indian food with miniscule prices.
also, since the ayce lunch is already prepared, you will be able to get in and out quickly.

[JeetJet]

For Hawaiian style plate lunch try

Bruddah's Hawaiian Foods
1033 W. Gardena Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247- 4957
[phone]

Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop (U.S.A., Japanese, Polynesian)
15707 S. Vermont Avenue.
Gardena, California 90247-4328,
[phone]

King's Hawaiian Bakery & Restaurant – not so much for lunch but great to stop at for some baked goods to take to your fellow workers. Try the orange bunt cake – OMG!
2808 Sepulveda Blvd
Torrance, CA 90505
[phone]
www.kingshawaiianrestaurants.com

or for Peruvian

El Rocoto
1356 W Artesia Blvd
Gardena, CA 90248-3370
[phone]
End of the 91 fry, just West of the 110 Fry In the Ranch 99 Shopping Center at the South-East Corner of Normandie.
http://www.elrocoto.com/

And maybe...
Kyochon Chicken. I have not been to this location and not sure whether it is there but check into it because the curry chicken fried rice is good – very different with a curry flavor but also the great taste of Portugese sausage – just the flavor and not sausage) .
2515 Torrance Blvd (Inside Freshia Market
)Torrance, CA 90503

[Clinton]

Just start on one end of Hawthorne Blvd. and follow your nose. There is eg. Chinese (Bamboo Hut, Seafood Port and Seafood Town, Grand Chinese Buffet), Vietnamese (Pho Hana), Italian (Olive Garden, Hank's Pizza, Vince's), and a few Mediterranean places up the Hill. Onami's in Torrance is an all-you-can-eat Asian seafood buffet for high-end spenders. Hawaiian places like the Loft, King's Hawaiian, and The Local Place are OK. The Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop is one I like as well as Bruddah's. Lomeli's for Italian which gives you a free glass of wine with dinner combos.

[jaymor]

i have been thinking of this place and have been wanting to try them out.....i dont drink wine......what are they known for.....do you have anything to recommend?

[Das Ubergeek]

Lomeli's (I go to the one in Fullerton) is all about red-sauce pasta. That's what they do best. You don't have to drink wine, obviously. Enormous portions, good service. It's not bad for 70's-style red-sauce Ital-Am. If you're looking for Tuscan food or Italian a la Mario Batali, this ain't your stop.

[Clinton]

Both locations are good. The dinner combos are about $10.95 which includes a complimentary relish tray, green salad or soup, choices of different pastas, garlic bread, and a choice of dessert...plus a complimentary glass of wine. In most cases, a "doggy bag" is required because one has to be really really hungry to finish it all.

[daftpunkxl]

Did you just recommend Olive Garden?

[Clinton]

To be honest, I despise Olive Garden. The food is so-so but the service and management sucks big time! Had an encounter with the one in Pico Rivera a long time ago and have never been back. I just mentioned it because it was on Hawthorne Blvd. I'd eat at McDonalds before ever going there again.

[chwang06]

I just have to say that Pho Hana SUCKS.

[DrBruin]

I like Seaside Palace for Persian Food and Gaetano's for Italian. Both are in Torrance.

[kushnerom]

Torrance is definitely full of foods from a variety of ethnicities... I second Lomeli's for Italian (I love their thronelike chairs and dinners complete with wine and dessert!) and El Rocoto for Chinese infused Peruvian dishes (their ceviche mixto is amazing!) I also want to mention my personal favorite Musha (Japanese izakaya-tavern style food) and Ramen California which takes a fresh gourmet take on traditional ramen, utilizing fresh par-cooked veggies and subtly flavored broths (heirloom tomato and tofu cheese are my favs). There's also a lot of Mexican, Korean, and Hawaiian restaurants in the area to choose from without the crazy busy atmosphere you would find in the rest of LA.

http://talk.2itch.com

[missyp]

What Mexican places would you recommend? I work in central Torrance and don't eat out for lunch too much, but I do get a craving for tacos from time to time mid-day. Nothing seems good and I never hear anyone talking about good Mexican in the area.

Any specific places that are tasty?

[annapurna7]

There is La Capilla in downtown Torrance for sit-down Mexican. They are consistently good.

If you crave street tacos, Taco Sinaloa is great. I like their asada tacos.

For Mex-American crispy tacos, you can try Josie's Place in Gardena. They are good in a "Titos Tacos" kind-of way.

[kushnerom]

I really like El Burrito Jr. near Del Amo Mall on Hawthorne and Torrance Blvd. behind the super yummy Habit Burger. They have tostadas as chips... and they'll give you as many as you want. The Del Amo location gets kind of busy so you can always order ahead for take-out. Rosa's is good too, but that's along the PCH closer to Hermosa, so that may be too far for you. And as for local chains, Wahoo's (near Sports Authority off of Torrance and Hawthorne Blvd.) makes a good fish taco!

http://talk.2itch.com

[wilafur]

al noor -indian/pakastani
al watan - indian/pakistani
kanpachi - sushi
miura - sushi
bruddahs - hawaiian

[bsquared2]

Torrance is turning into an amazing food city. I used to have a lot of friends that lived in the South Bay and there were never any good places to eat.

The Mitsuwa Marketplace has great groceries, food stalls and fun food festivals from time to time. I really liked Ramen California, but we always seem to go to Shin Sen Gumi for ramen or yakitori.

[kushnerom]

Yeah, Ramen California is very yummy--with all those farm fresh veggies and the subtlely flavored broth. Just don't go there thinking it's going to be traditional ramen--you'll be deeply disappointed. But, if you go in with an open mind then you'll probably enjoy it!

http://talk.2itch.com

[flylice2x]

When you say Torrance for food, also think about Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Carson. Lomita and PV. You might want to sneak into the beach cites as well. From the high end to the thirify side. Should just about cover every ethinic group.
There have been many lists and discussions that have been posted here..