I am a Hawaiian food junkie. If there's a Hawaiian restaurant nearby, I will be there, even if it's just a local Aloha Cafe or L&L BBQ. And at the top of the list of items I order: Kahlua pork and loco moco. Very few restaurants can make a good Kahlua pork, and fewer places can make a good loco moco (I've only had two good loco moco's that weren't homemade).

So imagine how happy I was to discover that Gardena is a home to quite a large Japanese-American population that likes Hawaiian restaurants! In addition to the standard L&L BBQ restaurants, I'm happy to have been introduced to Cherrystones and Gardena Bowl.

Cherrystones is a small restaurant in the middle of an industrial district that cooks AMAZING Kahlua pork. Not only is every single bite of the pork tender and soft (without necessarily being fatty), the flavor actually complements the cabbage. I very rarely eat the cabbage, since it always drowns the taste of the pork. In this case, though, the cabbage was cooked al dente, which left it very flavorful for a cabbage. The side salads were even good, but of course I never even touch that until I finish with the pork. So far, probably the best Kahlua pork I've ever had outside of Hawaii itself (at the luau, straight from the underground oven).

The Gardena Bowl is a bowling alley. A bowling alley with a small restaurant not unlike your resident greasy spoon. If there was such thing as a Japanese greasy spoon, this would be it, only the dishes were authentically Japanese and still relatively healthy as the item allows. I, of course, didn't opt for health, satisfying my craving for a loco moco. I figured, if this place is the way it looks, it should make a damn good loco moco. And boy, did it! This loco moco topped a plate of rice with grilled onions, a still-tender and moist ground beef patty, an egg made-to-order (mine was sunny side up), and GRAVY all over the whole thing. Since they were generous on the gravy and tender with the meat, it seemed to make all the difference in the world. This is one of the very few loco moco's I can enjoy without having to cook myself, and I'm so glad it's only a block away from Cherrystones and a couple blocks from where I work! Added perks: apparently Anthony Bourdain visited this episode in a Gardena/Hawthorne episode! Immediate props!

Cherrystones
15501 South Vermont Avenue, Gardena, CA 90247-4100 - (310) 329-8200
http://www.cherrystones.org/

Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop
15707 South Vermont, Gardena, CA 90247 - (310) 324-1244
http://www.gardenabowl.com/

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"Are you feeling safe or adventurous?"

Even as DD asked those words, I was trying to balance whether he would be tired, or whether I was feeling introverted. This particular evening, I was open to anything. Those are usually the evenings that end up with the most potential, because really, anything can happen. So despite the fact that a home-delivered pizza and a Vietnamese roast duck was on the table, I opted for adventurous. Who knows what the night would bring?

So to Roy's we went, a place DD had not been to in something on the order of 6 years, and a place I had never been to. I always walked by the Roy's in downtown Los Angeles, but I never went in. Looking back at it now, I should have stopped in at least once a week, if only to savor the glory of The Lakanilau. The Lakanilau is a sushi roll described in the menu as: Seared Kobe Beef Wrapped Around Yuzu Crab, Tempura Asparagus & Avocado. The Lakanilau is nothing like your everyday sushi roll. Whereas you would typically eat a sushi roll for freshness and a delicate flavor intermingled with a soft texture, this roll was an explosion of both flavors and textures. It's almost hard to describe, and I'm not usually at a loss for words... It was like the texture of the rarest of meats combined with a mildly crispy tempura asparagus surrounded by the warm, almost sticky rice. Delicious!

For my entree, I could not resist the mahi mahi: "Roy’s Classic Roasted Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi", a tender filet of mahi mahi, covered in crushed macadamia nuts and seasoned in a lobster cognac butter sauce. Oh yeah, you heard me. Lobster. Cognac. Butter. That's almost all I need to say! The fish was cooked to perfection, nice and tender, flaky to the point where that knife on the edge of your place settings looked on with envy. Each time you dipped it into the sauce, which was a full, thick glaze, you felt like you were going to have a heart attack, and it was going to be worth it!

As part of the prix fixe menu, DD had the crispy shrimp lumpia, which was lightly crispy on the outside (not overcooked or too oily, as many lumpia tend to be), and soft and tender on the inside. The flavors were a mix of salty and sweet and sour all at once. Not your everyday lumpia! The entree was the "Pulehu" sirloin, with truffled fries and roasted shallot jus. The sirloin was prepared rare, though still a little tough on the outside. It was very tender on the outside and very richly marinated, almost like a red wine reduction. When you mixed this with the truffled fries, which were more like truffled potato fritters, it was yet another mix of textures and flavors, salty and sweet, tender and tough and crunchy, fully roasted and fried. It seemed like the theme of the evening was "multi-pronged approach", with both rich flavors and textures, and being a huge fan of textures, especially crispy/crunchy textures, this was quite a treat!

The finisher on the prix fixe menu was the "Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle", which was so very rich and thick. The top surface was crisp, almost like a brownie, but the inside was flowing out chocolate like molten magma--the way every chocolate souffle was born to disperse. And while I didn't like the crispy texture of the top, since I usually like my souffle's soft and tender, I loved the richness of the flavor. DD and I got through maybe half of it, as opposed to my usual one or two bites. (My favorites, for the record, are still the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris, Paris, Las Vegas, NV, and Ten Restaurant, Costa Mesa, CA. This does come a close third!)

Without adventure, we cannot discover potential new #1's, new options, new taste explosions... And while the dessert that drew us to this restaurant wasn't the absolute best I've ever had, everything else was so decadent, so full and rich, that I couldn't help but feel absolutely content and happy. It was delicious. And all was well.

Maybe I should have taken that lobster cognac butter sauce to go.

Roy's Restaurant
453 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, (949) 640-7697
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/

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It was like a HOME. And maybe it wasn't really my home, it felt so welcoming and so loving and so delicious that it may as well have been.

Yesterday I was invited to join DD to friends' JT and JT's house. They had a cozy house in Chatsworth, CA, and while the drive on the 405 N during rush hour was agonizing, I would do it twice over again if I'd known what was in store.

DD and his brother and friends chartered a boat this weekend and caught some pretty amazing tuna. The jackpot fish (the largest fish that won the pool of money) was 47 lbs. and quite large. I haven't seen pictures yet, but I can imagine it's a handful! (EDIT: I was provided some pictures of the trip. Check out how many fish there are here! Pic courtesy of H.) So in honor of all of this fresh fish, they had a fish dinner with 10-20 people that turned out to be quite the smorgasbord!

On the menu:
- Albacore sashimi
- Yellowfin sashimi
- Tuna poke
- Seared albacore
- Grilled squid
- Seaweed salad (purchased)
- Deep-fried wings, spicy and non-spicy (purchased)
- Shrimp tempura (purchased)
- Roasted tuna collar
- Roasted calico bass
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Home-made sauces
- Sesame-lotus balls (purchased)
- Melon ice cream bars (purchased)

I told the chef he was doing a Dinner: Impossible meal. And it truly was quite a feat! The fish arrived at around 6:30 p.m., and by 8:00 p.m., everything was on the table, ready to go! And everything tasted amazing. There's nothing quite like fresh sashimi--the texture practically melts in your mouth, and the flavors aren't nearly as fishy as they get when they've been sitting around for awhile. Of course fresh fish is the best start to a good tuna poke, with crushed macadamia nuts and sliced green onions. (*bite* "Oh, it's tuna, so soft and so firm." *bite* "Oh my! It's a crunchy macadamia nut--so crunchy and yet full-bodied!") The rich mix of textures makes this dish totally worthwhile, and so easy to make at home with crushed macadamia nuts and pre-made mix for the onions and fixings.

On the hot-cooked side, you know when I neglect the sauteed mushrooms and the shrimp tempura, typically two of my most cherished and beloved items on any menu, that the dinner is delicious! The roasted collar and calico bass were so tender, and so well prepared, like the first time DD cooked it for me. The seasoning is simple enough, with sea salt and some soy sauce, but when you bite into a tender, moist, warm and rich piece of fish and then bite into a small taste explosion of sea salt, at first it seems shocking, but after awhile, you realize it's the perfect complement and it's simply HEAVEN. Toss in a fork full of rice, and you're all set to be full and dying to go back for seconds and thirds.

I put down two plates and I wish I had room for more, since there was still more food to be had. DD and I talked on the way home about how wonderful the calico bass would taste over a bowl of ramen, and I couldn't help but to thank God for blessing me with so many people who love FOOD. Bons vivants forever!

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