"Before they opened in Torrance in 2018, the owners of Aunty Maile’s ran restaurants in Kona and Las Vegas, spreading legit island cooking across the mainland like Johnny Appleseeds. Now, they call the South Bay home, where they’ve become a local name for huge portions of dishes like chicken katsu loco moco and oxtail soup in a casual, counter-service setting. Though they also offer a few flavors of ahi poke, our move is the mixed plate. Pick two proteins—we like the sweet-and-sticky furikake fried chicken and the meaty grilled kalbi—and they’ll load a plate (or takeout box) with rice and a big scoop of their peppery mac salad. Keep an eye on the daily specials, too. The sweet and sour spareribs on Tuesdays and beef stew on Saturdays are certified winners." - brant cox, nikko duren, kat hong, garrett snyder, sylvio martins
