"Before opening 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. These days they’ve become known in the South Bay for serving huge portions of homestyle dishes like chicken katsu loco moco and oxtail soup. The must-order at this casual counter-service spot is the mixed plate: Pick two proteins—we prefer the sweet-and-sticky furikake fried chicken and the meaty grilled kalbi—and they’ll load a plate with rice and a big scoop of peppery mac salad. Keep an eye on the daily specials, too. " - nikko duren, garrett snyder