Aunty Maile's Hawaiian Restaurant

"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

"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

"The Aloha spirit lives on at Aunty Maile’s Hawaiian Restaurant in Torrance, a family-run joint that began on the Big Island then expanded to outposts in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. On any given Saturday, one might find a band of aunties and uncles out front, talking story and strumming their ukuleles while sitting on lawn chairs. And although the entrees and appetizers are very nice, what’s most impressive are its local snacks and treats: macadamia nut-encrusted cheesecakes, the taro pudding known as kūlolo, and gummy bears dusted with mouth-puckering lemon peel." - Kat Hong

"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." - Garrett Snyder

"Both Aunty Maile’s locations are open from Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The extensive menu features crowd-pleasing favorites like loco moco, kalbi short ribs, and furikake shrimp." - Cathy Chaplin