Entrées aren’t many at Michael’s, but that provides a fine focus that the restaurant usually puts to good use. A clear example is the branzino con zucchine al vino bianco (sautéed Mediterranean sea bass with zucchini, fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, Gaeta olives and white wine). The fish is cooked perfectly, completely tender to even the [...]

The black rice at Slowfish isn’t just a gimmick–it’s an essential component of the restaurant’s subscription to the Slow Food movement. More important, though, is the black rice’s taste, which conceals a few nutty notes that pair perfectly with the restaurant’s sushi bar. Among Slowfish’s so-called big plates, the beef ribs easily eat best. The [...]

Like the Japanese-Peruvian cuisine at Lomita’s Kotosh, El Rocoto’s dishes pull from Peru’s immigrant past, drawing on the recipes and techniques that traveled with the Chan family from China to Peru and, later, to the kitchen of the first El Rocoto in Gardena. But you still get all the staples, like jalea, a fish fry [...]

Beyond the familiar fare, it’s the overlooked options that are best at El Toro Bravo, like barbacoa (barbeque beef) and birria (stewed goat). There’s also cueritos (fried pork rinds) and buche (pork stomach) to round out the pig-oriented options. But whatever you choose, know that the tacos are huge, pushing the usual one-handed, two-bite meal [...]

Barbecued meats dominate most orders, with plates stacked with subtle spins on Korean galbi and bulgogi, Chinese char sui and the ever-present teriyaki. It’s a typical trio for any Hawaiian kitchen, but the galbi and bulgogi are both surprisingly good, worthwhile renditions that do not better dedicated Korean restaurants but do offer excellent approximations. For [...]

As its name suggests, Heavenly Fish Palace is first and foremost about fish. You can get your plates grilled or fried, with straight-from-the-Bayou favorites like catfish, whiting and red snapper eating up most of the menu. In terms of pure flavor and texture, grilled is the way to go. And if you’re looking for something [...]

Kalguksu is the restaurant’s staple, a dish truly meant for all seasons—one that can warm you up in the winter and also take you to the sea in the summer. That’s because kalguksu is a noodle soup scooped up from the ocean, with fat, hand-cut noodles swaying like kelp among the soup’s seafood. Swimming through [...]

It takes about 20 minutes for the kitchen to ready an order of sesame bread, but when the bread ships out with slices spilling off the plate, you know the wait was worth it. Every batch is afforded the option of having green onions kneaded into the dough (a must for more flavor), but the [...]

This is not your Thinking Man’s Pizza—no corn toppings, no clay ovens—just dough, sauce, cheese and your fixings. But that’s not to say it isn’t good. From the Pesto Pizza to the old stand-by Hawaiian, Long Beach Pizza Company aims for satisfaction over surprise. But one topping listed on the pizza menu does stand out: [...]

What makes Pupusería San Sivar’s pupusas remarkable isn’t just variety—it’s that each one fluffs up in the same style as a flour tortilla, lightened to the point that they might as well be injected with air. It’s with that puffed-up edge that the pupusas are able to fare so well as a meal of their [...]