When Big Island expats Bruce and Maile Goold opened Island Flavor Café in Torrance this summer, the South Bay’s close-knit Hawaiian community was stoked. The couple’s Island Flavor Grill was known as one of the best spots in Las Vegas for rib-sticking loco moco and saimin noodles. Now you can sample those same home-style dishes—from oxtail soup spiked with “chili pepper water” to stir-fried chopped steak and onions—in a Torrance strip mall.
HOT DEAL: The Mixed Plate ($14) is a must if you can’t pick just one protein. Served with steamed rice and macaroni salad, sweet-salty glazed furikake chicken and smoky grilled kalbi form an addictive combo.
TRY THIS: What’s a Hawaiian joint without poke? Island Flavor offers a few varieties, but the most traditional is labeled simply Hawaiian Style ($8 for a half pound): ahi tuna tossed with ogo seaweed, onions, ground kukui nuts, and red Hawaiian sea salt.
Island Flavor Café, 16300 Crenshaw Blvd., Ste. 109, Torrance.
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