Best Restaurants for Foodies in Hawthorne / Gardena

First, I wanna say thank you to our server Hassan T. He was great and saved me from being disappointed in ordering how I was going to order. I still got what I wanted but in a way it made sense. You have to appreciate a person that does that. He was doing his job but it didn’t feel like a job. He wasn’t overly friendly but wasn’t matter of fact. He was warm and fun. Observant as well. Good at reading the room. I ordered the lamb shank, collard green lasagna and the parker house rolls. Let me say that the collard green lasagna ISNT a lasagna. I thought it was along the lines of pasta with collard greens. It’s more like a spinach artichoke dip and instead of eating it with chips you eat it with the bread. IT WAS FIRE but I wouldn’t suggest it as an entree. It is definitely a starter. The rolls were fluffy and light. I’m not a fan of truffle butter but the butter on the parker house rolls was just the right amount. It came with butter on the side but I didn’t use it so I can’t rate it. The lamb wasn’t for me. The sauce it was in was good. It was cooked well just light on the flavor. The polenta was not good. It wasn’t horrible I just didn’t like it. I had the Sir Davis drink. Very good. The music, ambience and energy was very good. When I made my reservations I knew I was going to put on “real clothes” and it was nice to see my community is a space that makes them want to put on “real clothes”. I loved that I didn’t have to go far to have an upscale experience. I loved seeing elderly couples dressed up and enjoying themselves, knowing they didn’t have to drive far either. Overall it was just BAHM experience. I can’t wait to go back I brought the rest of my collard greens and rolls to my grandmother and she loved it. She’s ready to go try it lol. I guess she’s about to make her own reservation.

Always a favorite to come to Bestia, their food is stellar and they just do it right! Arriving right before restaurant opens is always a fave of mine, caught the tail end of their service staff pre shift and it totally warmed my heart. It really does make a difference when employees seem like they like where they work. I heard and felt energy, excitement and fun from each person I encountered.

A hidden gem. Too bad this restaurant got stuck in this out-of-the-way location (since the theaters closed, there is not much foot traffic, but the parking beats anything else in Manhattan Beach). In Hermosa Beach as Jackson's this was possibly my favorite restaurant. But I forget it's there until we went again last night and had a delicious meal with attentive service. The filet with risotto is still as delicious as ever, and we all enjoyed our entrees. Must get back again sooner than it has been since the last time we ate here.

Christmas Dinner at Manpuku is truly the best way to celebrate and end the year!! My two daughters and I really enjoyed this special night consisting of two orders of the Prime Beef Course plus additional Pork Belly with Sanchu Lettuce, Marinated Chicken Breast and Thighs, Tokyo Prime Beef Tongue, Assorted Mushrooms, Manpuku Salad and Garlic Cloves. I must say that the Prime Course is a super deal at $69 per person and the five cuts of beef plus shrimp are pure quality and tenderness!! Comes with Spicy Soup, Assorted Kimchee, Bean Sprouts, Cabbage Salad, Stone Pot Garlic Rice and dessert…..WOW!! And I washed it all down with four ATF brew Asahi Super Drys on tap!! Best of all, hats off and truly appreciate hard working Japanese gals Risa and Nasa plus the back of the house gang and dude manager-san for showing up on Christmas!!!

Beautiful atmosphere , fresh and tasty food, clean and modern design of the restaurant ,