Another wonderful visit to Baleen. We did stay at the Portofino for a number of nights (we come…read morehere a few times a year now). Room service is always wonderful and the food comes from Baleen Kitchen. So I can attest to great coffee, fresh pastries and almost all of the breakfast choices. This day we enjoyed brunch outside at Baleen's. It was a beautiful setting with excellent service and very comfortable. We enjoyed the crabcake benedict, Huevos 'Redondos', Chia Pudding, and American Breakfast with bacon. The benedict was absolutely delicious and a special treat, the Huevos 'Redondos' was so very flavorful, and the American Breakfast is always a fan favorite. The breakfast potatoes are some of the best you will find. The portions are perfect, enough to fill your tummy. Enjoy the food, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the service! Sometimes food and service will be second when seeking out a marina type restaurant, but not here. They all three will put a smile on your face. Get out of the city, get to the beach for some ocean therapy and good food!

(+) American Breakfast (+) The Cali burrito…read more (+) Great coffee (Americano, cappuccino) (+) Service BALEEN kitchen is a restaurant on the marina apart of the Portofino Hotel dining options. This restaurant is opened for breakfast/brunch and then reopen at 4 for their dinner menu. The views of the ocean and ambiance are what attract people here, but the food is what will bring me back. Parking is validated by the restaurant if you're not staying at the hotel. Food/Drinks: My wife and brother loved the American breakfast. Without holding expectations, they were thoroughly surprised with each aspect of the meal. The new potatoes had a crispy exterior but warm and steamy interior. The arugula salad was sprinkled with lemon and tasted great with the eggs. The lemon pancakes and cali burrito were also a hit. Great tasting American options were brought to life! We also loved their coffee and how well prepared the drinks were served. My latte was delicious and also had great milk latte art. We appreciate those small things. Service/Ambiance: Talk about no better view than the one here. The ocean is beautiful and can be enjoyed here. The servers are great and helped us each step of the way. I don't expect much quality and taste from a hotel breakfast spot, but BALEEN kitchen has set my expectations high. It was a nice surprise and excited to return one day.

The first thing I noticed about Manhattan Beach Post was the plants. Not because there were a few…read moreplants. Lots of restaurants have a few plants. These plants appeared to have union representation. They're everywhere. Hanging from things. Growing out of things. Quietly observing your meal. The whole place feels like someone built a really nice restaurant and then let nature move in as a long term tenant. The room hums. Not loudly. Not aggressively. Just enough. Glasses clink. People lean into conversations. Servers weave through the room carrying plates that look heavy enough to alter their center of gravity. Nobody seems rushed. Everybody seems busy. It's a difficult balance. The biscuits arrived first. Now, I'd heard about the biscuits. People talk about these biscuits the way fishermen talk about the one that got away. Slightly dramatic. A little emotional. Hard to verify. Turns out the stories were true. Warm bacon cheddar biscuits with maple butter. I took one bite and immediately understood why people order a second round. The outside has just enough structure to remind you it's baked. The inside is soft enough to make you wonder whether butter has secretly become a building material. We ordered another. Not because we needed another. Because apparently that's what happens here. The creamy polenta showed up next and felt like the culinary equivalent of a weighted blanket. Comforting. Smooth. Relaxed. The sort of dish that encourages you to slow down and stop checking your phone. The duck was one of my favorites. Lightly fried with crisp skin and tender meat, resting on white Italian beans and rosemary. It felt like something a French chef would cook after spending a weekend in the countryside and becoming briefly inspired by fresh air. At some point you stop evaluating food and simply nod in agreement with it. This was one of those moments. Dessert was equally dangerous. The olive oil cake arrived with strawberries and disappeared much faster than logic suggested it should. The cheesecake somehow managed to be rich and light at the same time, which feels like it should violate a law of physics somewhere. Service deserves its own mention. The whole team operates like a group project where everyone actually did their part. Plates appeared when they should. Water glasses mysteriously refilled themselves. Questions were answered without anyone making you feel like you should already know the answer. The chef's French influence shows up everywhere, but not in a showy way. Nothing feels complicated for the sake of being complicated. Everything feels like somebody spent a lot of time thinking about it so you wouldn't have to. By the end of the meal, I realized Manhattan Beach Post had done something difficult. It felt special without feeling serious. You can dress up. You can come casually. You can celebrate something important or absolutely nothing at all. Just order the biscuits. The plants already know you're going to.

Good experience at this restaurant in Manhattan beach. Modern take on Southern and general American…read morecuisine. Food was great, but not mind-blowing in my opinion. Some dishes could've been executed better. Going down the list of dishes I had here: - Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits: These were more like scones rather than biscuits. Crunchy with good bacon and cheddar flavor. - Japanese Hamachi Crudo: Unique and I liked the citrusy flavor and creamy texture. However, 3 small slices of fish for $26 was overpriced. - Leafy Greens & Radicchio: Solid and crispy salad with a nice tangy dressing. The cheese also added a lot of sharp flavor which was nice. - Skirt Steak: Good flavor and char, but a bit tough. Also some dry pieces. - Chilean Sea Bass: Lemon orzo risotto was creamy and delicious. The sea bass itself was okay, nothing special. It felt overpowered by the risotto. The fish was moist and flaky though. - 20 Oz Prime Beef Ribeye: Quality was subpar relative to price. Portion size was solid by the steak itself was inconsistent. Some of the pieces were rarer while others were more well-done even though we asked for medium rare. There were also some dry pieces which I did not like. Flavor was good though. - Strawberry and Olive Oil Cake: Was confused since there was just a thin layer of cake, but realized the title also referred to the mousse. I would title it 'Strawberry Mousse with Olive Oil Cake" to make it less confusing. Regardless, this was a delicious dessert! Love the fruity strawberry and savory pistachio flavors as well as the smooth textures. - S'mores sundae: Got this on the house for my aunt's birthday. A generous portion but the components were a bit too sweet for my liking. I visited this restaurant for a birthday that I organized and my experience was overall good. Reservation was made easy using OpenTable and I could also mention it was for a birthday occasion. The ambiance was gorgeous with good mood lighting. Good for group and 1 on 1 dining. Parking is metered or street parking. Overall, I probably wouldn't come out of my way to dine here again, but my experience wasn't bad just not significant enough to put in my rotation. Would come back if someone treated me here though.

This place is so cute and the service was amazing! Our server was very attentive and kind and was…read morevery fun to talk to. The food here was exceptional. We ordered another round of the beef tongue cause it was just. that. good. The chicken thighs with the green onions were also good. I probably wouldn't order the meatballs again, not because they were bad but the other things were just soo much better.

Torihei is a small izakaya, and that intimacy is part of its charm. The compact dining room creates…read morethe kind of warm, personable atmosphere that a good neighborhood izakaya should have. Rather than feeling cramped, it feels welcoming and authentic - a place where the focus stays on good food, good drinks, and good company. Over several visits, these have become my favorite dishes: Cabbage Salad with Spicy Sauce - 4/5. Torihei offers two versions of its cabbage salad: one with a garlic sesame dressing and another with a spicy sauce. The garlic sesame version is fine, but the spicy sauce is the clear winner. It features crunchy garlic and chili oil that add texture and depth without overwhelming heat. I would have liked a little more acidity to brighten the dish, but it's still an excellent way to start the meal. Chopped Cucumber with Sesame Oil - 4.5/5. One of my favorite appetizers at Torihei. The cucumbers are smashed rather than neatly sliced, which gives the dish a rustic character and helps the dressing cling to every surface. The addition of tomatoes is a smart touch, contributing acidity and freshness. Combined with the flavorful sesame dressing, it becomes far more interesting than its humble ingredients suggest. Soboro-don - 3/5. This small rice bowl comes topped with ground chicken, a poached egg, and pickles on the side. The rice is cooked well, and the chicken itself is clearly of good quality. However, the ground chicken is surprisingly underseasoned and could use more salt or additional seasoning. Despite that flaw, it's still a comforting dish thanks to the well-prepared rice and silky egg. Beef Tongue Curry Rice - 4/5. Despite its name, this dish eats more like a stew than a traditional Japanese curry. Fortunately, it's very tasty. The sauce is rich and meaty with just a hint of curry spice. At the same time, the beef tongue contributes a buttery texture and luxurious richness. It's hearty, comforting, and one of the more memorable rice dishes on the menu. Beef Tongue Soup - 5/5. This is a clean, balanced soup that showcases restraint. The broth has enough meatiness to be satisfying without becoming heavy, letting other umami flavors come through. The beef tongue itself is tender and rich, making this an excellent side dish to accompany the restaurant's grilled offerings. Yaki Oni - 4.5/5. The grilled rice ball is exceptionally well executed. Though triangular rather than spherical, it achieves the ideal texture contrast: a lightly crunchy exterior with a soft, substantial interior. The surface develops a beautiful golden-brown crust without crossing into burnt territory. It's a simple dish done right and a perfect accompaniment to skewers. Grilled Squid - 3.5/5. The squid is succulent and tender rather than rubbery, which is often the challenge with grilled squid. The flavor is enjoyable, though I would have welcomed a bit more char and grill marks. Pork Belly and Chicken Thigh Yakitori - 3/5. These skewers are solid but not standout. Both were slightly drier than I prefer. The pork belly could benefit from more rendered fat and richness. At the same time, the chicken thigh would be more appealing with a juicier finish. Chicken Hearts and Beef Tongue Yakitori - 4/5. These are among the stronger skewers on the menu. Heavily exercised cuts tend to offer deeper flavor, and both deliver. The chicken hearts have a satisfying richness, while the beef tongue combines robust flavor with pleasant marbling. If you're ordering yakitori, these are better choices than some of the more conventional cuts. Meatball Yakitori - 4.5/5. This is deservedly one of Torihei's signature dishes. The exterior develops an excellent browning and a slight crust, while the interior remains tender, juicy, and intensely meaty. Chicken Kara-age - 3.5/5. The kara-age is good, but it falls just short of greatness. A crispier crust and juicier chicken would elevate it significantly. Still, it's a satisfying version of a classic izakaya staple. Fried Shishito Peppers - 3.5/5. These peppers are mild rather than spicy and develop a pleasant glistening texture when fried. Their slight fibrousness gives them character, making them a simple but enjoyable side dish. Creamy Annin Tofu - 5/5. Available either plain or with green tea syrup, both versions are excellent, though the green tea syrup is the better choice. The texture is closer to a delicate pudding than tofu, and the sweetness is restrained and balanced. It's a deceptively simple dessert that provides a satisfying and elegant finish to the meal. No izakaya experience is complete without alcohol, and Torihei delivers. The sake and shochu selections are solid, offering enough variety to complement the menu. Beer options are mostly limited to familiar Japanese labels, but they pair perfectly with the food. Combined with its cozy atmosphere and solid drink selection, Torihei is the kind of neighborhood izakaya that earns regulars for good reason.

It was a dim Sunday in Redondo Beach--the kind of gray that makes the ocean feel like it's holding…read moreits breath. I wasn't looking for anything, really. Just a place to kill time while my iPhone and watch clawed back to life. The bar was empty, except for the bartender, quietly gliding between folding towels and polishing glassware like it was ritual. I'd missed breakfast, so the plan had to shift. The Turkey Club caught my eye--classic, no fuss. I ordered it, skipping the tomato and avocado, and added a side Caesar for balance. Simple, solid, exactly right for that in-between kind of afternoon. Later that evening, I came back to pregame--needed something to smooth the edges. I was headed into a house full of strangers, stepping into a holiday tradition I barely understood. Tito's and tonic felt like exactly what the doctor would've prescribed--crisp, clean, just the right amount of courage in a glass. The pour was generous, and before long, I felt the lock in my head click open. Wit, charm, one-liners--I could feel the entertainer in me stirring, ready to trade in the quiet for something electric. The bartender--sharp-eyed and perceptive--caught the thirst in me and asked if I was ready for another. I didn't hesitate, even knowing happy hour was just a concept, not a deal. His delivery of the bad news was so dry, so perfectly timed, I laughed and handed over my card without blinking. Sometimes, a good drink and a better exchange are worth the markup.

The food is really good. They make and serve it fresh and hence takes a little time but I am happy…read moreto get fresh food. The ambiance is nice and cozy. Highly recommend yellow jacket and margaritas. Fries were too good along with shrimp tacos and homestyle chicken tenders. Chocolate mousse was definitely the best dessert and would come again to enjoy their food

Update on review. We just went there on Saturday…read more They made a small mistake and they COMPENSATED us for the error. TOP NOTCH customer service !!

There were only 3 other tables there, yet the service wasn't great…read more The server couldn't answer basic questions about the menu items. We put in the order, she came back verifying one of the items... but then my meal came out and my companions did not. She asked again what her order was...20 minutes later my meal was cold and hers finally arrived. Seemed like it wasn't put in at all. The manager had come by at the beginning. He was nice. I told him before my guest arrived that it was her birthday and he said he would quietly send over a dessert when he saw we were done. Needless to say, it never arrived. Nick's is busier for a reason.

AC is inside the Marriott. It is ever so clean and comfortable. It is casual…read more Parking is for a fee, but they may validate, I forgot to ask. It is mostly a bar, but there is some great food to be had there. The service is great and they get the order right the first time. They have a great bartender who can make whatever you want. They serve breakfast and dinner. All the food we had was great. We especially loved the service and will be back.

I love this place! Came with some friends one summer evening and it was a vibe! Came back by myself…read morea few times. Would recommend

We had the most incredible experience from start to finish. From the moment we arrived, the service…read moreduring our wine tasting and dinner was truly impeccable--attentive, knowledgeable, and perfectly timed without ever feeling intrusive. You can tell this team takes pride in what they do. The wine tasting was beautifully curated, and the staff did such a great job walking us through each pour, sharing helpful details, and making the whole experience feel relaxed but still elevated. Every question we had was answered with ease, and the pacing was spot-on. Dinner was just as impressive. Our table shared the chicken, steak, and salmon, and every single dish was outstanding. The chicken was flavorful and perfectly cooked, the steak was tender and rich, and the salmon was beautifully prepared--fresh, delicate, and full of flavor. Sharing everything family-style made it even better because we got to try a little of everything, and honestly, there wasn't a single miss. What really stood out, though, was the hospitality. We felt genuinely taken care of the entire evening, and it made the night feel special. This is the kind of service and dining experience that makes you want to come back immediately--and bring friends. Highly recommend for a wine tasting, date night, or special occasion. We'll absolutely be back.

This is a hidden gem for wine enthusiasts who want to taste a variety of decent varietals from the…read moretop regions in the world. But the added bonus is their excellent food menu. We ordered the duck cassoulet, pear and Gorgonzola salad and a very tasty salmon entree. They swap out wines periodically. We were treated to some top quality full bodied reds (Syrah, Cabernet) and our server knew his stuff to guide us with our picks. Make the trek out to Palos Verdes and you won't be disappointed. We'll be back for sure.

Premier find for excellent Japanese cuisine. My girlfriend and I came here for an early Saturday…read moredinner after a day on the water in Long Beach. When we arrived luckily there was no wait and were sat immediately. Luckily it was only a couple moments before a party of maybe 12 arrived behind us for dinner. Our host and server were helpful and efficient. We quickly scanned through their menu and decided on their combos (pork cutlet and tempura) Our trays of paradise quickly arrived and looked beautiful! ( see attached for reference ) i loved the balanced presentation and blend of flavors. Each tray had some miso, a 4 bite California roll, some rice, soba noodles, broth, wasabi and ginger. Mine came with some dipping sauce for the tempura. Considering the amount of food I was very satisfied. The tempura was gorgeously crafted with semi thin crisped batter, and a decent amount portioned. I was mostly amazed by my girlfriends pork plate. Their crisp cutlet had beautifully made with an easy crunchy exterior and soft tender pork savory to taste. All elements complimented each other perfectly. Their soba was also good quality and a nice touch to an already balanced dinner. While I was exactly stuffed after dinner, i was still impressed with their entree presentation, quality of food, calming ambiance and great service.

Hidden in the inner corner of a shopping plaza in Gardena, the restaurant features Japanese-style…read moredécor, a 15-person party room, and enough space to accommodate 60 guests. When we arrived for lunch, the place was quite festive with a mixture of young people, families with kids, and an ongoing lunch party with senior ladies. Luckily, we were able to get the last table, and the friendly waiter brought the water and menus right away. After browsing through their menu, we ordered the following items: Special Fish Combo (Spanish Mackerel): The Spanish mackerel was nicely grilled but lightly seasoned. It had quite a few bones, which took a little bit out of the enjoyment of the meal. The udon noodles had a very nice texture, however the broth was on the bland side. The California rolls were well made and flavorful. Tempura Combo: The shrimps were tender, however, the battered outer layer of the tempura was a tad thick and not quite airy. Like Fish Combo, the udon had a bland broth, and the California rolls were fine. Our main issue was the 50-minute wait time for the meals. As a courtesy, the restaurant definitely should have informed us about the delay.

I've heard so many good things about this restaurant and they did not disappoint…read more Their happy hour beer set is great. One of the things I liked the most was Mapo tofu!! You can't miss it. Service is great too.

As always, the service is top-notch and everything went well. Tonight I had the black cod miso,…read moresmall portion for 18 bucks, great flavor but not worth the price. The fried squid was tender and flavorful but a lil oily. I cant wait to come back because there are so many items to try and

My friends and I went here for a cute little "fancy" date of sorts, just to hangout and have an…read moreexcuse to wear our cute dapper outfits. The food was pretty good and the atmosphere was pretty awesome too. For a late night out, I was already kind of "pre-gamed" to say the least, and I felt extremely comfortable inside of the restaurant, even inebriated. Amazing spot to grab some grub late night with friends, would go here again.

Food is mediocre over priced and oversalted--very basic pub food served in large portions to make…read moreup for the lack of anything of substance. The food comes out instantly because everything is pre-made and sitting, nothing is actually fresh, and if it is "fresh," it's fried. The beer isn't even cold. The service is okay, but the overpriced menu doesn't match what you actually get. I ordered a Cuban listed at $19, and they charged me almost $24. Same with the drink--they charged $17 for my drink when it clearly said 15 The ambiance is loud music and a lot of pretentious locals. This place sucks.