You may not expect to find quality food in a bowling alley, and if you have children, you’ve probably been to birthday parties at bowling alleys, and you may have avoided the greasy pizza. Some restaurant bowling alleys feature in-house restaurants that non-bowlers frequent. The Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop is one such destination.
Gardena is seldom mentioned as a South Bay city. It has a sizeable population of Asian, African American, and Latino residents. Japanese food lovers flock to the many authentic Japanese restaurants in Gardena. The bowling alley is located on the city’s eastern edge, just south of Hustler Casino.
Many became familiar with Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop when it was featured in the Netflix series Breakfast Lunch and Dinner. David Chang (Momofuku) learned that the diner was one of his sous chef’s favorite places in LA. After Chang took a bite of the Garlic Chicken, he proclaimed, “Man, that’s crazy good,” and was surprised that it wasn’t marinated to achieve the robust flavor.
Customers favor their Hawaiian Island selections with their made-in-house Portuguese sausage. Order it with Loco Moco draped with brown gravy, as an egg scramble, a Hawaiian Royal, a burger, or simply on the side. Scrambled eggs and white and green onions are mixed with crumbled sausage to make the tasty Portuguese Sausage Mix ($13.50).
While Oxtail Soup ($19.48) is Chinese in origin, Hawaiians took a liking to this soup when they experienced it and made it their own by adding more aromatics like star anise, ginger, and dried orange peel). Their version includes bok choy, mushrooms, and cilantro. Reminisce about Hawaii while you enjoy this fragrant soup.
The Loco Moco comes with beef or Portuguese patties ($15.25 & 14.50, respectively). The patties are placed on a considerable amount of steamed rice, and then a thick brown gravy is poured over it and topped with fried eggs. The gravy is thick, salty, sweet, and simply delicious. Be sure to order it with Portuguese patties!
You’ll find a delightful fusion of cuisines at Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop. From the island-inspired Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice and Hawaiian Royal to the comfort of Garlic Chicken and Spam Musubi, there’s something for everyone. And if you’re not in the island mood, you can opt for classic diner offerings like pancakes, french toast, burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
Despite the Hawaiian slant, there is an excellent selection of Japanese comfort food as combo plates, such as teriyaki, sashimi, tempura, karaage chicken, tonkatsu, and sukiyaki. If donburi is your thing, they feature teriyaki, tonkatsu, oyako (chicken and steamed egg), and tanin (beef and steamed egg) over steamed rice.
Step into Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop and leave your worries at the door. The atmosphere here is all about relaxation and unwinding. Whether you’re in the mood for Hawaiian, Japanese, or American comfort favorites, you can enjoy them in a laid-back setting. So, don’t fret about your weekend attire; just come as you are and savor the flavors. And when the server asks how everything is, you can’t help but smile and say, “It’s ono!”
Gardena Bowl, 15707 S Vermont Ave, Gardena; 310.532.0820; gardenabowl.com