It’s fusion time at Malama Pono, an upscale Sherman Oaks restaurant where yuzu aguachile, garlic naan, seafood ricotta dumplings, and “Abuelita’s vegan ceviche” live side-by-side on the menu. The “Hapa” Style small plate is a lot of fun — two pieces of Spam crispy rice are mixed-and-matched with two pieces of tuna crispy rice.

One of the few Hawaiian restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley, Aloha Food Factory has been serving homestyle favorites in a blue-brick shack off the 710 freeway since 1994 — even fending off extinction in 2021, when predatory developers planned to turn the beloved Alhambra institution into a car wash. Don’t miss the macadamia nut pancakes, a short but mighty stack slathered in a “secret cream sauce” (their words) that tastes like a big, ol’ dollop of cream cheese frosting made of whipped bananas and a Jack Johnson song.

With its gigantic patio on Beverly Boulevard in Historic Filipinotown, Aloha Catering is great for parties and celebrations. In addition to standard fare — loco mocos, kalbi and meat jun mix plates— they also serve party platters: trays of spam musubi fanned out, pans of kalua pig and cabbage, and enough macaroni salad to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. 

Here’s a quick lesson in Hawaiian Pidgin, the wonderful, idiosyncratic syntax spoken in Hawai’i (also referred to as ‘Ōlelo Pa’i ‘Ai, or “pounded but undiluted taro language”): “Broke da mouth” roughly translates to “so incredibly delicious, you might need to see a dentist.” And what an apt name for this charming Hawaiian Korean counter spot in Downtown Los Angeles. The garlicky, butter-laden fried shrimp served with purple rice, Korean greens, and a generous lemon squeeze is the specialty here, as well as a Korean take on the classic plate lunch found at food trucks on O’ahu’s North Shore.

The key to Ali’i Fish Company’s fresh, authentic-tasting poke? Quality control. The poke shop gem (which has outposts in El Segundo and Torrance) sends buyers to O’ahu’s Honolulu Fish Auction to seek out local catches from sustainable oceans resources. The result is a raw fish quality rarely seen on this side of the Pacific Ocean: supple cuts of ahi, generously portioned, laid out splendidly in understated marinades — the aromatic ginger soy is a standout, as is the tobiko-speckled spicy ahi — that elevate the fish’s pureness and enhances its flavor. 

The Hawaiian Royal served at this South Bay fixture is chop-suey heaven: thick chunks of braised pork belly are stir-fried together with green onions, Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs, and teriyaki sauce, then unloaded over white rice. It’s sweet and salty perfection, a juxtaposition of disparate parts, much like the strange but wonderful combination bowling alley, billiards hall, and arcade the decades-old diner is housed in.

The Aloha spirit lives on at Aunty Maile’s Hawaiian Restaurant in Torrance, a family-run joint that began on the Big Island then expanded to outposts in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. On any given Saturday, one might find a band of aunties and uncles out front, talking story and strumming their ukuleles while sitting on lawn chairs. And although the entrees and appetizers are very nice, what’s most impressive are its local snacks and treats: macadamia nut-encrusted cheesecakes, the taro pudding known as kūlolo, and gummy bears dusted with mouth-puckering lemon peel. 

A great poke bowl is like filing taxes: the less complicated, the better. At Jus’ Poke in Redondo Beach, there are only six fish options to choose from, including an excellent shoyu ahi that comes loaded with diced green onions and ogo, a light, savory seaweed with a reddish-brown color. Pair with a scoop of rice or seaweed salad.