I love Redondo Beach. It’s this happy medium that exists in the south bay. It’s not chock full of fraternity boys like Hermosa tends to be (hence the nickname, bromosa). There’s a bit more grit and culture than Manhattan. It’s a really nice beach suburb that hasn’t been gentrified completely yet, and in my opinion, it’s very much underrated. Selfishly I like that because it means no crowds, lines or reservations needed.
One of the many gems at the pier is the sushi restaurant, Oriental Breeze. I like everything about it besides its tone deaf name. It sits right on top of the water and there are floor to ceiling windows so you can watch the waves crash into the beach. It’s cozy, small, and hasn’t been renovated for awhile, but if you can get one of the couch seats next to the windows (and you probably can, because it’s usually not too packed) it’s a really cool experience. I’m a sucker for beachside restaurants because I love anything close to the ocean, but usually the food isn’t that great. This place is an exception.
Here’s what we ordered:
To Drink
Between 4 people, we shared a bottle of barley shochu with some soda (tonic water) on the side. Shochu is a clear liquor, usually distilled from rice, barley or sweet potato. It’s a bit on the rougher side, but we enjoyed it because we’re all soju drinkers as well, and it had a similar feel.
To Eat
Grilled beef salad – rare beef sliced and grilled on top of a green salad with lime dressing
Grilled squid – cut into rings packed full of flavor
14-piece sashimi platter – the scallops and sweet ebi were amazing
Salmon and avocado tartare – okay, so this might look a little scary with the parmesan cheese and ring of spicy mayo but it is GOOD.
Grilled mackerel – solid
Rainbow roll – solid
JULIENNE CARROTS 