Dragonfly Thai [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
Not all of these exotic cuisines are represented on the Peninsula, but there are a few gems within reach. Among them is Dragonfly Thai, a relatively new restaurant on the north side of the Peninsula Center. They’ve only been open for a few months, but they set standards for authenticity and flavor that will be hard to beat. This is a bit surprising because owner Emily Tjakra featured the cuisine of Indonesia, her home country, rather than Thailand at her previous restaurants, the Banyan and Chakra.
Dolce Vita [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
Dolce Vita is Italian for “The Sweet Life,” and you might expect the restaurant in Redondo Beach to reflect an Italian idea of paradise – probably something involving tiny cups of very strong coffee, plates of pasta, gnocchi, and antipasti, and regular demonstrations and labor unrest. Instead the focus is more German; one of the employees told me that when the place was named they planned a pan-European concept, but the owner’s German food was most popular so the place became more northern European. The little café and deli now serves some antipasti and homemade French-style sandwiches and pastries, along with a lot of German items that are otherwise unavailable in the beach cities.
Darren’s [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
The people who answer the phone at Darren’s in Manhattan Beach must sigh when they’re asked the question, “What kind of food do you serve.” A number of adjectives come to mind: “eclectic”, “creative”, and “excellent” are all accurate descriptions, but raise as many questions as they answer. Chef Darren Weiss is an artist, and his original creations are hard to pigeonhole.
The Chicken Shack [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
This Chicken Shack is decidedly upscale, the lighting modern and muted, the paintings on the wall moody and romantic. As for deep-frying, they obviously do have a fryer, because they serve French fries, but the chicken here is cooked on a rotisserie. It’s still home cooking, but home was in Peru, and this fast food has a touch of South American elegance.