North Asia, meet South Bay [restaurant review]
I took my wife, who doesn’t enjoy highly spicy food, to a Korean restaurant. It wasn’t with the expectation that she would suddenly change the preferences of a lifetime, or that she lost a bet. We had family in town for the holidays, and one of them craved the famously flavorful cuisine that they had learned to love here in LA. My heat-averse wife came along because she didn’t want to miss a minute with family, and after I assured her that she could find things she’d like on the menu. Gaya Korean Tofu & Grill, which recently opened on Torrance Boulevard west of Anza, has become my favorite traditional Korean restaurant. It is named after a medieval confederacy of city-states in the far south of the Korean peninsula, but the menu doesn’t reflect southern specialties. It’s a deep dive into Seoul-style favorites, with specialties of tofu soup, noodles, and grilled proteins, all served with the traditional sides. The restaurant occupies the space that was Moo’s Chinese Restaurant for many years, and that formerly dim and worn interior has been remodeled into a sparkling and colorful place. Don’t expect the tabletop grills that are built in at most local Korean restaurants, because all…
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