"Dish: Saimin Whenever our space heater starts to fail us (does anyone else’s make the lights flicker?), we head to Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop. Located within an actual alley, this Hawaiian-style cafe serves an excellent saimin. It’s a ramen-like dish, a remnant from the state’s old sugar plantation days, made with a clear, dashi-based broth, and packed with wonton dumplings, sweet chashu, fish cake, and green onions. It’s the ultimate comfort dish, and if you’re like us, you’ll probably want to eat it by the gallon." - brant cox, kat hong, nikko duren, sylvio martins