Subtle hint of things to come in the Manhattan Beach Target.

For the past couple months, Target stores in the South Bay have been shuffling stock from one part of the store to another, only to move it back a couple days later.  What’s all the fuss about?  They’re making room for groceries.

Target stores already carry many staple items like milk, bread, and canned foods.  The new mini-grocery sections will add fresh produce and additional frozen goods.

Signs around the Manhattan Beach and Gardena stores — both of which are in the middle of remodelling — report fresh groceries will arrive in April.  The Redondo Beach and Torrance stores are also adding new grocery section although construction has not begun at the Torrance location near Del Amo mall.  As for the two Carson locations, I haven’t been there in a while and wasn’t able to get anyone on the phone

“The Street” is saying that Target is adding groceries to its list of big-box-store items in an attempt to beat the on-going recession.  Others say that Target is trying to compete with Wal-Mart for more discount shoppers.  Granted, both of these articles are from 2009, but they still have some truth to them as household budgets continue to shrink and new grocery sections open in stores branded with a bullseye logo.

As for me, I’ll be happy I can get my contact solution, laundry detergent, and fresh fruit all in the same place.

Will a grocery section in Target make you more likely to shop there compared to a regular grocery store?  Knowing their marketing and pricing style, do you have any opinions on how Target’s grocery might compare to Wal-Mart’s or a regular grocery like Ralph’s or Albertson’s?

South Bay Target Stores

Target has several stores in the South Bay area.  These are the ones that I know have grocery stores coming to them.  Ask the manager at your local store if your neighborhood Target isn’t listed below.   Find more info online at Target.com.

The California roll was the best I’ve had thus far from a super market.  That includes the high end ones like Bristol Farms in Manhattan Beach and Cooke’s Market in El Segundo.  The rice was cooked perfectly and the filling was clearly “krab” but had a flavor that was close to the real thing.  The seaweed paper, veggies, and sesame seeds rounded out the roll’s restaurant style flavor.

All the while I was noshing on the California roll, I was washing it down with some very good jasmine tea.  From the moment I opened the bottle, I knew I was in for a treat; the aroma was like a real jasmine flower!  I’m a big fan of jasmine teas but this one took some getting used to; the intense flavor had notes of bitterness but also a mild sweetness.  In the end though, I found myself savoring the last few sips like it was liquid gold.  The label on the bottle says “THE Jasmine Tea”.  I couldn’t agree more.  Anyone care to translate the rest of the bottle for me!?

A few weeks ago, I was blessed with just such an occasion: Gardena’s Japanese Cultural Center’s annual festival.  Not only was it a great opportunity to get some great eats, the venue was only a short bike ride away!

So Nicole, Katia and I mounted up and headed over to the festival.  It was warm that day, and while our ride was brief, the first thing we saw was one of the busiest tents in the plaza:  SNOW CONES!

Of course we had to stop and get a couple.  The cones were huge, sweet, refreshingly cold, and so reasonably priced at $2 each.

The next attraction was the heavenly scent of fried noodles wafting up from the yakisoba tent.

Beyond the noodle tent was another great treat, Okinawan style andagi.  These are sweet, deep-fried dough balls similar to some I had at an American establishment.  Only their, um, dough-balls are bigger and a little less sweet in comparison…but still tasty!

Also featured was a produce market with bargain prices that were out of this world.  I picked up three fresh coconuts (scored for easy opening); a couple large onions, and three huge potatoes for about $5.  It was a fundraiser so I almost felt bad taking the goods as they were priced.  I had to throw in another dollar or two to make myself feel better about it if not to help out their cause.

There was also a huge tent with multiple grills fired up to cook beef and chicken teriyaki.  We didn’t get any but I loved the signs!

What we did try, though, was some of the best spam musubi that I’ve ever had.  It was fresh, moist, and perfectly seasoned.  This is definitely a dish that I’m going to have to learn how to make.  If nothing else, it’ll give me a reason to buy spam without thinking about earthquake rations!

The final stop on our little tour was also the highlight: imagawayaki!  I had tried imagawayaki before but much like the spam musubi, this festival serving of it was some of the best I’d ever had.  The the crispy, pancake-like exterior was matched perfectly with the stuffing of sweet and smooth bean paste.  This was another great deal with two big buns going for just $3.

I’m glad to have spent a sunny Sunday afternoon riding my bike and having a ball at this festival; there were so many delicious foods to experience.  I’m already looking forward to the next one!

The store, around the corner from the Gardena post office, is tiny but welcoming. On the walls there are pictures of various menu items on top of bamboo wall hangings…cute. A few tables and chairs are available for folks that want to eat in.

Like many other sushi/teriyaki/hawaiian places, Lady Bug has an extensive menu with bowls, plates, and combos. The requisite terikayi meats are present along with various rolls and salads.

I placed my to-go order with the friendly cashier: Combo plate C4. If was perfect for my mixed plate craving with Kalbi (Korean style beef) short ribs and a choice of a sushi roll. The combo plates come with rice, potato-mac salad, a green salad, and a soda. Miso soup is also an option (instead of the soda, I think) but something hot didn’t fit in with the direction of my order. The combos range from $7.95 to $9.95 with the ribs and salmon combo topping price range. Various sides are also available including egg rolls, gyoza, and edamame.

Kalbi + Sushi Combo Plate

Back at home, I chowed down on the ribs and a California roll. The ribs were pleasantly marinated but varied a bit in texture. The first ones were a little tough but the ones toward the end were more tender and flavorful. The roll was tasty, but I’ve had better from similar restaurants. The potato-mac was yummy, though! Being satisfied with the rest of the plate, I pretty much ignored the rice and salad which were par for the course.

I will go back to Lady Bug to try try some of the other dishes and sides. I’m particularly interested in the Lady Bug Fried Chicken. The picture looks similar to fried chicken I’ve had at other Hawaiian inspired places and could be a great fix without having to drive all the way to L&L or King’s Hawaiian.

I’m looking forward to trying Lady Bug again!

Lady Bug Asian Grill
1431 West Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247
310-327-9546
www.ladybugasiangrill.com

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Let me just say right up front that I looooove Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I’ve been a big fan of theirs since my first taste of that sweet goodness many years ago. If I can impress upon you one thing, let it be this: HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW. The mainstay of the Krispy Kreme line up is the Original Glazed. Some of the shops (was almost all of them until recently) cook the doughnuts right there on site. They go through the entire process; mixing the dough, baking the circles, and icing them perfectly. When the doughnuts are coming off the conveyor, the neon Krispy Kreme sign outside will light up with the words “Hot Doughnuts Now”. That, my friend, is your invitation to taste one of the best confections in the world. When the doughnuts are fresh and hot, they melt in your mouth, making them almost too dangerously easy to eat. I used to wonder why, when I would order a dozen dooughnuts…all by myself…the server would ask me if I wanted that for here or to go. After wolfing down more than I care to admit, I can easily see why.

Back to our Christmas story….

So me and Lil Bit rushed over to Krispy Kreme to use her stocking stuffer. Sadly, the “Hot Doughnut” bat signal wasn’t on but we were still excited. It had been a while since we made the trip to Artesia and the 110 to get fresh dough.

The store was brightly lit and welcoming with its clean, diner like interior. The focus of the place is the huge doughnut kitchen in the back, complete with vats for mixing dough, a huge oven, and a cement mixer looking thing that pours the frosting. The wall of the kitchen is made of glass to allow visitors to look in and see the process. They even have a sort of stage in front of the window so kids can clamber up to see the goings on inside.

To the left of the kitchen is the counter. But before we can even get to the counter, a Krispy Kreme chef is welcoming us with a free sample of the Original Glazed. That’s so awesome! I love it when they do that (especially when the doughnuts are hot) because you can get in and out having had three doughnuts (or maybe four if you can weasal your kid’s away) without having to but a half dozen. But, if you’re like me, you usually end up buying the whole or half dozen anyway.

The counter is all too familiar to me: Original Glazed, chocolate glazed, various cake style doughnuts, and plenty of others covered in sprinkles or stuffed with some fruit or another. I also see a few surprises. A pumpkin spice doughnut is there, a seasonal offering for the Fall/Winter. They also have a banana fritter, which I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere else. I lean towards my adventurous side and order both. Lil Bit opts for a chocolate cake, a chocolate iced, and a couple Original Glazed.

[Yes, we only got a six pack. Just as we started to make our order, we realized that we left the gift cert at home! Rats. Bitter sweet though; we have to pay this time, but now we get to come back and use the cert!]

Next to the doughnut counter is an open cooler with milk, OJ, water, and other bevs for washing down treats. They also have coffee and cafe style drinks; they’re coffee is decent but I almost always opt for a plain old cup of water with ice. To me, drinking anything besides water with sugar coated dough puts me into a carbohydrate coma.

The pumpkin spice was a pleasant treat. It was cake style, so the texture was firm but moist, making it east to eat on the ride home (the frosting on the Original Glazed tends to flake a bit). The flavor was definitely pumpkin but not overly so. It was just spicy enough to be reminiscent of pumpkin or sweet potato pie without giving up any of its doughnut heritage.

I couldn’t finish the banana fritter. I mean, not that I would have or should anyway but the flavor was off. I’m a fan of apple fritters and this was indeed a fritter, given its shape and texture. But the flavor was way off. I could taste the artificialness of it. It smelled good, like a banana with a little sugar on it; but the taste made think of banana flavored cough medicine. I’ll stick with the apple ones next time.

Altogether it was a good experience. The bright, sweet smelling shop always cheers me up and a free doughnut easily puts a smile on my face. The pumpkin spice was a welcome diversion and a compliment to the Original Glazed. Lil Bit was content with her selection, nibbling away and scattering crumbs over my backseat. I’ll be looking forward to the next trip to use that gift certificate.

Krispy Kreme – Gardena
1199 W. Artesia Boulevard
Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: 310-532-5281

www.krispykreme.com

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars