Sweet Rice
1630 W. Redondo Beach Blvd. #4 Gardena, CA 90247
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If you’ve spent any time exploring Gardena’s incredible food scene, chances are you’ve heard someone mention Sweet Rice. Hidden inside Pacific Square Shopping Center, this neighborhood favorite has quietly become one of the South Bay’s best places to enjoy authentic Thai comfort food.
Whether you’re craving a rich bowl of khao soi, a warming breakfast porridge, or mango sticky rice to finish your meal, Sweet Rice proves that some of the most memorable meals are found in the most unassuming locations.
The next time you’re looking for something beyond your usual lunch or dinner rotation, this is one place worth adding to your list.
A Taste of Thailand Without Leaving the South Bay
The menu at Sweet Rice focuses on traditional Thai dishes that aren’t always easy to find outside of Thailand. Instead of offering an oversized menu, the restaurant leans into regional specialties and comforting classics that keep regulars coming back. The family-run restaurant has been serving Gardena since 2014, bringing home-style Thai flavors to the neighborhood.
One of the biggest draws is the restaurant’s Thai breakfast menu, featuring jok, a silky rice porridge topped with ground pork, century egg, ginger, scallions, crispy rice noodles, and a poached egg. It’s a dish that’s both comforting and surprisingly filling, especially on cooler mornings.
Don’t Skip the Noodle Soups
If you’re visiting for lunch or dinner, the noodle soups deserve your attention.
The Khao Soi combines egg noodles with a rich yellow curry broth, crispy wonton strips, pickled mustard greens, red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, and your choice of protein. It’s creamy, slightly spicy, and packed with layers of flavor.
Another favorite is the Thai Beef Noodle, featuring sliced beef, stewed beef, beef meatballs, tripe, bean sprouts, Chinese celery, and a deeply flavorful broth that has earned plenty of local fans. The spicy Tom Yum Ba Mee Noodles are another standout if you’re looking for something bright, tangy, and packed with bold Thai flavors.
In fact, many South Bay locals regularly recommend Sweet Rice whenever someone asks where to find great Thai food in the area, with noodles and khao soi frequently mentioned as must-order dishes.
Curry and More
While the soups often steal the spotlight, there’s plenty more to explore.
The curry selection includes yellow, green, and panang curries served with rice, while specialties like Khao Kha Moo, a five-spice braised pork leg stew, deliver hearty, slow-cooked flavors. On Fridays, Sweet Rice also serves Khao Man Gai, the Thai version of Hainan chicken with fragrant garlic rice and soup.
The Thai omelets are another unique option, available with chicken, pork, shrimp, crab, or vegetables, and served over rice. They make an excellent choice if you’re visiting earlier in the day or simply want something different from the usual noodle bowl.
Save Room for the Mango Sticky Rice
As good as the savory dishes are, dessert is where Sweet Rice truly lives up to its name.
Their signature Mango Sticky Rice pairs perfectly ripe mango with sweet coconut sticky rice and coconut cream. It’s one of the restaurant’s most talked-about dishes and has even been singled out by the Michelin Guide as something first-time visitors shouldn’t miss when it’s in season.
If mango isn’t available, the green tapioca pearls with coconut and corn offer another traditional Thai dessert worth trying.
Why South Bay Locals Keep Coming Back
Sweet Rice doesn’t rely on flashy decor or trendy food gimmicks. Instead, it focuses on authentic recipes, generous portions, and consistently flavorful dishes.
The casual atmosphere makes it equally great for a quick weekday lunch, a comforting weekend dinner, or introducing friends to Thai specialties they may not have tried before. If the dining room happens to be busy, locals often mention that the restaurant’s nearby sister locations make the Pacific Square plaza an easy place to spend an afternoon exploring.
