This place kinda surprised me! The vibe is down to earth, somewhat hole-in-the-wall. The staff is friendly and I also picked up on genuine happiness without being over-the-top syrupy. Almost like a peaceful contentedness.

The physical menu doesn't have as much info as their online menu. So I relied on their online menu to mark what is vegan/vegetarian. Our server was also helpful in answering our questions about certain menu items.

Charred Edamame hooked me right away. Though I didn't necessarily see or taste too much char, the flavor of yuzu stood out while the sesame salt added a bit of extra texture and crunch. I easily finished this dish off when no one else at my table was touching it. Will gladly order this again. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/umaya-ramen-cerritos-9?select=8J7c4vX7R1S6rCjahbCayA

Creamy Vegetable Ramen has a very tasty soy garlic broth. This was topped with corn, wood ear mushroom green onion, bean sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and ginger. It came with a single shitake mushroom. The noodles had a perfect amount of chew. Next time I order this, I might add tofu just to have a bit of protein. Also, the habanero sauce is legit! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/umaya-ramen-cerritos-9?select=KSc_MFq5tndW352sqCddIw

I'm keeping this place bookmarked!

Simply good enough for me :)

After a night of junk-fooding and carb-ing, I was looking for a healthy lunch option. Since I had such a good experience at the Cerritos location, and since I was in the Torrance area, we decided to check out Simply Salad located where a David's Bridal used to be. This location is bigger and livelier with a slightly more modern vibe.

Though last time I ordered one of their signature salads, this time around I decided to do the Build Your Own. Here's what I created:
- Greens: kale & baby spinach
- Toppings: beets, garbanzo beans, purple cabbage, carrots, & tomatoes
- Premium Topping: baked tofu
- Dressing: tahini on the side
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/simply-salad-torrance?select=qRJAXS0kLMXmwDMfWGQJDQ

I love chopped salad and they do it well here. All the fresh ingredients mixed well and was so delicious that it took me a few bites to realize that it was missing one of the ingredients. No worries though because when I brought it to the staff's attention, they gave me the garbanzo beans on the side and apologized. I'm satisfied with their customer service. The portion is the perfect filling amount. Great bang for your buck!

This location is much nicer than the Cerritos location. It's a larger dining area, modern furniture and decor, and a bar. I was tempted to order the Lychee Sangria and it was the perfect tasty cocktail with the right amount of buzz. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=fWotRV_Rd6zfVeIezFP4BQ

The menu is a bit confusing because they have icons marking vegetarian items. However, items such as "Vegetarian Fried Noodles" didn't contain the vegetarian icon. We asked our waiter for clarification and he explained that the icon is actually for vegan items. (IMHO he didn't seem super sure about that so take his explanation with a grain of salt.) We ended up ordering the Vegetarian Noodles with the egg on the side. This also comes with broccoli, bean sprouts, and wheat noodles. Great flavor! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=Mfx1ST0Zd23EVzLhI6Adbw

Sautéed String Beans with Garlic were good. Standard, solid dish. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=CndExH8CDWdUoMRFt4Dk1Q

Salt and Tofu surprised me in a good way. Whatever seasoning they use really makes this dish. We think it is 5-spice seasoning. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=0Yxdiy2Pk0tENSwU2at6KQ

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings have distinct umami from shiitake mushrooms. Yummy! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/northern-cafe-long-beach-long-beach-2?select=Qz6djiUimafUPnYt9CHcoA

I was bummed to see that certain menu items available at Cerritos are not available here. But I'm hoping that the Biang Biang noodles will make their way to this Belmont Shore location.

No additional charges for plant-based milks!?! Hell yeah!!! I gotta give credit to Yelper Chad K. whose review caused me to bookmark this place when he mentioned that there are no upcharges for plant-based milk. Sweet deal!

Black Dog is a modest mobile coffee cart. Well, bigger than a cart...a compact trailer located in front of an office building. Though I've only visited a couple of times, each experience was met with friendly staff.

I enjoyed the Sweet Little Hilk. It's a matcha latte with oat milk and rose syrup. It was good! Subtle rose flavor and so pretty to look at. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/black-dog-coffee-roasters-signal-hill?select=kQxXJP5s-ltZ3cw2LXbC_Q

I've also had Lava Me which normally has honey but they swapped it out for agave when I asked for an alternative. This drink was tasty! Loved the lavender flavor in this coffee drink. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/black-dog-coffee-roasters-signal-hill?select=elTTR6o8zvqZau94N9BaZg

I've also sampled their Cafe Santo cold brew which I liked. Its flavor tones include orange peel and palo santo. I really wanna come back to check out their Purple Rain cold brew which has lavender and earl grey. Two flavors that I love :)