Torrance-based Shiok! Asian Street Food helped ring in the Lunar New Year with an expanded menu of inspired dishes.

LA is full of kitchens serving Pan-Asian cuisine, but none compare to the round-up of the best-of-the-best street foods at Shiok!.  The team behind Shiok! Have travelled throughout Asia and brought back the flavors that keep night markets bustling from Singapore to Saigon to Hong Kong and all the spots in between.

For Lunar New year, they’ve added some new items to their menu and the South Bay foodies stopped by to sample a few!

The Dragon Cooler was a great beverage for the meal.  Not only was it flavored with dragon fruit, it also had chunky pieces of dragon fruit floating in the drink.  This was perfect for me because I’m not a fan of boba. However, I did try the home-made boba from Shiok! In another beverage, the Blue Lagoon, a mix of citrus blue and floral green teas.  The boba was a nice addition without being too sweet. I say go for it if that’s your thing; I’ll stick with the fruit! 😀

Dragon Cooler (left) and the Blue Lagoon Boba Tea.
Dragon Cooler (left) and the Blue Lagoon Boba Tea.

The Firecracker Bao was a spin on a normal menu item, the hot chicken boa, except its rolled in hot cheetos.  The cheetos were a nice touch and added some texture to the soft bun but honestly, this little sandwich can stand on its own.  No hot cheetos needed! The crispy hot chicken, cool slaw and pickles, and the bouncy soft bun make for a decadent mix of flavors and textures. The cheeto toppoing was cute though.

Firecracker Bao
Firecracker Bao

The Firecracker Prawns were a delight with tender, flavorful shrimp wrapped in an insanely crispy eggroll paper.  Eating this dish was truly reminiscent of firecrackers because each bite was accompanied by a loud crunch.

Firecracker Prawns
Firecracker Prawns

The meal was rounded out with Long Life Garlic Noodles topped with grilled salmon.  Both of the items in the dish could shine on their own and certainly paired well together.  The noodles were perfectly laced with garlic and the salmon was expertly seared to a charred finish outside and a moist inside.  This is one item that I hope stays around well after the Lunar New Year celebration!

Long Life Garlic Noodles topped with grilled salmon
Long Life Garlic Noodles topped with grilled salmon


Shiok! Pulls from a variety of cuisines and from that pool, only the best of the best.  It’s no surprise that when they mix things up a bit, truly great flavors come out on top.

* Some items mentioned in this article were provided on a complimentary basis for the purpose of this review. This story was accurate when it was published and reflects the uninfluenced opinion of the reviewer.