Bowling ‘Em Over--With Food

Many Gardena residents remember Yue’s Cantonese Restaurant near Rosecrans and Western avenues. For 26 years, Yue’s was among the most popular restaurants in Gardena, introducing such now-familiar dishes as Chinese chicken salad and foil-wrapped chicken. Owner Helen Yue trained the kitchen personnel and concocted the specials. But, eventually, topless joints and adult bookstores infiltrated the neighborhood and the building itself began to deteriorate faster than a sand castle during a tsunami. Yue sold the place and retired in 1983.

Five years later, the owner of the Missile Bowl lured her out of retirement to take over the coffee shop at this popular Gardena bowling alley. Yue has sprinkled the standard American coffee shop menu with dishes from Hawaii, Korea, China and Japan.

The bowling lanes are visible through the restaurant’s windows and bowlers are allowed to take food back to the lanes. The majority of them order french fries or potato skins, which irks Helen, who is health-conscious. “Americans are programmed to become sick,” she said. “They don’t have to be. I want to serve healthy food.”

Evidently, the message isn’t getting through to many customers, since two of the most popular breakfast dishes are the large mound of biscuits and gravy studded with slices of fried sausage ($2.39), and the french toast filled with cream cheese and apricot preserves ($3.65).

But for the health-conscious, there are good deals to be had among the plainly grilled or poached fish selections listed on the daily chalkboard specials. Usually available are red snapper ($4.95), mahi-mahi ($4.95), trout ($3.95) and cod ($3.95). The fish is accompanied by steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

Other big sellers are beef or chicken teriyaki ($6.25 with soup or salad and steamed rice), udon noodles with pork or chicken ($4.25) and, of course, meatloaf ($4.95).

The Missile Bowl Coffee Shop is at 1280 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena. (310) 516-8937. Open 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Monday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday .