Little Sister (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

Little Sister
523 W 7th St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Dining date: 4/10/16 and 4/16/16

I’m not the only one that has been frequenting Little Sister, it has been one of the hot restaurants downtown drawing crowds for its modern Asian cuisine. This post recaps two of my most recent meals – a breakfast and a dinner, as I’ve explored more of what the restaurant has to offer.

palmiers

Palmiers were made in-house, a miniature version of the classic French pastry. These were crispy, buttery and sweet.

crab, salted cod & egg white congee chinese savory doughnut

Congee was a strong dish with plenty of seafood flavor in the comforting bowl. Fried Chinese doughnuts added the textural element to the traditional Asian breakfast.

wonton soup & egg noodles pork, pickled cabbage, baby bok choy, chili oil, garlic chives, fried shallots

This dish came highly recommended but just didn’t do it for me. It was much spicier than I expected; in fact, the spice overshadowed any flavor in the broth. Worse still, the noodles and wontons were cooked to a mushy state. Easily the most disappointing dish I’ve had here.

We had an opportunity to try a few more dishes at dinner.

balinese fried meatballs cilantro-mint chutney, pickled okra

These meatballs were crispy and savory, complemented by the sweet chutney for dipping.

pho banh cuon with beef & tendon, herbs, lettuce, pickled onion

Another great starter, these were mildly spicy up front but packed with fresh crisp flavors. Surprisingly meaty too.

vietnamese crepe ‘banh xeo’, prawns, pork belly, bean sprout, herbs n’ greens, house dressing

The crispy crepe was scattered with shrimp and pork belly, balanced out by the greens with pickled daikon and carrots alongside.

shaky shaky beef watercress, baby tomatoes, burnt butter soy with tomato garlic fried rice

This was my second time having this dish, and it was better on this visit. Tender chunks of beef were glazed in the sweet/savory sauce, while the lime and dressed greens provided a welcome counterpoint.

pan fried e-fu noodle confit shredded pork, long beans & tea egg

Pan-fried noodles had nice texture, some pieces crispy, with strips of rich pork.

red & black rice mussels, shrimp, octopus, scallop, sausage, confit pork, lime leaf aïoli & okra

Described as a sort of “paella” we had to order this. Black and red rice was served in a sizzling hot cast iron pot, hiding a myriad of overcooked seafood. Also hidden in the mix was about an inch of the end of a blackened skewer. The server wasn’t sure how it got there but it might have been the most dangerous thing I’ve put in my mouth, ever. Not good.

A couple of very disappointing dishes dragged down these last two meals, though most of what we ordered was strong. As the restaurant has gotten increasingly busy, I hope it hasn’t let its execution get sloppy. I’m optimistic these were just blips on the radar and not indicative of a trend.