The Point, at the cusp of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, runs contrary to just about every shopping mall assumption we’ve come to accept as a truism.
Driving into it, one does not get lost in a miasma of a parking structure; outdoor parking abounds, with more recently added. The mall has the open affable feel of a small town, with a pleasant park at its center. And though the restaurants are not without chains, even they bring color to the place — thanks to high-steppers like Hopdoddy Burgers, Lil’ Simmzy’s, North Italia, True Food, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. And, most recently, the excellent Little Sister, which replaces the equally excellent Superba.
I’ll miss Superba, which was indeed well named. But Little Sister fits the space perfectly, with lots of outdoor dining, making for a whole new set of flavors added to the taste palette of The Point. The branch in The Point is the latest Little Sister to rise in the South Bay, and around town. The original Little Sister, in downtown Manhattan Beach, vanished some time ago, to be replace by a less-little Little Sister in Redondo Beach (on Avenida del Norte). There’s also one in the Irvine Spectrum, and maybe — or maybe not — in downtown Los Angeles, which claims to be “temporarily closed.” (Time will tell.)
It’s a creation of the brilliantly eclectic Blackhouse Hospitality Group, which has made our culinary lives so much more interesting thanks to a madcap assortment of restaurants — Abigaile in Hermosa Beach for craft beer and burgers, Dia de Campo for cutting edge Latin cooking, Steak & Whiskey for … steak and whiskey, Alta House for quirky cocktails, and more. Many options. But for me, the one that resonates the loudest is Little Sister, Chef Tin Vuong’s joyous take on modern Pan-Asian cooking.
And “joyous” describes the branch at The Point very well indeed. Now, I’ve long argued that names matter. Perhaps not as much as the cooking. But they’ve got to be right. And though I don’t know why Little Sister is a great name, it’s decidedly memorable. And it fronts a decidedly great restaurant — which demonstrates that greatness on a multitude of levels, with its spaciousness, its sublime outdoor dining, its joyous food, and its nutball mixology. The Chairman combines cognac, port wine and bitters. In the Old Drunken Master, you’ll find Buffalo Trace bourbon, orgeat, bitters, and something called “china china.” (It’s a liqueur that blends sweet and bitter orange peels.)
And then, of course, there’s the food — an Asian Fusion cornucopia of appetizers (referred to as “Essentials”), salads and vegetables, rice paper dishes, fish and shellfish, meat and poultry, noodles and rice dishes. And so, where to begin? Perhaps…at the beginning, with the “Essentials” of a sesame sourdough baguette — so French-Vietnamese! — which is packed with pate and “European” butter, sea salt and sour tomato jam. So simple, and so staggeringly good. (A basic rule of great food is simplicity makes for very complex flavor combinations. Be not fooled by understatement. Wonders lie within!)
The dumplings, packed with pork shrimp and crab, dressed with spicy black vinegar, is a dish your table will fight over. Order enough, to avoid conflict. For a bit of crunch, which goes so well with the numerous craft beers, try the red curry spiced pork rinds, doused with chili oil. And do note the several hot sauces on every table, made in-house. Some like it hot. And some like it very hot. You pays your money, and you takes your choice.
There isn’t a better green papaya salad in town, this one scattered with peppery prawns, and very smoky Vietnamese beef jerky. There’s a claypot packed with caramelized, coconut braised salmon. I love salmon, always have. But I’ve never tasted salmon this full of flavor. This is a salmon to dream about. But then, so are the Vietnamese crêpes filled with prawns and pork belly. The pork belly with crispy shiitake mushrooms. The beef tartar with bone marrow. I love marrow. I love beef tartar. I am beyond happy with every bite.
But then, there’s so much on the menu that’s like that. From the butter basted escargot “poppers” to the chili salted baby octopus salad. From the spicy lemongrass chicken wings to the fried sea bass in scallion oil and ginger chili sauce. I admired the hot sauces, but I didn’t use them. I didn’t need them. The dishes were just right as they were.
But I did need the pot au crème with coffee anglaise for dessert. I was tempted by the Vietnamese iced coffee, but I did want to sleep sometime during the next week. There’s no somnambulist who wouldn’t be awakened by the iced coffee. Like everything at Little Sister, it packs a wallop. A wallop in a velvet glove. This is one grownup Little Sister.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
Little Sister at The Point
- Rating: 3 stars
- Address: The Point, 830 Sepulveda Blvd., El Segundo
- Information: 424-835-9878; www.dinelittlesister.com
- Cuisine: Modern Cal-Asian-Fusion
- When: Lunch and dinner, every day
- Details: Replacing a fine branch of Superba in The Point, the latest outlet of this dazzling fusion eatery is the largest, and most opulent, with a sizable outdoor patio offering great people-watching while dining on some brilliantly unique dishes.
- Prices: About $35 per person
- Suggested dishes: 7 “Essentials” ($7-$21), 4 Salads & Vegetables ($13-$19), 5 Rice Paper ($11-$16), 5 Fish & Shellfish ($23-$28), 7 Meat & Poultry ($17-$55), 4 Noodles ($14-$21), 4 Rice ($23-$36)
- Credit cards: MC, V
