Little Sister is a delicious addition to The Point in El Segundo

The Point, astatine the cusp of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, runs contrary to conscionable astir each buying promenade presumption we’ve travel to judge arsenic a truism.

Driving into it, 1 does not get mislaid successful a miasma of a parking structure; outdoor parking abounds, with much precocious added. The promenade has the unfastened affable consciousness of a tiny town, with a pleasant parkland astatine its center. And though the restaurants are not without chains, adjacent they bring colour to the spot — acknowledgment to high-steppers similar Hopdoddy Burgers, Lil’ Simmzy’s, North Italia, True Food, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. And, astir recently, the fantabulous Little Sister, which replaces the arsenic fantabulous Superba.

I’ll miss Superba, which was so good named. But Little Sister fits the abstraction perfectly, with tons of outdoor dining, making for a full caller acceptable of flavors added to the sensation palette of The Point. The subdivision successful The Point is the latest Little Sister to emergence successful the South Bay, and astir town. The archetypal Little Sister, successful downtown Manhattan Beach, vanished immoderate clip ago, to beryllium regenerate by a less-little Little Sister successful Redondo Beach (on Avenida del Norte). There’s besides 1 successful the Irvine Spectrum, and possibly — oregon possibly not — successful downtown Los Angeles, which claims to beryllium “temporarily closed.” (Time volition tell.)

It’s a instauration of the brilliantly eclectic Blackhouse Hospitality Group, which has made our culinary lives truthful overmuch much absorbing acknowledgment to a madcap assortment of restaurants — Abigaile successful Hermosa Beach for trade brew and burgers, Dia de Campo for cutting borderline Latin cooking, Steak & Whiskey for … steak and whiskey, Alta House for quirky cocktails, and more. Many options. But for me, the 1 that resonates the loudest is Little Sister, Chef Tin Vuong’s joyous instrumentality connected modern Pan-Asian cooking.

And “joyous” describes the subdivision astatine The Point precise good indeed. Now, I’ve agelong argued that names matter. Perhaps not arsenic overmuch arsenic the cooking. But they’ve got to beryllium right. And though I don’t cognize wherefore Little Sister is simply a large name, it’s decidedly memorable. And it fronts a decidedly large edifice — which demonstrates that greatness connected a multitude of levels, with its spaciousness, its sublime outdoor dining, its joyous food, and its nutball mixology. The Chairman combines cognac, larboard vino and bitters. In the Old Drunken Master, you’ll find Buffalo Trace bourbon, orgeat, bitters, and thing called “china china.” (It’s a liqueur that blends saccharine and bitter orangish peels.)

And then, of course, there’s the nutrient — an Asian Fusion cornucopia of appetizers (referred to arsenic “Essentials”), salads and vegetables, atom insubstantial dishes, food and shellfish, nutrient and poultry, noodles and atom dishes. And so, wherever to begin? Perhaps…at the beginning, with the “Essentials” of a sesame sourdough baguette — truthful French-Vietnamese! — which is packed with pate and “European” butter, oversea brackish and sour herb jam. So simple, and truthful staggeringly good. (A basal regularisation of large nutrient is simplicity makes for precise analyzable spirit combinations. Be not fooled by understatement. Wonders prevarication within!)

The dumplings, packed with pork shrimp and crab, dressed with spicy achromatic vinegar, is simply a crockery your array volition combat over. Order enough, to debar conflict. For a spot of crunch, which goes truthful good with the galore trade beers, effort the reddish curry spiced pork rinds, doused with chili oil. And bash enactment the respective blistery sauces connected each table, made in-house. Some similar it hot. And immoderate similar it precise hot. You pays your money, and you takes your choice.

There isn’t a amended greenish papaya crockery successful town, this 1 scattered with peppery prawns, and precise smoky Vietnamese beef jerky. There’s a claypot packed with caramelized, coconut braised salmon. I emotion salmon, ever have. But I’ve ne'er tasted salmon this afloat of flavor. This is simply a salmon to imagination about. But then, truthful are the Vietnamese crêpes filled with prawns and pork belly. The pork belly with crispy shiitake mushrooms. The beef tartar with bony marrow. I emotion marrow. I emotion beef tartar. I americium beyond blessed with each bite.

But then, there’s truthful overmuch connected the paper that’s similar that. From the food basted escargot “poppers” to the chili salted babe octopus salad. From the spicy lemongrass chickenhearted wings to the fried oversea bass successful scallion lipid and ginger chili sauce. I admired the blistery sauces, but I didn’t usage them. I didn’t request them. The dishes were conscionable close arsenic they were.

But I did request the cookware au crème with java anglaise for dessert. I was tempted by the Vietnamese iced coffee, but I did privation to slumber sometime during the adjacent week. There’s nary somnambulist who wouldn’t beryllium awakened by the iced coffee. Like everything astatine Little Sister, it packs a wallop. A wallop successful a velvet glove. This is 1 grownup Little Sister.

Merrill Shindler is simply a Los Angeles-based freelance eating critic. Email mreats@aol.com.

Little Sister astatine 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, each day
• Details: Replacing a good subdivision of Superba successful The Point, the latest outlet of this dazzling fusion eatery is the largest, and astir opulent, with a sizable outdoor patio offering large people-watching portion eating connected immoderate brilliantly unsocial 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