Little Sister

Small but lovely spot - it's been here years but usually crowded enough we've not gone in (I don't do long waits ‍). Waiter attentive, brought a water carafe for the table, took our order and checked on us a couple of times. The spring rolls looked great (and the eater confirmed,) bun tom looked intimidating in size, and the recipient got real quiet excepting for "mmm"s and such, and he eats at lots of Asian places- so, high praise. I got the garlic noodles - and it was more than I could eat (no surprise) so hubby got the leftovers when I got home. Even warmed up he agreed it was very goodThe fact LS has been here as long as it has, coupled with the fact they are often busy/full up, tells you the quality is consistent. Parking downtown is always a bother, but that's not their fault. I live within walking distance, and if you ask me - get here on the subway. It eliminates all the issue of where to put your car.

If I could give zero stars, I would. I called ahead to place a takeout order, thinking I'd save time since I was in charge of feeding the ladies for our girls night, but instead, I ended up wasting over an hour of my night. After battling LA traffic and struggling to find parking in downtown (which, by the way, is nearly impossible), I arrived only to be told that three out of the four items I ordered weren't available. And they waited until I got there to tell me--no call, no heads-up, nothing.The hostess who took my order was extremely rude and even lied about trying to contact me. (Spoiler alert: I had no missed calls or voicemails.) She made no effort to offer substitutions or apologize for the inconvenience. Instead, she just asked if I still wanted the one item they actually had. That's it. No solution, no customer service, just pure attitude.To make matters worse, this wasn't even a busy Friday night! There was no excuse for this level of disorganization and unprofessionalism. If this is how they treat customers, I won't be back. Absolute waste of time.

Probably my favorite meal on this LA trip. It was a bit more pricey than your standard Vietnamese mom and pops joint, but well worth it since it's in Downtown LA with a creative elevated Vietnamese menu. All the dishes we ordered was exceptional. Whatever marinate they used for the shaken beef was very good, I'm still trying to replicate it at home. The pho rolls typically wouldn't be something I order because I'm not a fan of pho in general, but it was very refreshing. The crispy tofu with black rice was really flavorful and fun also, it was a pleasant surprise every time I dug up an eggplant, it's like digging for worms in dirt since the rice is black. Lol. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:)

Little Sister always hits the spot. It's moody and has a cool vibe with low key hip hop playing on the speaker. The menu is a mix of Southeast Asian flavors with French technique and always unique and packing a flavor punch. Some of our favorite menu items are the crispy prawns, goi du du, pho banh cuon and xoi sticky rice.

Ambiance: trendy and packed bar style restaurant for Vietnamese cuisine, l generally have good experience at their other locations, and I've been back to DTLA restaurants few times, reservation is recommended for groups particularly during peak hours Service: very friendly and patient with questions, although it took quite a while to get all the dishes after placing the orderFood: standard little sister menu, overall great choices 'goi cuon' - *** fresh spring roll with shrimp and pork, dipping sauce, okay taste for the roll and the dipping sauce was great shaky shaky beef - **** the signature dish here is their shaky shaky beef, watercress, baby tomatoes and burnt butter soy with tomato garlic fried rice, very bold taste, tender and flavorful meat, recommend 'goi du du' - *** green papaya salad, viet beef jerky, grilled prawns, peanuts, chili lime vinaigrette, spicy taste saigon lemongrass beef - **** vermicelli noodle, herbs, cucumbers, chili-lime dressing, spicy flavor, recommend 'bo kho' - **** braised short ribs, bone marrow, baby root vegetables, baguette, and butter and pate, flavorful broth and tasty beef, recommend Price: it's certainly on the pricey side for most of their food now, especially after the prices have increased over the time, expect $40 per person

Second time visiting this spot, I really enjoyed it! Place seems to be always packed for lunch, got seated at bar during my visit. The interior is small and charming with bistro like atmosphere. Not your traditional Vietnamese restaurant, menu is fusion of South-East Asian cuisine. Their pho bo hit the spot on cold day, but it was not the best pho that I've ever had. Broth was okay and brisket was slightly fatty. Appreciated that they give you ample noodles and vegetables. The house spice crispy chicken (aka ga roti) was super crispy and tasty. It brought back memories of my mom fried chicken cooked the same way. Both rice and salad were wonderful. The food was a bit expensive for amount that I got, not enough meat on pho and half-chicken was small. Still delicious option and food arrived decent time.

Do not miss the eggplant - it is phenomenal. It was a flavor sensation that I will continue to dream about. The sticky rice and shaky, shaky beef were both delicious and incredibly flavorful. Every dish was fantastic. The only item we did not love was the nem nuong.

Went here for a team dinner and the service, ambiance and food were all wonderful! I got these shaky shaky beef and the meat was nice and tender. The salad perfectly cut the richness of the beef while the rice was a nice neutral flavor!Our waiter was also so nice, he was very attentive and friendly!

I wouldn't exactly describe Little Sister as a hidden gem considering its popularity with the Downtown Los Angeles crowd, but is indeed a GEM. Over the years I've identified my favorite dishes and they are consistently delicious. It's a great place for family style dining too, but there's no shame in dining by yourself here given the incredible selection of starters and entrees. The sautéed eggplant and pho banh cuon are the two standout starters in my opinion. The eggplant is rich, fatty and pairs well with a bowl of white rice. Whereas, the pho banh cuon is salty, vinegary, and aromatic. The pho is always great to share and the SGV special comes with giant chunks of pork belly guaranteeing you don't leave hungry. Excellent flavors and a must try if you find yourself hungry in Downtown Los Angeles.

The best food I have ever had!!!!!!!!Spring rolls were so good. so fresh. They will even make all your food peanut free.