First time going on Christmas Eve and it was so good! Everything had so much flavor. The portions and quality are very good for the cost. Definitely worth it! The pork chops were a little rich but the meat was great. We really enjoyed the vermicelli noodles with beef, lemongrass wings and pecan dessert. Everything was so good I forgot to take photos until dessert.

Incredible preparation and amazing serving staff! This was my first time here, and I will be here again for sure. Music was such a great vibe, and the history of this restaurant was so interesting to learn. Not to mention, the food…wow! Incredible selection and preparation. Very happy with our dining experience

Amazing to have this in OC!! So happy don’t have to drive to LA. Beautiful place, really nice outdoor seating too. Food was excellent, as expected with high expectations for little sister, flavors right on. This does the LA location real justice. Yeah this isn’t discount viet food, but value for what you’re getting is worth the price no question. Oh and service was great too.

+1

Every food here was so delicious... And also dessert is unbelievably nice...lol The vibes are also fancy... I feel so happy to celebrate my birthday here with my bestie. THANKS

+6

Holy moly, this is my new favorite place in the Irvine Spectrum. Amazing food and incredible service. The food came out smfast, even on a busy Saturday night. I wish I could have ate more, it was so good.

+1

This is a dining experience that goes above and beyond your normal Asian cuisine. Some of their signature dishes are unique and complex flavor profiles that you don't get in a mainstream restaurant. We had papaya salad, spring rolls, dumplings, a beef and rice dish then as the main course we had black rice with seafood that was phenomenal. Because we had such a large dinner party we all had the same food and no one was disappointed with a single dish. That's saying something!

Everything was great. The look is beautiful. The manager greeting my wife and I was great. Service excellent, V was on it, had great recommendations and followed up multiple times. As for the food, we loved it all, it was excellent. Thank you

Really good food! I went here with my partner on a Sunday and loved the ambiance. I can’t even remember what we ordered because I just kept eating 😂 Will definitely come back!

Based on my dinner I really liked all the fresh and amazing flavors on the rolls and the crepe. The porkchop and chicken fat rice stole the show though. Shoutout to the amazing bar servers and bar manager who who great care of us over the weekend.

Absolutely delicious food. We didn't order a single thing that wasn't incredible. Thank you to Matthew for being a great server!

Came here for lunch. Super great experience. They had a lot of people. But we ate at the bar. The guy at the bar was super kind and friendly and explained the menu and was just super great. Made it a wonderful experience. The food was amazing. Got the pork spring rolls, lemongrass beef noodles and beef bahn mi. So delicious and prices were good for the area. Drinks were also super good. Got the honey gin drink and lychee vodka with blue Caracao drink. Highly recommend this place. The atmosphere, staff and food were all great. The dessert was the Vietnamese coffee pudding thing. So good. Highly recommend it.

+2

Really great spot for food and drinks! My wife and I decided to try Little Sister after someone recommended it. We were pleasantly surprised by the great vibe and atmosphere inside, friendly service, and best of all… the food was really good! The dumplings appetizer was to die for, it’s a must try. We also shared the Goti Ra, half chicken dish. Chicken was crispy and cooked perfect, and the salad with it was flavorful and good. Definitely will come back and try some more entrees and the pho soup.

First time dining at Little Sister with the family. Made online reservation for 5:00pm on Friday; glad I did! Filled up so fast! Decoration was awesome & modern. Service was exceptional; everyone was attentive to our needs, not just our waiter Our waiter, Timmy/Timothy knew the menu and how every dish was prepared. Even went as far as accommodating my husband's food allergy We ordered the papaya salad with prawns, roasted chicken with rice and salad, and the bo koh ox tail stew (to die for) and the Siagon lemongrass beef and vermicelli. All were umami! Dessert was spectacular 😋. Had the cafe sua da pot au creme - a vietnamese coffee flan and LS chocolate cake coconut mousse and chocolate pearls They were soooooo scrumptious!

+6

Fancy Vietnamese restaurant. The flavors were on point. I would totally go back to get the eggplant dish, papaya salad, tofu and the chicken dumplings. The shaken beef was not filet. It was chewy to my taste.

Food - delicious! Do yourself a favor and get the pork chop rice dish. It was hands down our table’s favorite. I would go back and order 1 pork chop for myself and not share. The grilled pork flavors were on point, cooked perfectly because not one single piece was dry, and who would say no to chicken fat rice with an egg?! Papaya salad was very flavorful, we all enjoyed it, great textures, the prawns are a nice touch. The chicken wings are must, they were crispy and had that great sweet tangy spicy flavor I was expecting. The raw beef dish was good but not great. The toasted bread that came with it though, yum! We ended up using the limes from the wings dish to squeeze onto the beef, it needed more acid, definitely made it better. The lobster rice dish had a great presentation but would I order it again.. no. The rice itself was really good. The lobster had all the seasoning on the shell and I honestly don’t think we got the entire lobster we paid for. The other shellfish on there were overcooked. Both desserts, although small, were very good. Nothing mind blowing on either one, but they both had qualities of desserts everyone liked. $5 for an extra scoop of ice cream is insane though. And I really don’t understand green garnishes on desserts when they add no value to the dessert. They’re literally picked off and thrown to the side. Stop wasting your microgreens. All in all, I would absolutely go back, get the pork chop again and try other dishes as well! Ambiance - the restaurant is pretty, very modern and chic. Everything felt clean. Bathrooms were clean. Loved the music! Service was great. Our server (I want to say her name was Stephanie?) was great! She explained everything so well, she answered all our questions and she gave honest suggestions. We ended up sitting inside because the table we were sitting at outside had mosquitoes swarming. Parking - restaurant is in the Irvine Spectrum, so it all free Spectrum parking.

+3

Excellent food, decor and service. They sat us right at the moment of reservation time. However, be warned the ladies in the front are not exactly the smartest of the bunch which I can see why people have been frustrated. Food is tasty and yes a tiny bit on the salty side but the flavors were outstanding. The Sticky Rice is the only item I’d stay away from. The chicken curry was outstanding for sure. The menu is like reading a book - it’s confusing and my friends who we went with were all Vietnamese said the same. The food comes out fast so U don’t have to order all at once - just order a few and order more as u go or else u will end up with too much food. Will definitely come back

+6

Their food was awesome. It was our first time at LSIS on my wife's birthday and she loves all what we ordered and was thinking of going back again the next day 😃 1. Dumplings 2. Green Papaya Salad 3. Shaky Shaky Beef - I love that unique taste from the fried rice included. 4. The ginger drink and that chocolate coconut cake to cap our dinner with brewed coffee was great. I want to try the Bo Kho or Suon Nuong. The only thing is they don't have highchairs for our kids praise them they were cooperative that night. They had some Chef's special a plain noodles. They were playing some old school Hip-hop R&B that I enjoyed too.

Stopped to check this place out for a late dinner. Ambiance was dark, fun, and upbeat with classic hip hop. Food was great, house noodles were awesome as well as the whole lobster and fried rice. I looking forward to leftovers for breakfast.

+4

Yummy Vietnamese fusion. Ambiance has a modern glam twist. Celebrated a friend's 20th anniversary. We pretty much ordered almost everything on the menu. Most dishes were really good. Mediocre dish was the okra anf black rice dish.

The restaurant is nice and the music is good too! The foods are good looking and tasty. The only draw back is the menu is not friendly for people don’t want to read. Because there is no picture on the menu. We order short rib banh mi $18, shaky beef$33, papaya salad $19. I felt like little bit overpriced but it worthy.

Absolutely delicious food. Excellent service. Adam our waiter was excellent. Very clean and pretty restaurant. It's right in front of the Apple Store in the Spectrum. I highly recommend this restaurant. Their food is fantastic.

Great food. The black rice seafood dish is the bomb. I didn’t like the shaky shaky beef salad. The beef was tender but didn’t have a lot of flavor. The best most flavorful dish was the seafood wontons. Must try.

+6

High end vietnamese food - really tasty and flavorful with a classy vibe inside. It is pricey so maybe good for a date or occasion. We tried the autumn roll, shaky beef, clay pot spare ribs, and octopus salad. The octopus salad was my favorite, as it had green papaya and some chiles for spice.

+1

Cute Asian fusion restaurant in Irvine Spectrum. Flavorful meals, delightful cocktails, hospitable services, clean and welcoming ambiance. Extensive Southeast-Asian-forward menu but elevated. Overall, it was scrumptious! Perfect for a date night with your loved ones.

This is the only restaurant in Spectrum center that I have visited many times. They serve Vietnamese style food. Good for a meal during the day and a pub feel at night. The rice noodles here are the best around here. Tartare also nice!

+6

I waited way too long to try this place because of the reviews being less than stellar, but the food was fantastic and high quality. The spring rolls were really good, but the pork and shrimp vermicelli was amazing. And the Nem Lui is one of the best Vietnamese dishes I’ve had. The ambiance and service was good as well, I’ve seen a lot of people complaining, but I didn’t have any of those issues. Will definitely be back.

What a find! The Little Sister Vietnamese Restaurant is in a class all by itself. I was thoroughly impressed by the decor and ambiance of their dining room. The dishes were carefully prepared with the freshest, finest and tasty ingredients. Every bite provided a new new flavor, ginger, mint, watercress, peanut and of course the crunchy greens... like a party for the palate. The service was exemplary , as Adam revealed every delicacy on the menu with a smile and patience. I just wish there was a Little Sister in San Diego.. my hometown. Thanks for a wonderful dining experience.

Not what I expected from a Vietnamese restaurant. I expected a restaurant with traditional Southeast Asian flare. This is a modern place with a bar and contemporary, though limited menu. Ordered salmon in a clay pot (not your traditional heavy soy sauce with sugar) but a wonderful grilled fish with modern Vietnamese flavor The papaya salad is delightful. The green papaya is soft from the sauce, abbot too sweet. The stir fry eggplant is delicious. The eggplant is well cooked and soft. The sauce has a SE Asian taste, not your Sichuan style. The restaurant is beaming with people and a bit loud for a date.

Everything at Little Sister; Ambiance, location, staff, presentation and taste were all exceptional and worth the visit if you're in the OC area. Obviously, you could go to Westminster for authentic Vietnamese food but Little Sister's BOH staff definitely presents eye catching dishes that even I couldn't help but keep looking at and depending on the dishes you order can bring you on a spectrum of tastes. Of everything I ordered, the Bánh xèo surprised me on the mouth feel, taste and texture when biting into it. I wish it had rice paper with it so I can wrap it better but other than that I was satisfied. The combination an savory meat & fish taste combined with the sweet fish sauce came as a one-two punch combo that won my taste buds. I will definitely come again to try other dishes and I look forward to future seasonal menus presented. 👍

+3

Little Sister – Flavor Adventure in Every Bite! Little Sister offers a delightful fusion of Southeast Asian flavors that is both vibrant and sophisticated. My recent visit was marked by two standout dishes: the Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings and the Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef). First off, the Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings were a flavor explosion. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, these wings were bathed in a sauce that perfectly balanced sweetness, tang, and a spicy kick. The addition of fresh herbs like cilantro and slices of jalapeño elevated the dish with aromatic freshness and subtle heat. I loved the crunch from fried shallots and the brightness from a squeeze of lime. This dish was both finger-licking good and beautifully presented! The Bo Luc Lac was equally impressive. The tender cubes of beef were seared to perfection with a glossy, caramelized sauce that clung to each piece. The bold, umami-rich flavor of the beef paired perfectly with the fragrant red rice and crisp, refreshing watercress salad. The combination of textures—tender beef, crisp greens, and slightly chewy rice—made every bite an experience. The restaurant ambiance was cozy yet stylish, with earthy tones and natural light enhancing the relaxed atmosphere. Service was attentive, and the dishes arrived hot and fresh. Final Verdict: Little Sister is a must-visit if you’re craving vibrant, expertly crafted dishes that bring a creative twist to traditional Southeast Asian flavors. Whether you’re in the mood for crispy wings or succulent beef, you’re in for a treat. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

+2

The restaurant is larger than appears from the outside. It has a great intimate vibe for a date night or ladies night out. The short ribs were outstanding and service was great. The food took longer than expected but was worth the wait.

The place is very charming with a vibrant decor. I recommend sitting at the bar in the center of the restaurant. You get the best of everything at the bartop. They make food right in front of you and you can see the kitchen and dining areas as well. The beef pho is outstanding. I would suggest asking for extra broth on the side. Great place for a date, to bring family, or business meetings.

I have been wanting to try this beautiful restaurant for awhile now. Looking at their menu online this Little Sister didn't offer a variety for vegetarians but I decided to try this restaurant anyway. I made a reservation to have a lunch date with my husband - ambiance and decor was beautiful. I love the interiors and Asian style. The food had amazing flavors, beautiful presentation & delicious dishes. The drinks were tasty with nice presentation. Our waiter was knowledgeable and friendly. Started with cocktails: Bee Sting & Hazy Empress. The Bee Sting was terrible but the Hazy Empress was refreshing and tasty. We decided to order a variety of small plates: the Crispy Prawns, Autumn Roll & Tom Rang Thit Be Chi. All were tasty with amazing flavors. I was able to order a few dishes that were vegetarian. My husband and I enjoyed coming here. Such a delight to try something new. Would definitely come back to try other dishes.

+6

A bit inattentive on the liquids at the table. And overall amazing foods. The chicken coconut curry was delicious. Would love it even more with a few less peppers, short ribs - perfect and amazing, brisket banh mi - delicious and the bun is very well done. Appetizers - prawns - delish, warm milk rolls, bring 10 not 4…lol, ‘pho banh cuon’ - loved the interior, rice paper was a weird texture and hard to figure out how to handle.

Was really worried at first because a lot of previous reviews mentioned it was too salty, and I'm pretty sensitive to salt. They must have taken the feedback to heart, because it was fine this time. --- appetizer --- Salmon Crudo ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I liked this - it's in a coconut broth --- entree --- Fried sea bass ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - really crispy - not super flavorful though Goi du du - Green papaya salad ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I liked this a lot as a salad to add to all dishes - I wish it was slightly spicy, but that's a personal preference, maybe next time i would ask for spicy chili oil - I liked the shrimp it came with, but I much preferred the taste of it in the curry ❤️Vietnamese seafood curry ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - a must order for me - it was amazing and I loved the chili oil with it - I started dipping everything in this curry Rice paper - pho bahn cuon ⭐⭐⭐✨ - was told by the waiter that it was the most special dish here - I'm not 100 percent sure if I agree, was just ok to me! - I like the meat inside though Shaky shaky beef ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - really tender beef - appreciate the rice it came with

+6

This is an upscale and modern Vietnamese restaurant. The inside of the restaurant is super beautiful, very elegant! I ordered the seafood curry with steamed rice, an order of banh xeo, and the triple garlic noodles. Everything was exquisitely packaged as I did takeout. It actually looked pretty inside the takeout boxes. The curry was perfect. It was spicy but not too spicy. It had the right amount of kick to it. Very much comfort food on a somewhat cold day. The garlic noodles was also very tasty. The banh xeo was just ok. It was overcooked on the outside - no crispness to the batter - and there was not enough lettuce leaves to complete a banh xeo wrap. There were plenty of other vegetables though. I liked the added vermicelli and roasted peanuts.

+6

Always stop by this place when I’m at Irvine Spectrum! I never skip the black rice — it’s my must-have. The other dishes are also really good!

Little Sister at Irvine Spectrum just opened and it's worth visiting! My friend and I went on a Tuesday night and it was a perfect time to go. It wasn't busy and we were able to sit outside with our dog. We had great service and enjoyed every dish. Everything is served family style. My friend and I brought our teen daughters and ordered 6 dishes which was plenty to share! They have their menu available online if you scan their QR code. I'll definitely be back. P.S. Loved the 90s hip hop music they played!

+5

Wow wow wow! Amazing food, service and drinks! The ambiance is so relaxed yet lively. Our server was so patient with us explaining the menu and giving us recommendations. Some of these plates are family style so take that into consideration. The quality of ingredients is spot on. Presentation was lovely. Definitely worth every penny. Don’t hesitate!

+3

The best quality beef and incredibly tasty food. It was my first time visiting this location, and I absolutely loved it! I will definitely be coming back. The manager is very professional, and his cocktails are a must-try. Great service, and don’t forget about the desserts! Thank you again everyone ✨

+3

One of my favorite restaurants period! It might be located in a mall, but this is gourmet dining. The entrees are beautifully plated and you will want to eat everything on the plate. The attention to detail is there in every side, for example their salads and pickled cabbage. The appetizers are special from the pork rinds to the dumplings, nothing is ordinary. Bring a group of people order a lot of dishes sit back and listen to everyone's comments, this food gets folks talking. The drinks and dessert are also very special. I hope they come to San Diego soon!

+5

After walking and shopping around the area, we decided to give this place a try since we liked their Manhattan Beach/El Segundo branch. This place did not disappoint! Seating was plentiful, although we did come in before the lunch rush. Their servers were very attentive and friendly. In addition, the ambiance was eclectic, with Vietnamese floral scenery offset by the random military helicopter print. I assume that this is a callback from the founder’s experience as a child refugee during the Vietnam War. The food is modern Vietnamese fusion, and you can really taste the blend of fresh Asian-inspired ingredients with colonial French-inspired preparation methods. The server recommends a family-style dining approach, so we ordered various dishes to share. We started off with the warm milk rolls, which were absolutely divine! A combination of salty and sweet, the dough starts off crunchy but then became melt-in-your-mouth soft chewy. It was so good that I forgot to take photos! Fortunately, I did stop to take a photo of my main course, the Chicken Rendang. A riff off the Malaysian specialty, it comes with long grain jasmine rice and a side of picked papaya and carrots. The chicken is tender and juicy and is perfectly balanced with the peppers and basil atop the curry sauce. Texture-wise, the dish balances crunchy with chewy, as the soft jasmine rice complements the fried onion and shallots sprinkled on top. My only complaint is the price, since I’m used to cheap Vietnamese food in other parts of SoCal. However, Little Sister is meant to be a higher class take on cuisine, so I can see why the prices are higher. The restaurant is also known for its bar scene, but I haven’t tried their alcohol in that type of setting. But the restaurant part is definitely worth a try if you’re looking for Vietnamese fusion!

Our party of 5 came at 6pm on a Wednesday night. It was relatively busy for a random weekday night. But we were seated fast. We ordered a good variety of entrees. In order of our most favorite to least, we ordered the bun thit nuong (the imperial rolls were so crispy!! The whole dish was great.) black rice (ie paella--tasty but strange to find in a viet restaurant), banh xeo (delicious but it was confusing to eat because the add ons were on the side; also, it's a bit pricey given that it was a smaller dish compared to other dishes), shaky shaky beef (ok; it was hard to chew the beef and the dish was pretty heavy), and the garlic noodles (kinda bland; there wasn't much going on). We also ordered the coffee dessert, which we liked a lot but it was also a bit pricey. As for the service, the food came really fast. Our waitress was attentive for the first half of our time there, but she got busy during the last half. We waved her down for the check, which was no problem at all. I really liked the decor and atmosphere. The music was a little loud, but we didn't mind. It made things lively. I don't think a few bad or expensive dishes warrants a 4 star rating. I just recommend being careful about what you order.

+3

Little sister has some pretty good food with a rotating menu. I've been a few times and have never had a bad meal. The staff is always kind and they are dog friendly.

+6

Alex Ryan

Tuvimos una experiencia estupenda sentados en la barra. El servicio fue rápido y amable, con muchas descripciones de la comida, y nos recomendó las mejores opciones para nuestra pareja. La comida estaba deliciosa, y eso fue lo que más nos gustó. Se paga por el ambiente, y la comida es para compartir, así que tengan cuidado al pedir, ya que las porciones son grandes.

Cute aesthetic restaurant in Irvine spectrum. Food was decent and meant to be family style so it was perfect for trying different dishes. Food came out quick and service was great! -Grande du monde cocktail 4/5 A creamier espresso martini like cocktail, it was good! - Watercress and herb salad 5/5 My personal favorite, dressing was good and paired well with watercress and fried okras - Fresh rice paper 4/5 Refreshing and seasoned well! - Triple garlic noodle 3/5 - Sweet and sour pork belly 3/5 Meat was tender and well seasoned! - Sweet and spicy chicken wings 3/5 Crispy and spicy!

My friend treated us to dinner tonight to welcome another girl who just arrived in town 💗 She said Little Sister is so good that she’s been here twice in a row—and it’s definitely worth the hype! (We also tried a few dishes randomly from the menu—everything turned out delicious!) ⸻ 🌿 Ambience & Vibes The interior has a warm, elegant vibe with wooden tones and golden lighting—perfect for dates or girls’ night out. The outdoor patio features white walls, lush plants, and striped umbrellas—totally Instagram-worthy 📸 Whether you come during the day or in the evening, it feels like a cozy Southeast Asian getaway~ 🍴 Recommended Dishes 🥗 Goi Du Du (Papaya Salad + Prawns) Refreshing and tangy! The papaya shreds are super crisp, and the prawns are juicy and flavorful. A perfect mix of sweet, sour, and a little spicy! 🍆 Sauteed Eggplant Mapo Pork Soft, flavorful eggplant with a touch of Sichuan-style spice. Fragrant and rich—amazing with rice! 🥩 Short Rib Tender and juicy short rib with a perfectly seared crust. The sauce has that unique fusion of Southeast Asian street flavor and fine dining presentation. 🥘 Black Rice Topped with plenty of seafood! The black rice has a chewy texture and a nutty aroma—healthier and more unique than regular white rice. 🍞 Milk Rolls Soft, buttery, and slightly sweet—can’t believe bread can taste this good! My son absolutely loved it. 💰 Around $50 per person, totally worth it! The service was friendly and attentive too. 💬 Overall: ✨ Diverse flavors with beautiful plating (though slightly on the sweet side) ✨ Gorgeous setting and perfect lighting—every corner is photo-worthy!

The wait time was normal, but the food was delicious; the servers were professional. The food was generally good and rarely disappointed. However, a few years ago their rice was mixed with oil, but now it tastes like ordinary rice. I still like it, but they could do better.

Food is good but atmosphere and service was a bit slow. We had a party of 6 on a weekend, is this normal? We ordered a few of their recommended menu items but what we enjoyed the most was their beer, lemonade coolers and garlic noodles and crispy chicken with rice. Some meat dishes were bland and tasted like other dishes.

It's not bad. A new take on Vietnamese cuisine. The cocktails are original too. We'll keep coming back

+6

The menu is a little cluttered, however, there are definitely some dishes that are well above the rest. I recommend the chicken dishes here. The other types of protein are not worth the price as you can get it much more authentic in other places for half the price.

+1

The beef tartare and garlic noodles were very flavorful. The chicken and seafood entree were good but a little overpriced. Overall recommended trying for the experience.

Food is tasty, but a bit salty. Service can improve since the servers don't know where the dishes should go. I was at the bar, and the servers asked several customers what they ordered. This situation shouldn't happen at the price Little Sister is asking for. Definitely give gonna try this place again.

Vietnamese lunch is so good and addicted. I tried: 1. Phở bánh cuốn - beef & tendon herbs 2. Gà rôti - house spiced crispy chicken 3. Fried sea bass

+1

I had the pork lemongrass skewers with noodles. There were a lot of veggies and herbs but barely any noodles. I had to ask for more noodles. The fish sauce was spot on, I was worried it was water down.

Absolutely gorgeous aesthetics inside snd out. Great staff and service, especially for such a busy location. The menu is really interesting and great for sharing plates. I’ve tried just about every dish and have never been disappointed.

Stopped by this restaurant when I went to Irvine Spectrum on Saturday. I ordered Banh Cuon and Black Rice. The meat inside the Banh Cuon was cold, and the Black Rice came with too much soup. The Black Rice is similar to the Vietnamese Rice Clay Pot, as it comes with vegetables and seafood in a bowl. Overall, the food was okay except for the service. Service was slow; I sat there for a while, and nobody came to ask if I had ordered yet or even they ask if I need anything else while dinning time.

Food and presentation was great! We came here for lunch and got the most popular items since it was our first time. Black rice, pho rolls, papaya salad. Everything was unique and had a lot of flavor. The ambiance inside was very nice as well. Portions were just right but remember these are share plates. A little on the pricey side but this is Irvine and you’re paying for quality.

The food were good and services was average we waited for a bit before the server came around to our table but in my opinion it’s a bit pricey! I do like the atmosphere though. I will come back again.

Beautiful restaurant with good food but mediocre service. We've gone a handful of times and had some pretty tasty dishes, though somewhat pricey. The hostesses are not the friendliest and some act like they're at the hottest club in LA. Aside from that it's one of the better food options at the spectrum but I find myself not returning because of the service.

The food and service here was amazing, and my husband absolutely loved their cocktails. We ordered the shrimp and crab dumplings which were mounted with toppings of Chinese sausage, ground pork, and greens and the dipping sauce paired perfectly with it. The flavors were bursting from the dumplings in all the right ways. For the entrees, we ordered the sticky rice and the Vietnamese crepes with prawns and pork belly. This was a new experience for us both and we had to ask for instructions on how to tackle this dish. The crepe is more like a thick egg pancake with salad shrimps and pork bits cooked into it. It's then folded over a heap of sprouts and 3 jumbo prawns with some pork belly chunks to go with it. Then you get a plate of delicious greens like leafy lettuce, Basil, picked daikon and carrots, and rice noodles that you stuff into the crepe and a sweet chili sauce to dip. It was extremely refreshing and delightful. This isn't your standard flair of Vietnamese food, so if you go in with the mindset that the food is more fusiony and fancy, the meals are quite enjoyable. My husband got the silk and spice and he loved it. He describes it as similar to a rum-chada. (I don't really do alcohol so when I tasted it, all I could taste was alcohol). I got the iced Vietnamese coffee which was nice and strong, how I like it. The service was excellent! Our waitress, which if I remember correctly her name was Malia(?), was on top of it. She checked in with us regularly, despite how busy it was, and always made sure our water glasses were never empty. She remembered to put the cilantro on the side (I have the soap tasting gene, but my husband likes cilantro) and she was absolutely amazing. This is really more of a 4.5 rating than a 5, and personally, the only reason why we knocked off a Star was because of the atmosphere. Neither of us are fans of loud thumping music while we eat and we don't know why all these nice restaurants are starting to do it.

+4

Stopped by for a weekday Monday lunch. They were out of all the favorite dishes. Kind of a bummer but tried out new ones. Server was nice, food was delicious, decor was cool. I liked the indoor and outdoor vibe.

#LittleSister in Irvine Specturm It specializes in Vietnamese cuisine, not authentic but westernized one, balancing the spices and flavors of Vietnamese and Western inspiration. So, its taste satisfies all Asian, American as well as the European foodies. It is located in Spectrum, the center of shopping, dining and entertainment in Irvine. Along with its high ceiling, the clean tables are also spacious, giving good openness. Its signature dish is Black rice ($38) with mussels, shrimp, octopus, scallop.. It is tasty and recommendable! Another signature one is, goi du du which is green papaya salad ($23). We also select sautéed eggplant ($18) for salad, but goi du du is better me. Chili salted crispy tofu $28. Rice noodle soup, Pho ga ($19) with chicken and meatball is selected, in stead of pho bo ($21) and the broth is refreshing and the rice noodles have good chewy texture. It has good ambience and recommendable for friends or family.

+6

Great atmosphere and nice customer service. The food is tasty but too saucy for my liking. There's a lot of sauce that if your food sits out, it gets soggy. They have a really nice outdoor patio that covers the Irvine blazing sun with a nice breeze.

+3

lucky33_89

Mi amiga nos invitó a cenar esta noche para darle la bienvenida a otra chica que acaba de llegar a la ciudad. 💗 Dijo que Little Sister es tan bueno que ha estado aquí dos veces seguidas, ¡y definitivamente vale la pena la promoción! (También probamos algunos platos al azar del menú; ¡todo salió delicioso!) ⸻ 🌿 Ambiente y ambiente El interior tiene un ambiente cálido y elegante con tonos madera e iluminación dorada, perfecto para citas o salidas de chicas. El patio exterior tiene paredes blancas, plantas exuberantes y sombrillas a rayas, ¡totalmente digno de Instagram! 📸 Tanto si vienes de día como de noche, te sentirás como en una acogedora escapada al sudeste asiático. 🍴 Platos recomendados 🥗 Goi Du Du (Ensalada de papaya + gambas) ¡Refrescante y ácido! Las tiras de papaya están súper crujientes y las gambas jugosas y sabrosas. ¡Una mezcla perfecta de dulce, ácido y un toque picante! 🍆 Berenjena Salteada con Cerdo Mapo Berenjena suave y sabrosa con un toque de especias al estilo Sichuan. Fragante y rica, ¡increíble con arroz! 🥩 Costilla Costilla tierna y jugosa con una corteza perfectamente sellada. La salsa tiene esa fusión única de sabor callejero del sudeste asiático y presentación de alta cocina. 🥘 Arroz Negro ¡Con abundante marisco! El arroz negro tiene una textura masticable y un aroma a nueces, más saludable y único que el arroz blanco normal. 🍞 Panecillos de Leche Suaves, mantecosos y ligeramente dulces. ¡No puedo creer que el pan pueda saber tan bien! A mi hijo le encantó. 💰 Unos $50 por persona, ¡valió totalmente la pena! El servicio también fue amable y atento. 💬 En general: ✨ Sabores variados con una presentación hermosa (aunque un poco dulce) ✨ Un entorno magnífico e iluminación perfecta: ¡cada rincón es digno de una foto!

I never tried Little Sister so I gave it a go. I would say for the price, the food is not that good. We got the shaky shaky beef & pork chop; the beef was very tough, especially considering it’s over $40! The pork chop was better, but still overpriced since it’s also over $40. I don’t think I’ll return.

Vietnamese peeps looking for solid Vietnamese food should not go here. Disappointed in the Viet dishes that we ordered. If they can’t get these right, I’m suspicious of the other dishes too. Amateurish. Their spring rolls are good though, but two for $18? C’mon. Overpriced because you’re paying for the nice atmosphere. Maybe the non-VN dishes are better. If you’re going to overcharge, at least delight us with the food.

Made a reservation here for my friends’s birthday. I requested to place us on a good spot for her birthday, the server tried to place us on the corner. My friend suggested another place to sit. The food was outstanding. Until the end when the guy took our plates without even asking if we were done with them. Would like to take home some left overs but they took the plates right away. We were talking so we didn’t realize that he took our left overs and threw them away already. Also, they didn’t even do anything for my friend’s birthday. I wish they had some ice cream or a little dessert at least for her. This is not the place if you want to make someone special on their birthday.

Having been to the one in Redondo Beach previously, I was curious how the Irvine location would be. It was an okay experience with good food. Parking at the Spectrum sometimes feel like a matter of luck. I opted to just park in one of the structures after circling the lot a few times. This was a Friday around lunch hours. The place is beautiful, lots of glass, indoor outdoor seating, high and low seating. Service was nice, our waiter was very knowledgeable and helpful. Other staff members assisted us quickly, constantly topping off our waters. Food-wise, I opted for the black rice. It was good, wild/purple rice mixed with curry flavors. There could’ve been more seafood. Nice large shrimps and octopus. I was expecting bigger pieces of scallops but they were tiny. Portion is in that mix range of too small to share, too large for yourself A place like this, I’d like to share since there’s a good mix of different items, but their portions seem catered to individual portions Don’t get me wrong, the quality is there and the dishes pack a lot of flavor. But for the price and portions, I think I’d go elsewhere. It’s very difficult to choose this place over some other options.

I came here with coworkers for a company lunch. It was my first time here. The restaurant is beautifully designed and decorated, as many of the restaurants do at Irvine Spectrum, I think it'll be a nice place for a date. There are seatings inside and out in the patio area. We ordered drinks and appetizers and main dishes for each. I think the appetizers and the main dishes are overpriced. Most of us ordered the lemongrass beef vermicelli and the beef was quite tough.... And it was $29. The appetizer, egg rolls, three egg rolls in an order and cost $24 (it's slightly larger than regular egg rolls served in the Pho restaurants). I figured we would be paying part of the decor or rent when we walked in. A nice restaurant if you like the atmosphere, but it was the first and last visit for me.

Late Post: this was my second time I dined here. My friend and I were dining at this place for catching up. I enjoyed the ambiance of this restaurant that is modern and attractive. When I walked into the restaurant I was a little disappointed that our table was not ready that time of the reservation. Our sever was super friendly and attentive. As for the foods unfortunately most dishes we ordered were salty for our taste and the music they played in the restaurant was too loud that we barely heard each other’s voice. The location is very convenient where has a plenty of parking spaces.

Bone marrow beef dish is special and worth it. Pho is overpriced because it’s very standard pho. Nice interior design

+2

I had heard a lot of good things about Little Sister, so I decided to reserve for my friend and I's lunch. Service was great! Staff were very friendly and attentive. I want to say the decor and furnishing is trendy. But the Vietnam War imagery with rifles, barbed wire, and military helicopters made me feel a little uncomfortable (I'm a child of South Vietnamese refugees so this decor hit close to home). In spite of this, I ordered the Shaky shaky beef which us Vietnamese people know as "Thit Bo Luc Lac". I was excited because it is one of my favorite dishes to order at most Vietnamese restaurants and it seemed quite popular at Little Sister. However, Little Sister missed the mark again. Rice was not fully cooked and the meat was cooked too well done. It was very tough and chewy. The salad dressing seeped into the bottom of the rice. This made the last bites of rice impossible to eat as it was very acidic. For the price point I was expecting a little more... And not a fan of the Vietnam War-inspired hipster decorations. Overall, I'd say it's only ok.

We are celebrating our close friend's birthday dinner. Because of the reservation and there weren't that many customers, we are seated right away. We walked in as a group of 8. First time coming to this restaurant so it took us a while to order. Food were just okay,maybe better if this is our first time trying a Vietnamese food. Service a bit slow maybe due to short staff that's happening in the restaurant industry.

+3

This place has always been my go-to spot whenever family or friends visit. However, it seems they’ve recently had to raise their prices quite a bit compared to before. I had noticed small changes in the past, which were fine, but this time the difference was significant. The food doesn’t feel as enjoyable as it once did, and I think it mainly comes down to the sharp price increase combined with a noticeable drop in quality

I used to really like this place, but I feel like the last few times I’ve been here have been noticeably less pleasant. The food was great as always, but there’s been a few changes. There’s no free pickles/cucumber as in the past. We waited a while before anyone took our order, and nobody checked up on us during the dinner. We didn’t get our water refilled once despite looking for someone. We also didn’t get hot towels despite everyone else around us getting some. Didn’t feel great!

We visited Little Sister restaurant in Irvine Spectrum on a Wednesday night as my wife had purchased 2 $50 gift cards at the local Costco and we wanted to give the place a try. It is a fairly large restaurant with both inside and outdoor seating right across the apple store and the environment is very inviting. Inside there is a bar and open kitchen concept in the missle of the restaurant which has extra high cielings and appealing furnishings. Our server told us that most people order family style and suggested a few items off of each section of the menu. We started with the shrimp and pork spring rolls which were very yummy and came with a delicious peanut sauce and was presnted nicely with some loose peanuts and vegetables. We had their brisket Pho, and we were very disappointed given our Pho arrived with 4 small bowls but no spoons and had to wait a good 10 minutes after asking our server for the spoons to get them, by that time as you might imagine the Pho was tepid. The sprouts and basil and cilantro that came with our Pho seemed old and we asked for fresh ones which they accomodated, but overall the Pho is not something that you want to visit this restaurant for. Many many better options in OC. The Shaken Beef dish was really yummy and likely the only thing that made me give this place a three star. The beef was super tender and marinated well and the whole dish was put together very nicely. We also had their crispy chicken dish which was served with a nice cole slaw, and a bowl of white rice which was decent and super crispy and a Ban Mi sandwhich which was good but nothing to write home about. Service was very slow, and the servers who were bringing out our dishes didnt seem very happy or take pride in presenting the food for us, which for me was a downer. Out bill came to around $150 (5 items and a beer) and we gave the server the two gift cards, only to see that she gave us a bill for the remainder of the charge, however we caught the fact that they had only ran one of the $50 gift cards. The manager rectified the issue and I dont think this was done intentionally but over all other then the Beef dish and the spring rolls, there was nothing about this restaurant that impressed me. Luckily there is toms of option in OC for good vietnamese/asian food, so this is likely the last time for us at Little Sister, even though I had high hopes when we entered this place.

Service has improved. Music volume toned down so you can now have a conversation & it’s not rap. Food ok but not authentic Vietnamese & on the pricey side. Best is to buy $50 gift card from Costco for $35. Good can beer.

+6

Nothing particularly special for the price point. The atmosphere is all over the place, they had a tv show displaying guts the entire time we were there. Staff does their job but they’re not particularly polite or attentive. Food was decent with only the chicken wings being something I’d for sure get again. Saigon lemongrass beef was not spicy.

Love the deco of the place. While they do have dim lights for dinner, it's still hard to see. They had little lamps per table, but that takes space. The food was good but wasn't anything special. Shaky shaky beef 3/5. Had the beef which was tender. The tomato based rice was yummy. The watercress salad was too bitter for me as it was uncooked. I tried to mix with the rice and meat, and even the lemon, but the bitter flavor was overpowering the rest of the taste. It's not a favorite. The shrimp with pork was good. It has a little spice. 3/5.

+3

The quality of the food at Little Sister and the experience as a whole has taken a large decline. I have eaten at Little Sister 3 times. The first time I ate here, the food was delicious, the dishes were served quickly, and it was an amazing experience. The second time was similar. However, when I ate here 3 days ago, it got much worse. My family and I had a reservation booked, and we arrived on time to the restaurant, yet they did not have a table ready and we had to wait for about 5 minutes. The food reflected this decline in quality. The Vietnamese crepe was far too oily and absolutely sickening to eat, the brisket meat on the beef brisket bahn mi was quite revolting, and the chicken wings tasted somewhat odd. The only dishes that remained as excellent as before were the papaya salad and triple garlic noodles. The prices of the dishes have been increasing as well. Overall, although I may have recommended Little Sister years ago, I would not anymore due to the decrease in quality of food and increase of prices.

Michell Nguyen

Los vietnamitas que busquen comida vietnamita de calidad no deberían ir aquí. Nos decepcionaron los platos vietnamitas que pedimos. Si no les salen bien, desconfío de los demás platos también. De aficionados. Sus rollitos de primavera están buenos, pero ¿dos por 18 $? ¡Vamos! Caro porque pagas por el buen ambiente. Quizás los platos no vietnamitas sean mejores. Si van a cobrar de más, al menos deleítennos con la comida.

Trixia Barroso

Hice una reserva aquí para el cumpleaños de una amiga. Pedí un buen sitio para ella, pero el camarero intentó ponernos en una esquina. Mi amiga sugirió otro sitio. La comida estuvo espectacular. Hasta el final, cuando el camarero nos quitó los platos sin preguntarnos si ya habíamos terminado. Quisiera llevarnos lo que sobró, pero se los llevaron enseguida. Estábamos hablando, así que no nos dimos cuenta de que ya había tirado lo que nos sobró. Además, ni siquiera hicieron nada para el cumpleaños de mi amiga. Ojalá le dieran un helado o un postrecito. Este no es el lugar ideal si quieres celebrar el cumpleaños de alguien especial.

Felix G

Habiendo estado en el de Redondo Beach antes, tenía curiosidad por saber cómo sería el de Irvine. La experiencia fue aceptable y la comida estuvo buena. Aparcar en el Spectrum a veces parece cuestión de suerte. Opté por aparcar en uno de los edificios después de dar varias vueltas. Era viernes, cerca de la hora del almuerzo. El lugar es precioso, con mucho cristal, mesas en el interior y al aire libre, y asientos altos y bajos. El servicio fue agradable; nuestro camarero estaba muy bien informado y era muy servicial. Otros miembros del personal nos atendieron rápidamente, rellenándonos constantemente las botellas de agua. En cuanto a la comida, opté por el arroz negro. Estaba bueno, arroz salvaje/morado mezclado con sabores de curry. Podría haber tenido más mariscos. Camarones y pulpo grandes y deliciosos. Esperaba vieiras más grandes, pero eran diminutas. Las porciones son demasiado pequeñas para compartir, demasiado grandes para ti. En un lugar como este, prefiero compartir, ya que ofrecen una buena variedad de platillos, pero las porciones parecen estar diseñadas para servir porciones individuales. No me malinterpreten, la calidad es excelente y los platos tienen mucho sabor. Pero por el precio y las porciones, creo que iría a otro lugar. Es muy difícil elegir este lugar sobre otras opciones.

Great food to begin with but the servers forgot one of our order which made us waited almost 30 minutes with nothing. We want to try more food but got no attention from any of the servers. One said he will come back but then never come back so we lost patience on this wait. Also, no dessert menu was shown at the beginning and only suggested before we asked for the bill. The light at our table was off in the middle of our dinner but no server care to change it.

I ordered the green papaya salad, and the menu shows it comes with shrimp, but there weren’t any in mine.”

We were so impressed with our first experience at Little Sister, it quickly became where we chose to have dinner on special occasions. I decided I wanted to dine here with my husband for my birthday dinner so we made a reservation for 7pm on their website, which linked us to Open Table. We arrived at 6:53pm and told the hostess we were here for our 7pm reservation. She offered us seats at the bar or outside on the patio. It a was cold night so I said we’d wait for our indoor table since the reservation was for indoors. She told us that a reservation was really “a request” but they wouldn’t be able to guarantee us a seat indoors. I found this odd because not only was the reservation option on their website, it also specifically asked if we wanted a table indoors or outdoors. We let the hostess know that we would wait for an indoor table from the bar. I was disappointed, but we’ve enjoyed sitting at the bar before and thought it was fun to sit there and watch them prepare the food. Tonight, however, we sat there 5 minutes without being offered even a drink or even acknowledged. I finally decided this was not where I wanted to spend my birthday so we got up to leave. A guy behind the bar then approached attempting to take our drink order. We told him never mind and took our business elsewhere. I’m not ruling out that I’ll dine here again, but it will be a while before we attempt to after this experience, which really could have all been avoided if the restaurant had a more clear way of handling reservations.

Update: Worst service ever plus the food quality went down. The server was MIA….rarely seen. One of hostess was standing around fanning herself. Never once came by after ordering and getting the food. I can’t see this restaurant lasting long here. They need completely new management or it will fail. I’m usually right. Past review: Beautifully designed Vietnamese restaurant. The food was very good and fresh. The service was slow but we actually liked that because it was nice to have a long meal with good conversation. Only mistake was, I ordered the beef pho and requested just raw beef and not the other meats for my child, but they ignored my request and just kept everything the same.

+1

Decided to grab dinner here before seeing Wicked: For Good the day after Thanksgiving. We came in early and were seated at the bar. Little Sister operates with two separate kitchens: one for hot dishes and one for cold preparations. The cold kitchen handles items like rice paper rolls, fresh rolls, papaya salad, and other lighter fare and this area is directly in front of the bar where we sat. This is where I unfortunately need to mention a concern. The two ladies working the cold prep line did not appear to follow consistent hygiene practices. They were talking over the food while prepping, not changing gloves between tasks, and touching different ingredients, including raw meats and vegetables without switching gloves. There was also a beef fresh roll that they were pre-making in batches and stacking into a container. So if you plan to order this item, just know it may not be made to order. I wish I could leave it at that, but I ended up getting very sick several times throughout the night, and it carried into the next day. Because of what I observed with cross-contamination risk, I would strongly caution vegetarians, anyone with food allergies, or anyone sensitive to food handling issues to be careful here. I truly don’t enjoy leaving negative reviews, but if you’re going to showcase an open-concept kitchen, it’s important that proper food-safety practices are followed at all times. Based on my experience, I unfortunately cannot recommend dining here.

A waste of time & money Premium price for low quality food, I ordered grilled pork ribs, wait 45-50 mins for it. Grilled pork chops came out right before we decided to leave, it tasted like boiled pork chop. I made better pork chops at home Edit 2: I'm certain that the chef rushed serves me boiled pork chop, with lightly grilled on the outside, they rushed the food right after I said to get the check since I did not want to the pork chop anymore. 1* overall for the entire staff & chef. Never come back again.

Fried Lobster on rice for $165-$170, looks amazing but is just a "ROBBERY" I found out about this special during family lunch when the table close to us ordered it. It's not on their menu. That day I couldn't take it but I decided to come back with some friends. So, I went for dinner at Little Sister Restaurant Irvine on 10/16/21 with friends and ordered the special. The waiter told me the price will be $170.00 as the lobster is 3.00 lbs. I said go for it as we were hungry. The lobster arrived very quickly!! It looks amazing but for sure not a 3.00lbs lobster. I said to myself it should have a lot of meat inside. As soon as the waiter left we dug in and what a big surprise the rice was very oily and we found out only 2-3 ounces of meat into the entire lobster so I thought that the meat was mixed with the rice but no. I called the waiter and ask him: Where is the meat? did you mix it with the rice! He decided to send me the manager. The Manager came and we told her about our deception of the quantity of meat and the oily plate and charged us $170.00 for 2-3 ounces of meat instead of “3.00lbs” meat (minus the shell) isn’t correct. The Manager just apologized about this issue and on behalf of the chef. At this time I thought she would do something on my bill but no they charge me the full price of $170.00 for 2-3 ounces of lobster meat. My advice for you if you decide to make your own experience and order the special make sure to 1) ask the waiter to weigh the lobster in front of you and 2) make sure to check the meat of the lobster in front of the waiters when he serves you. I hope you will be lucky enough and have more than 2-3 ounces of meat and not like me just a “Sorry”.

Arrived as a walk in at 5:55PM. Was Told We could sit at the bar or wait 30 mins since we didnt have a reservation, for a party of 2. Looking around, MANY empty tables. Sure enough, I check reservations online, WIDE OPEN availability, including for 6PM. I dont know what the problem is, the host or the restaurant. But take your money, and yout appetite, elsewhere.

We ordered the noodle soup and received a cold one. We asked to change for a new one. The waiter did not respond it and went away. We ordered the hot tea and it’s not served. Finally, we went to the serving desk, and reported this problem. We said it’s only worth one star. The waiter said thank you I really appreciated. The manager said we are really busy and got no time for your request. Feel like they are the customers and we are the waiters. WORST experience ever!!!!

The food was bland and even the Bahn Mi was dry and had no sauce with dark meat chicken. Pho was bland with a few sprouts and some basil. Whatever. That’s fine. But the service was abhorrent. We waited 30 minutes outside while trying to flag down anyone to pay the check. So we went inside to pay and got scowled at. Nice staff. Guess it’s food court mall food, really.

I’m extremely disappointed with my experience at Little Sister Vietnamese Cuisine. While my group was packing up to leave, my friend’s camera suddenly went missing. We repeatedly asked the waiter who had been serving us, as well as his fellow employees, and everyone—including the waiter himself—kept denying having seen or taken it. Only after directly confronting the waiter did he return the camera from his pocket. The situation was incredibly uncomfortable and upsetting. No customer should have to accuse staff and push for answers just to get their personal belongings back. Regardless of the food, this experience made us feel unsafe and unwelcome. I won’t be returning and cannot recommend this restaurant.