Little Sister Irvine Spectrum

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!

Hands down the best, most elevated Vietnamese restaurant I have ever been to. The food is incredible, packed with super complex and sophisticated flavors that will blow your tastebuds away. All of the interior is beautifully decorated, paying homage to the Vietnam war with lots of butterflies representing the lost souls. Service is amazing, definitely recommend for any occasion.

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.

I tried several dishes, and overall, my experience was mixed. Shaky Shaky Beef For the price, this dish was quite disappointing. The meat was tough, and the seasoning didn’t taste very good. Honestly, it might have been better if it were simply grilled without the marinade. Green Papaya Salad This was absolutely delicious—no question about it. If I ever come back, this is something I would definitely order again. Pho Banh Cuon The meat inside was slightly chewy, but the fresh vegetables and sauce were bright and refreshing. There’s also a nice spicy kick at the end that really stimulates the appetite. I would order this again. Triple Garlic Noodle This dish was just okay—neither particularly good nor bad. It didn’t leave much of an impression. Black Rice When I saw photos on Yelp, I noticed many people left this dish unfinished, and I assumed it was because the portion was too large. However, it turned out the rice was simply too salty to finish. The seafood on top was mild and pleasant, but the rice itself was unevenly seasoned—some parts bland, others heavily sauced. I tried mixing it, thinking that might help, but it ended up making the whole dish overly salty. Overall The appetizers were generally good, but I wouldn’t really recommend the main dishes. It might be fine for a light lunch focused on small plates, but I wouldn’t choose this place again for a special occasion or dinner. Also, I noticed in Yelp photos that they sometimes serve a small dessert for birthdays. I let them know that it was my companion’s birthday, but they didn’t acknowledge it at all. I understand if that’s not something they offer, but it would have been better if they had simply let us know rather than ignoring it. That was disappointing.

We had a a great experience here sitting at the bar. Service was prompt and polite with lots of descriptions about the food and she guided us towards the best options for our party of two. Food was delicious and this is what stood out. You pay for the ambience, and food is family style so order with caution as portions are big and shareable.