The story
Behind an unmarked door adjacent to the wine room at Bluegold, LSXO operates as a 28-seat restaurant-within-a-restaurant. Conceived by the team behind Little Sister, it is a love letter to the culture, heritage, and lineage of Vietnam. Chef-owner Vuong, whose relatives hail from the region, explains the experience: “There is no signage for LSXO—you can spot the entrance of it tucked into a section inside Bluegold, but you’ll have to know it’s there. While Bluegold is light, bright, and airy, LSXO is its darker, edgier little sister.”
The contrast is deliberate. The small, intimate space evokes District 5 (China Town) in Saigon, offering a transportive atmosphere that has earned the restaurant a Michelin Recommended distinction. The menus are entirely separate from its parent restaurant, though both kitchens operate in tandem. “LSXO offers straight-up, honest, home-style Vietnamese cuisine—the type of food I grew up eating with my grandparents in the San Gabriel Valley,” Vuong notes. The cooking is contemporary Vietnamese, refined yet deeply personal, avoiding the French Vietnamese bent of its sibling concepts.
Dinner options include a Vietnamese ‘Garlic Soy’ Steak served with buttered rice, heirloom tomato, cucumber, and chili lime vin. Appetizers like Ahi Tuna Tartare with calabrian chili, avocado, and umami sauce over crispy rice offer a Southeast Asian-accented start. The menu is direct and grounded, reflecting a chef’s genuine connection to his roots. For those seeking the best Vietnamese food in Huntington Beach, LSXO delivers on its promise of honest cooking in an atmosphere that feels like a well-kept secret.
Recognition
Ambience
Location