Not really sure A&J is comparable to Little Fatty (esp. as Status Kuo is the forefather of Little Fatty).
Squid ink xiao long bao.
This was fun. The filling was juicy and the broth was different, but in a good way. Made in house.
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I enjoyed those and the soft shell crab bao the other night. The fact that I can have decent alcohol may be dulling my critical nature, but I always leave here happy.
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Me too! I didn’t see crab bao on the menu, but it’s nice they’re mixing up the menu. After a brief break, it’s summer basketball season again, so this is my go to place while the boy practices at Mar Vista.
I really like that they have specials now, and the drinks menu is updated and pretty great.
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It was a special. Pig ears were on the board that night but my dining companions weren’t listening to me.
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Back at Little Fatty/Accomplice Bar, it’s fall basketball season.
The menu has changed up again. Things I miss: beef noodle soup and shanghai porkchop (please bring back #porkchops!).
New things I love:
Hainan Chicken
Beautifully poached chicken, tender and lovingly seasoned. The rice has a lovely balance of chickeny broth, and chicken fat that makes you coming back for one last bite, even when full. I did not eat the chicken skin, but I did pick up the chicken leg and delicately nibbled it to the bone.
Chinese greens
Finally, some greens at Little Fatty! Bok choy and gai lan, very nicely cooked, very nicely seasoned. I thought it was excellent.
I also tried the new sizzling black pepper beef, which is cooked with onions and shishito peppers, and served on a very hot platter (think Asian fajitas). This was also very good. The beef was tender, yet crisp and chewy, and meaty tasting.
The flavors of the dishes are still delicate and refined, but a bit more forward. This is a good thing.
Only caveat: In the two months since I’ve been here, the bar seems to have become a popular Tinder meeting spot. Which is fine! Chef Kuo deserves his success. But it does make it more difficult to find a seat. 
Edit: I think it was the sweet and sour pork with the shishito peppers. I don’t recall the specific peppers used in the sizzling beef. Which was awesome, either which way.
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So it’s not just the black pepper beef that’s sizzling??? 
Har.
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Ate in at Little Fatty instead of doing my usual take-out here over the past weekend. We sat on the Accomplice bar side.
Execution and service were terrific.
Beef roll… Taquito-style, with beef au jus dipping sauce.
Green onion bread, Fake Ramos Fizz… The bread/bing was probably the only near-miss of the night (a tad dry, and not moist inside because not much scallions going on inside).
Spicy wonton… Who doesn’t love spicy wonton?!
Leek pie… They do a great, great version of this Beijinger favorite here at Little Fatty.
Sichuan eggplant… Wonderful, aromatic, perfect with some rice.
Hainan chicken rice… As strong a HCR as you’ll find in the SGV. Served with sambal on the side. I like it just a tad better than the Mee & Greet HCR right now. BUT - Where’s the clear broth?!
Taiwanese Sunday Gravy… Perhaps Chef Kuo’s signature dish here. So, so tasty. The braised pork broth permeates into the pasta itself.
Dan dan mian… Another hit.
Seafood clay pot… Another dish which is perfect with some rice.
Mongolian pepper beef… Sizzler.
Taro ice cream with coconut shavings and Thai basil and fried sesame balls stuffed with red bean paste… The sole dessert offering here. But wowee, it is a spectacular one.
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I’m on record as a fan.
Just here to say that people shouldn’t skip that dessert!
How was the Hainan chicken? I liked it very much the first time, but then it was too pink the next couple times, so I’ve stayed away since then.
My god that dessert looks amazing
SWAMBO was yearning for Chinese cuisine on Friday night. I didn’t want to flog myself by driving (more like crawling) from the Westside out to the SGV at that time (timing is everything when driving in LA, right?).
Knowing that Szechuan Impression WLA would be a mosh pit, she mentioned some lower key places (maybe too low key for what I was hoping for after a long week). Both kids were were off on their own so it was just the two of us.
Wait - isn’t Taiwanese cuisine part of the broad realm of Chinese cuisine? In fact, isn’t a lot of Taiwanese cuisine pretty much a concentrated cliff notes menu of the Chinese culture’s amazing food offerings? The FTC lightbulb flickered on - Little Fatty. 10 minutes away even on a Friday night. If we have a wait, we can do so with a nice drink or two. The attached Accomplice bar fully functions as a real bar, while doubling as additional dining space for the Little Fatty space.
My only and overwhelming question was, has Little Fatty stepped up their game since our visit from their Status Kuo days?
Well, we had a great dinner last night at Little Fatty/Accomplice Bar. After a luke-warm experience a couple years ago when Little Fatty was Status Kuo, I was very impressed with what the kitchen has become. To piggyback on other recent posts, the flavors, execution and quality are excellent.
It was Friday night and both spaces were packed. While the bar does seem to have a Tinder meet-up element to it, the majority of guests were there to eat (and drink). It’s quite loud - lots of youngish folks’ volumes competing with each other as well as the sound system. But the service was excellent, the bartenders as well as the waitstaff - friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive.
After about a 20 minute wait and a few nice drinks, we were seated on the bar side and ordered five dishes. Marinated cucumbers, the scallion pancake, Hainanese chicken and rice braised pork belly and dan dan mian.
The marinated cucumbers were crisp, flavorful and had an interesting subtle seafood flavor in the marinade - nice start.
The scallion pancake was thin and crisp. While some may prefer a thicker more pliable version, we thought it was a nice accompaniment with the cucumbers. Crisp, light and flavorful.
The Hainanese chicken and rice was a hit. Very moist, tender and flavorful chicken generously topped with sauteed scallions/ginger, flavorful chicken stock-infused rice, and more cucumbers. They may or may not have forgotten to include any sauces, but we were fine without. This was in our eyes one of the better versions we’ve recently had in terms of ingredient quality and execution. The flavor profile is not so much Singaporean - less umami but more chicken flavors. The meat was very tender - not as tender as the classic version, probably because it was a pasture raised bird. Again, while not exactly what most would consider to be classic (Singaporean) Hainanese, yet very good.
The braised pork belly was excellent as well. Fatty without being greasy, full of flavors, satisfying. Note to self: order a side of rice with this dish.
At this point, we were getting full and were waiting only for the dan dan mian. We each took a few bites out of curiosity, and agreed that this was a solid version of the dish as well. Moreover, the kitchen isn’t shy about heat or ma la. The amount of the various ingredients accompanying the noodles were so generous that we were able to use up the leftovers today with another portion of noodles.
Little Fatty is more than a “scratch the itch” place for food more associated with the SGV. The execution is there. Chef Kuo and his crew know their way around these dishes. To me, the quality of the ingredients are first rate. This puts his food in a category of it’s own. I think the only quibbles might be style or personal preference - maybe the noise level too. On top of all this, the dedicated bar adds another dimension not found very often in this type of food experience. Westside prices, yes. But really not far off of prices found in the traditional areas, particularly when considering the quality, the convenient location and the bar.
A note of interest. The store in the shop space between Accomplice and the alley looks like they are shuttering. As much as I don’t like to see this sort of thing happening, this adjacent space might offer another opportunity for Chef Kuo. He can certainly use the additional space on the weekends.
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Of all the Chinese cuisine to which I’ve been exposed (and my exposure isn’t nearly as extensive as many others on posters on this board, I know), Taiwanese stuff tends to be (by far) my least favorite. I actually actively try to avoid most Taiwanese stuff (at least I did growing up), although perhaps an elevated rendition would be more to my liking.
The first thing that comes to mind when you mentioned Taiwanese being your least favorite is stuff like pig’s blood _____. Most of the dishes at Little Fatty are Chef Kuo’s versions of popular dishes from some of China’s regional cuisines and are very approachable, and are done with Sergio-like skill.
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They really are on the top of there game right now. Plus the well executed cocktails and eclectic wine list. It’s easy to go back and not get bored
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No more brunch menu, no more cocktails at brunch. Accomplice is no longer open in the daytime, so you have to sit on the Little Fatty side on the fast-food-style benches and order from the same lunch menu they serve during the work week. Such a bummer.
Whaaaaaaaaaat?! Surely this must be temporary…
EDIT: This has to be temporary based on this recent job posting from 29 January. Probably relates to their expansion plans…
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Little Fatty was on point last night for dinner. General Tso’s Cauliflower was particularly crisp and I enjoyed two of the best vodka gimlets I’ve ever had.
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Firs time here for lunch. Had a great meal. We ordered a lot of things
cucumbers - good but a tad vinegary
spicy wontons - good wontons but wanted more heat in the sauce. good skins
scallion pancakes - very good version, better than many at more traditional SGV joints
hainan chicken appetizer - fried version with both sauces no rice and no soup. Good fried chicken but not sure I’d order again. The ginger scallion sauce is better than sweet chili.
general tso’s cauliflower - great crispy crunchy florets in a well balanced sauce. Really liked these.
sunday gravy noodles - ok. kind of one note. had a lot of inedible fat only pieces of pork belly
xo fatty noodles - fantastic. loved the noodles and great xo sauce
definitely order the cauliflower, xo fatty noodles and scallion pancake.
$85 for all of the food above not including tip.
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In this WFH environment, we’re doing small special things for my team for their birthdays. I’m going to send lunch as a gift. Are the XO noodles, scallion pancakes, and cauliflower still the way to go? It’s going to get delivered from whatever service that charges the restaurant less.
Thanks!
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