It’s getting a little easier to find good weekend dim sum on the Westside, thanks to chef David Kuo at Little Fatty in Mar Vista. He’s now serving Taiwanese-style brunch on Saturdays and Sundays that puts a spin on familiar American and Chinese classics.
“When we created this brunch menu, I took a lot of my childhood favorites and what I like to eat for breakfast,” Kuo told L.A. Weekly at the rollout on Tuesday, Jan. 23. “There’s a little bit of dim sum and classics like wonton noodle soup and congee.”
The congee ($10) is a delightful layered mix of soft and warm, pickled and crunchy pork floss, and preserved vegetables, topped with a 1,000-year-old-egg and barbecued eel.
“When I was younger, we used to eat a lot of congee and sardines out of a can. This is my gourmet version,” Kuo said of his inspiration.
One of the most popular dishes on the menu is an Asian twist on the traditional American breakfast. The Two Egg Plate is a reasonable $12 and is served with house-made Chinese sausage and Sichuan tater tots. Vegetarians have the choice of sautéed mushrooms; carnivores get their morning meat-and-potatoes fix.
East also meets West with the fried Hainan chicken and waffles with winter melon syrup and chili ($14).
Kuo’s take on the churro is a traditional Taiwanese breakfast with house-made soy milk and a Chinese doughnut dusted with Taiwanese black sugar and a secret blend of five spices; it will fill you up at $8. Once you’ve devoured the doughnut after dipping it in the warm soy milk, you’re left with a sweet vegan version of the leftover cereal milk you had as a kid (or after a long night).
Other menu items include shrimp har gow and shumai ($7 for three pieces), gyoza ($7 for five pieces) and wonton noodle soup with egg noodles, shrimp and pork wontons, fried garlic and “exploding fish ball” for $12. The Mooshu Breakfast Burrito ($13) is a mashup of eggs, tater tots, sour cream and Chinese sausage.
To wash it all down, mixolgist Gabriella Mlynarczyk from the adjoining Accomplice bar is offering bloody marys and mimosas. Non-alcoholic Hey Song Sarsaparilla and Apple Sidra (Taiwanese apple soda) also are available.
Brunch is from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekends.
Little Fatty, 3809 Grand View Blvd., Mar Vista; (310) 574-7610, littlefattyla.com.
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