Michele StuevenIt’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.
Little Fatty's Two Egg Plate; Credit: Michele Stueven
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).
The Mooshu Breakfast Burrito; Credit: Michele Stueven
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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