LSXO just opened its doors on November 8, 2016 to the beautiful Pacific City in Huntington Beach.
CEO Jed Sanford and Chef/COO Tin Vuong of Blackhouse Hospitality debut their flagship O.C.-based dining destination, Bluegold, in addition to their first restaurant-within-a-restaurant concept, LSXO, both situated at Pacific City in Huntington Beach, CA. As the group’s ninth project in less than five years, the 8,800 square foot space is Blackhouse’s largest multi-dimensional dining concept to date. A modern interpretation of the classic California coastal eatery, Bluegold invites guests to relax and take in the sunset from one of 235 seats offering unobstructed views of the Pacific.
“Expanding to Orange County presented a natural progression for us as we grow our operation,” says Sanford. “Tin began his culinary career at the Monarch Beach Resort and Sapphire Laguna and has a strong affinity for the community. We were intrigued by the opportunity to create an anchor restaurant for Huntington Beach and thought long and hard about what the space should be—with every new restaurant, we look out for which type of cuisine is under-served in the area. We want it to feel honest to the site and drew inspiration from the indigenous, self-supporting California missions that grew their produce on the land and baked their own bread.”
About LSXO
Behind an unmarked door adjacent to the wine room, guests are transported to District 1 (China Town) in Saigon via Blackhouse’s 28-seat restaurant-within-a-restaurant, LSXO. A spinoff of the Little Sister brand (Manhattan Beach and Downtown Angeles), LSXO is love letter to the culture, heritage, and lineage of Vietnam (Vuong’s relatives hail from the region). While Little Sister is known for its French Vietnamese menu, LSXO follows the same Southeast Asian inspiration with a more refined, expat feel.
“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, ” says Vuong. “Both restaurants operate out of the same kitchen, though the menus are completely different. 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.”
LSXO’s Menu
LSXO draws inspiration from Southern Vietnam with a number of Chinese influences. While the menu is 90% different from Little Sister, a handful of signature dishes are offered, such as the Beef Tar Tare, Imperial Rolls, and Salt & Pepper Lobster. Lunch & Dinner items range from cold plates from the garde manger to salads, rice paper rolls, fish & shellfish, meat & poultry, both dry and soupy noodles, and banh mi (lunch only). A unique addition, LSXO debuts Afternoon Tea, featuring a selection of open-faced finger sandwiches, French pastries, and specialty sweets to complement an array of international tea blends. A sampling of standout dishes include:
Lunch & Dinner:
- Foie Gras and Pho Spiced Oxtail Torchon with pickled shallots & baby onion bulbs
- Octopus Terrine with chile sate sauce, cilantro, and finger limes
- ‘Canh Chua’ Viet Sweet & Sour Soup with catfish, tamarind, pineapple, ngo om herbs & chili
- ‘Bo Ne’ Saigon Steak & Eggs with pate butter sauce and baguette
- Roasted Squab Salad (Squab 3 ways) with its porridge, cruller, and ginger chili sauce
- ‘Banh Tam Bi’ Thick Rice Noodles with shredded pork, pickled vegetables, cucumber, and coconut milk
- ‘Banh Canh Vuong’ Saigon Style Noodle Soup
Afternoon Tea:
- Open-faced Finger Sandwiches (Chicken Salad, Roast Beef, Smoked Salmon, Ham & Egg)
- French Pastries & Specialty Sweets (Scones, Pumpkin Spice Cake, Zee-Zee Cake, French Macaroons, Truffles, Cookies, Eclairs, Mini Crème Brulée, and more)
- Blended Hot Teas (Hong Kong-Style Milk Tea, London Fog, Chai Latte, Masala Chai Tea, etc.)
LSXO’s Design
The design and décor of LSXO’s intimate space offers guests the sense of being invited to an abandoned hideaway in Southeast Asia. The lathe & plaster backlit walls reek of post-grandeur and literally appear to be crumbling away, allowing light to filter into the space illuminating vintage finds and trinkets displayed within a cabinet of curiosities (including framed photographs of Vuong’s family). Furnishings are elevated yet residential with European accents. A stenciled, organically floral graffiti-like pattern of machine guns masks the wall behind the residential-style four-seat bar to create the effect of early century wallpaper.
About LSXO’s Beverage Program
Also curated by Young and Keenan, LSXO features an exclusive beverage program offering select wines, Stumptown coffee, international teas, and domestic and international beers. The small bar offers full liquor and craft cocktails, such as the Jin and Julius with gin, aperol, kaffir lime dust, and topped with coconut foam; Hattori Hanzo with Japanese whisky, lemon, matcha green tea, pear liqueur, and egg white; and the J Rabbit with vodka, yuzu, fresno chiles, and carrot juice. Large format cocktails, such as the Cool Runnings, are also available to share between 2-6 people.
About Bluegold & LSXO
Bluegold is located on the top level of Pacific City at 21010 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, CA 92648. The restaurant serves California coastal cuisine alongside craft wines, beers, and inventive cocktails. Bluegold is open Monday–Sunday for breakfast, lunch, “in between,” and dinner (9am to close). For more information please call (714) 374-0038 or visit website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
LSXO is located inside Bluegold at Pacific City at 21010 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, CA 92648.
The restaurant serves regional Vietnamese cuisine, inspired by the District 1 neighborhood in Saigon. From Monday–Thursday, LSXO is open for lunch (11am-3pm), afternoon tea (3pm-5pm), and dinner (5pm to close). From Friday–Sunday, LSXO is open for breakfast (9am-12pm), lunch (12pm-3pm), afternoon tea (3pm-5pm), and dinner (5pm to close).
For more information please visit website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Find more delicious Orange County Restaurants ANNIVERSARIES.
