The clubby restaurant within a restaurant at Bluegold is tiny and has become the worst-kept secret in Huntington Beach. It can be hard to get a reservation on a Saturday night; you need to plan your dinner at least a month in advance, but it’s worth it—and not just for the ambiance (which gets its own spotlight in these pages). LSXO operates on an entirely separate menu than Bluegold that’s not only all-Vietnamese, but also the window to the soul of its chef, Tin Vuong. This is Vietnamese food for insiders who already know where to get the best bánh xèo and hu tieu. And for those who are from the same generation as the chef, Vuong blasts old-school hip-hop that’s heavy on Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. When the whole house sings along to “Gin and Juice,” you realize how essential it is to the whole experience as the nuoc mam is to the food.
21016 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. D200, Huntington Beach, (714) 374-0083; dinebluegold.com/lsxo.
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