David Kuo, chef and owner of Little Fatty, used his experience at UCLA, Taiwanese-American upbringing and years of trial and error to inspire one of Los Angeles’ most beloved neighborhood restaurants. Founded in 2014 in Mar Vista, Little Fatty serves Taiwanese comfort food with a modern California touch, featuring dishes ranging from chili wontons and walnut shrimp to xo noodles and chow fun.
Kuo spoke with BruinLife’s Polly Lee about his path from political science student to restaurateur, the meaning behind Little Fatty and how food can create comfort and connection.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
BruinLife: Did you ever imagine you’d end up running a restaurant?
David Kuo: I didn’t know what I was going to do. At first, you’re supposed to be a doctor or a lawyer. I think I did political science because I had to switch majors because I was doing so bad in school. And I had to figure out what major I could graduate with within like two and a half years. So it was political science. But I liked it. Then I did property management and I moonlighted at a restaurant on the property. And that’s how I got into food. But food has always been big in my life. My mom cooked really, really well with my grandma. Every night would be five to seven dishes. I had three older brothers, so I learned how to eat fast. And I got a little fat, so they called me ‘xiao pang,’ which means little fatty. That’s how the name came about. Even in college, we had Iron Chef competitions and barbecues. I think I’m put on this earth to serve food and make people happy.
BL: You come from a big UCLA family—your dad and your brothers also went there. Looking back, what stands out to you most about your time at UCLA?
DK: College is where I really learned how to grow into an adult, be myself, find yourself kind of thing. All my great friends are from UCLA and we still hang out. It’s kind of hard to believe that it’s been 30 years. Tomorrow I’m going to my really close college friend’s house. His mom’s my godmother now, and he’s like my godbrother. We had a lot of fun. We used to play basketball a lot at Rieber Courts for hours with people from the dorms. I lived in Sunset Village. I loved it. We were lucky.
BL: You grew up in West Covina with parents from Taiwan. How did those early food experiences shape the way you cook today?
DK: Little Fatty is all the things that I grew up eating, but through the lenses of working at different kitchens and learning different techniques. We’re here in California and we have access to all the ingredients. So it’s a culmination of my life and experiences. Growing up, my mom and my grandma cooked a lot. We grew vegetables in our backyard—garlic chives and stuff like that. I was always embarrassed because they were so stinky. But looking back, I had a pretty lucky upbringing.
BL: You first opened this space as Status Kuo before turning it into Little Fatty. What made you realize you needed to make that shift?
DK: School of hard knocks. You work in kitchens, but you never really run a business. The concept wasn’t great and it couldn’t sustain itself. We expanded and opened a bar, thinking it would save us. The bar was actually a disaster until we hired the right people and learned the business. After my second kid and looking at the business, we had one chance to fix it. So I said, why don’t we cook the food that I always wanted to cook—Taiwanese-Chinese food, the food I grew up eating—through my personal life story of working in Michelin-starred kitchens. I wanted to recreate those dishes with soulful, meaningful intent and make them just a little bit better.
BL: Little Fatty became incredibly popular, even ranking number one on Uber Eats in Los Angeles. Why do you think people connected with it so strongly?
DK: We were lucky. This food makes you want to try the whole menu and share with friends. We call it Taiwanese soul food because once you eat it, it feels like your grandma cooked for you. We try to give you great service at a good price and transport you somewhere fun and tasty where you can forget about your problems for two hours.
BL: The name “Little Fatty” comes from your childhood nickname, ‘xiao pang.’ What does “embrace your inner fatty” mean to you?
DK: Growing up, I was always a little bit chubby and always loved food. I’m glad we named it after that because I’ve accepted who I am. People love the name, people love the food. It’s enduring. I think we should all embrace our inner fatty.
BL: If someone comes to Little Fatty for the first time, what should they order, and what do you hope they walk away feeling?
DK: You should get a wide variety—appetizers, noodles, vegetables and rice. Start with chili wontons and a beef roll. Everyone gets the orange chicken and the walnut shrimp. We use really big shrimp and we use real orange juice. The chicken is twice fried, and the batter is a special mix of flours. We aim for balance. It’s never too sweet, too rich, or too mala. You should be able to take more than one bite and taste a different note every time.
BL: Lastly, what’s next for you and the Fatty universe?
DK: This is our third year with Fatty Mart and we’re taking a big leap. We want to do more events, cooking classes and build community. We’re starting a farming club and building a farm in El Cerrito. With Little Fatty, we’re looking at every recipe to make sure it’s still on point. Right now, we want to focus on our customers, enjoy what we have and make sure people are having a great experience eating good food.
