Little Pine, a new spot from owner Cathy Sun, is set to open this month at 125 Division St on the Lower East Side, bringing the homey, social cooking of Northeast China to a stretch better known for late-night traffic. On the menu: sweet-and-sour crispy pork (guo bao rou) and a wide lineup of barbecue skewers, from cumin-spiced lamb to enoki mushrooms, all built for sharing and lingering over.
Sun has been clear that she is designing the room for people who want to hang out, not bolt down dinner. She says she wants regulars who sit, talk and stay a while instead of being nudged out for the next seating. To keep things approachable, she is planning modest price points along with a weekday lunch combo aimed at nearby workers.
In an interview with What Now, Sun said Little Pine will open in April at 125 Division Street, called Northeast Chinese food "bold and hearty," and confirmed the kitchen plans to roll out signature cocktails once an on-premises liquor license comes through. The outlet also noted her emphasis on hospitality and lingering meals over fast table turns.
Community Board Seeks Limits
Manhattan Community Board 3 has already weighed in on the liquor plan, and it is not exactly rolling out the red carpet. The board reviewed the license application and recommended denying a full on-premises license unless the restaurant accepts a long list of conditions. According to Manhattan Community Board 3, those stipulations include opening no earlier than noon and closing by 1 a.m., banning DJs and live performances, prohibiting unlimited drink specials or late-night happy hours, and ruling out any outdoor commercial seating, among other measures meant to keep noise and late-night crowds in check.
Food, Drink And The Vision
What Now reports that Little Pine is designed as a roughly 152-seat room with two bars and a soundproofed layout aimed at making conversation easy even when the place is busy. Sun told the outlet she hopes the mix of hearty Northeast Chinese dishes and bespoke cocktails will turn the restaurant into a neighborhood social hub instead of just another late-night destination.
The Community Board packet also lists the operating entity and notes Sun’s past projects, records two commercial noise complaints since 2020, and outlines a mix of neighborhood support alongside at least one resident opposed to later hours, according to Community Board 3. With the board’s recommendation now on file, the next stop is the State Liquor Authority, which will decide whether those promised cocktails can actually be poured at the two bars inside Little Pine’s LES space.
