Meteora is an LA One-Star Michelin restaurant that connects guests to nature through dishes brought to life by live-fire cooking. Everything about the restaurant was well thought out: the main entrance giving you the impression, “wow, am I walking through a nest right now?”, feeling the heat and weight of each dish that is brought out to you, and the interior layout making you feel like you’re no longer in LA, but in a forest. This is the Meteora experience.
The Meteora Experience
I absolutely enjoyed my experience at Meteora. The service all around was great with every dish explained in the fullest detail. The pacing was great where you’re not waiting a great deal from the time you order to the time dishes come out. I am absolutely in love with the interior decor as well. You have the option to sit in the general dining area with open air, or in the dark enclosed room. I opted for the dark enclosed space because I didn’t want the breeze to kick in, even though the lighting in the main room was a bit better.
The bread course kicked off the dining experience, infusing onion flavors with butter. Even the shape itself was giving funyuns – absolutely loved the consistency of the bread; crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
Crudo of Diver Scallops
I’ve never thought about persimmions being paired with scallops. Chef Khan did a great job combining sweet with savory. You can taste the hint of persimmons without it overbearing the overall taste of the dish. The horseradish cream was an absolute match with the scallops.
But wait, when you first get seated, there is a weird egg decor at the table. That is not just a decor, that is used against a grinder to salt this first dish. This is known as the Asin Tibuok, which is a sea salt from Bohol, Philippines. I learned very few families know how to prep one these days, which includes a combination of soaking coconut husks in seawater, then burning them, and filtering the sea water through the ash, before evaporating the brine in clay pots. It’s pretty cool, I’d want one for myself because it has hints of charred coconuts.
Pacific Black Cod
It is pretty cool that the fiddlehead fern was used as a decor to the dish, with the grilled collar green. This pairing with the pacific black cod (from Alaska) and burnt onion sauce was AMAZING. You HAVE to drench each flake of the cod in the sauce – that is where the flavor of this dish comes from. I also love that the stone dish was WARM when it came out! Nothing is getting cold.
Embered Murasaki Yam
Interesting pairing to have grilled maradol papaya paired with embered yam and buttersauce. You can taste the papaya, but if you have enough sauce, the taste is completely masked. The embered yam was cooked in charcoal. It looks and taste burnt, but I suppose the buttersauce eased the taste a bit. However, I was actually ecstatic about the trout roe in the dish! They also give you a generous amount, too!
The Meteora 21-Day Dry Aged White Pekin Duck
The main courses consisted of three choices: 21-day dry aged white pekin duck, Margaraet River Wagyu, and California Dairy Cow. By default, you’re presented with the duck option and can pay extra ($40-70) for the beef options. I’ve never had dry aged duck before, and it tastes SO MUCH DIFFERENT than the everyday roasted duck I’ve had from Chinese BBQ shops. This is paired with charred chili sauce, which was actually amazing?? A deconstructed lettuce is also paired with this dish, with the lettuce leaf covering finely chopped crispy chicken skin.
Tigernut Custard
We’re finally settling into the dessert course, with the tigernut custard being the first. This is a very nutty dessert, which I didn’t know which nut the custard was topped with. Whichever it was, it had a really strong taste and I love how well it complimented the custard with each bite.
Hearth-Roasted Pineapple
The final dessert featured all sorts of texture. I love how the bottom piece was holding up the rest of the dish against the size of the plate’s opening. The server carves a piece of mezcal-infused pineapple to serve on top. Oh, the sauce? That’s Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I have never heard of olive oil being paired with ice cream, but apparently it is a normal thing. The more you know!
Overall, I had an amazing experience at Meteora. The 6 course tasting menu was $165 before any potential drinks and service charge/tip. At this point, you’re here for an immersive experience. Meteora is where Chef Jordan Khan gets to be creative outside of the Vespertine experience.
You can opt for the $17 valet parking or find street parking.
Meteora
6703 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Check out my Providence experience.