Kali Dining Kali Restaurant Kevin Meehan Drew Langley Kali
5722 Melrose Ave. (N. Lucerne Blvd.)
Los Angeles, CA 90038
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Cuisine: Contemporary / American
Thoughtful and creative American fare in an approachable setting.
Openings: Dinner Wed.-Sun.

Features

Kali, Los Angeles, CA


Kali Restaurant Review:


About the restaurant: Kali co-owners Kevin Meehan and Drew Langley have very serious L.A. restaurant experience under their belts. Early in their careers, they both worked at L'Orangerie, Bastide and Citrine, then Meehan went on to become chef de cuisine at Patina and executive chef at Café Pinot, while Langley served as wine director at Providence. They teamed up again and took over the space that was formerly Midtown Bar & Kitchen, transforming it into this lovely mid-century-modern-meets-Scandinavia styled restaurant. The high-ceilinged room features an L-shaped bar with one side in view of the kitchen pass. A few butcher block tables and banquettes act as a buffer between the bar area and the main dining room, which is anchored by a glassed-in wine cellar. Outdoor dining has been added and allows for social distancing.

Food & Drinks: As at Meehan's pop-up series Kali Dining, the goal here is to bring the high standards of fine dining to a more approachable setting. The modern American cuisine is thoughtful and creative. Choose from à la carte offerings or select the five-course set menu. An egg yolk cooked sous-vide comes to the table in its shell on a bed of rosemary, accented with a bit of crème fraîche and rosemary. Wheat berry "risotto" is cooked in a tea of black garlic and served with toasted cheese (a touch too burned, perhaps) on top. We appreciate the dedication to California products, as demonstrated in the 30-day-aged Sonoma duck with crispy skin and moist, flavorful meat. The meal ends on a high point with the toasted meringue gelato, which is showered with grated candied egg yolk that was cured in sugar for a month. Guests can also pick from the roster of interesting cocktails, made with house-made ingredients like sage syrup and winter hazelnut sugar, more than a dozen beers and six high-end ciders. The succinct wine list presents "everyday wines" as well as pricier "collection" options.