It has been announced that Chicken Rebel is moving out of Avanti Food & Beverage and on to new horizons as the fried chicken concept opens a brick and mortar location next to LoHi’s Mythology Distillery. The once food truck is being replaced by a new food concept called Meta Asian Kitchen. The Asian-inspired restaurant will join the ranks of Avanti in mid-October.
Meta Asian Kitchen is an Asian street food concept was created by owner and Chef Kenneth Wan with the help of his wife Doris. The concept first took shape at Midnight Market in Jersey City, New Jersey as Wan introduced Meta’s signature dish – Mama Wan’s, which is a rice bowl topped with braised pork belly and pickled vegetables. This dish became an instant hit and sparked a whole new start for Kenneth and Doris.
Photo courtesy of Meta Asian Kitchen
The couple will use their Chinese upbringings combined with their experiences in New York City to create an Asian-inspired street food menu with authentic ingredients for a fresh take on the modern palate. Previous to launching, chef Kenneth has worked at restaurants including Xian’s Famous Foods, RedFarm, LuckyBee and Momofuku Ssäm Bar.
“After researching the Denver market, Doris and I agreed that Avanti would be the perfect platform to launch our food concept,” said Kenneth. “We are excited to share our Chinese heritage and creative twists on Asian street food with Denverites. Our combined upbringing in Chinese kitchens and time in New York taught us a lot about the restaurant industry and gave us a great perspective about starting slow and growing organically. Our goal is to build our concept and brand within the Avanti community and then gradually branch out into brick and mortar locations when the time comes.”
You can dine from a menu of shareable delights such as homemade chicken dumplings and bao buns or grab bigger bites such as the concept’s famous Mama Wan’s dish or Sichuan rice cakes. If you have a sweet tooth, you can select a treat from an assortment of sweet Hong Kong street cakes to satisfy you. On the weekends, Meta plans to feature a changing late-night menu that includes scallion pancakes, fried calamari and spicy edamame. All items on the menu will be $15 or under.
Meta Asian Kitchen will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. till late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The restaurant will join the six other concepts within the collective including Street Feud, Brava! Pizzeria Della Strada, Quiero Arepas, QuickFish Poke Bar, The Rotary and Bistro Georgette.
Avanti Food & Beverage is located at 3200 N. Pecos St., Denver