Ken Wan, the chef and co-owner of Meta Asian Kitchen, understands that he’s a bit of a perfectionist. It’s his prideful nature towards his culture, family and community that keeps him striving to make the best dishes he can. He’s relentless in his pursuits.
“That was all we did for two weeks. I swear, breakfast, lunch and dinner were dedicated to perfecting the dumpling,” said Wan. “We make sure our families are first to try our newest additions to the menu, so they were just about sick of the sight of dumplings by the time we achieved the final product.”
Meta Asian Kitchen is a small stand within Avanti Denver—a food hall showcasing upscale, creative cooking ventures in one convenient location. It is a melting pot at Avanti, as one can get classic French at one stand and Nashville hot chicken at another. Meta Asian Kitchen itself is a compilation of authentic Cantonese dishes, which fuse balanced flavor and freshness with the indulgent Chinese-American plates many are used to.
“It’s funny because at my parents’ restaurant they served dishes that were Americanized like orange this and Kung Pao that. But when we were at home, they switched gears completely and prepared dishes that truly represent our culture,” recalled Wan. “That’s what piqued my interest in creating a restaurant from a young age. I wanted to give people the plates I had growing up too.”
Wan worked under culinary greats like David Chang, a Michelin Star chef cooking his version of Korean fusion in NYC. He also trained at Xi’an Famous Foods, a New York City hot spot for hand-ripped Asian style noodles. He draws from all of these experiences to curate a menu that reflects his unique adventure with food.
Their dumplings satisfy all types of aficionados with each one having been both steamed and fried. The filling is a homage to their New York roots with a rendition of a chicken fried rice that eaters still dream about. The ground chicken is amplified by aromatics like ginger and scallions. Their soy sauce is balanced with vinegar to give it a bit more acidity and tanginess. To make their homemade sambal burst with spice, they get the oil smoking hot, and then pour it over the aromatics to release their inner oils and flavor.
Their pillowy bao buns open like a taco shell and hold a variety of fillings, textures and toppings. Wan makes sure to play with freshness and brighten up the unctuous pork belly. It has been braised for two days prior to your order, so it shreds like carnitas. All the fat adds richness, but he retains balance by adding pickled radish.
While the pork belly is a crowd-pleaser, Wan has a different take with his seared char siu. He makes sure to glaze it and get caramelization on the flat top. It could be mistaken as pig candy, where strips of bacon are coated in brown sugar and left to roast in the oven. Even with the heavy char, the center is just as tender as the pork belly featured in other dishes.
Most people will be quick to order the fried rice or stir-fried noodles, but the unsuspecting gem is their Sichuan rice cakes. These little patties are made of rice flour and have a chewy, satisfying texture. The cakes resemble the outside of mochi, but they aren’t sweet.
Instead, the cake absorbs the heat from its Sichuan paste. With a burst of garlic, it is frequently showcased on their menu because it compliments spice instead of overpowering it. Westword named it as one of the best dishes of 2019.
Wan has always strived to keep his regulars coming back for more, as new menu items are being added constantly. The most popular recent addition is chicken wings with a red dry rub and Thai basil ranch, which surpasses Hidden Valley by miles.
He melds American and Chinese food cultures together, offering a French toast brunch made up of milk bread and smeared with creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff that melts out from the sides.
His spot in Avanti is his first baby here in Denver, but he has another location on the way on Vallejo St, which is set to be up and running soon. Wan’s family and heritage will only continue to grow in the Denver food culture as his dishes offer patrons another community to be a part of.
