Food & Cooking
Read Time : 1 Minutes

Denver’s Meta Asian Kitchen celebrates tradition with food

Bertie A. Kinser

Every order comes with Chinese red envelopes. Some will have $2 and others will have golden tickets that can be redeemed for a free entree.

DENVER — We’re in the middle of Chinese New Year and as we welcome in The Year of the Ox, we’re sharing how a husband and wife team is sharing their favorite traditions and hoping to bring a little luck into this new year.

“Chinese New Year is one of my favorite holidays,” said Doris Yuen, one of the owners of Meta Asian Kitchen in Denver.

For Yuen and her husband, Ken Wan, this time of year carries many different traditions.

“I would eat a lot during Chinese new year growing up,” said Wan.

RELATED: The Feed: Wander and Ivy offers single-serve bottles of wine

And as the owners of Meta Asian Kitchen, it’s no surprise a lot of those are centered around food.

… Read More
Food Traditional
Read Time : 1 Minutes

Bill of Fare: Quality food and loyal customers keep Antimo’s Italian Kitchen cookin’ throughout pandemic

Bertie A. Kinser

Customer loyalty and a reputation for quality food have sustained Antimo’s Italian Kitchen in Hopewell Borough throughout the pandemic.

With indoor dining in New Jersey restricted to 25 percent of each restaurant’s capacity, the focus is on contactless curbside pickup, says owner Antimo Iovine.

“Ninety-five percent of our business is curbside pickup,” he said, since reopening after the initial state-ordered closure at the start of the pandemic.

Customers order their food and pay online, park in a spot designated for pickup, pop their trunk (making sure there is room for the food) and call the restaurant to let them know they have arrived. Staff members bring out their food and put it in the trunk.

On the restaurant website Iovine assures his customers that he and his staff are taking extra precautions for cleanliness and sanitation while offering the same quality food they are known for.

Iovine said he has

… Read More
Street Food
Read Time : 1 Minutes

Hong Kong TEST KITCHEN Street Food Menu

Bertie A. Kinser

Prior to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong‘s TEST KITCHEN, the brainchild of Vincent Mui, was responsible for hosting over 100 pop-ups with different chefs from all over the world. The concept was a chance to show the local culinary scene snapshots of the diverse flavors from all over the globe while showcasing the talents of up-and-coming, critically acclaimed, and even Michelin Star chefs.

With air travel shuttered, the team at TEST KITCHEN has now resorted to a new way of displaying its love for food — now with a more localized approach with a grab-and-go menu. This “street-food-meets-fast-casual” concept strays from TEST KITCHEN’s customary 8-course tasting menus with wine pairing, and now elects for more approachable and casual food that can be ordered for takeout.

While the dining experience has been simplified, the preparation and ingredient sourcing remains very TEST KITCHEN. Giving an example of things to come was

… Read More
Food & Cooking
Read Time : 1 Minutes

Meta Asian Kitchen Offers Chinese New Year Menu

Bertie A. Kinser

^

I Support
  • Local
  • Community
  • Journalism
  • logo

Support the independent voice of Denver and help keep the future of Westword free.

The Year of the Ox is nearly upon us. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year (though it’s celebrated by many Asian cultures), arrives on Friday, February 12, promising a fresh start and new hope for another year. At Avanti Food & Beverage, Meta Asian Kitchen owner Kenneth and Doris Wan have put together a tempting menu for the occasion.

Meta's whole lobster is finished with Sichuan spices.EXPAND

Meta’s whole lobster is finished with Sichuan spices.

Mark Antonation

Meta’s Chinese New Year menu, available from Thursday, February 11, to Wednesday, February 17, represents both tradition and new ideas, according to the couple. The most striking item is a whole lobster, which is often served for celebratory dinners. While this isn’t the first time that lobster has appeared on a Denver food-hall menu —

… Read More