Chef Kevin Meehan and the team behind Kali are gearing up to expand to a new seafood restaurant called Koast that will take over the former Umeya space on Melrose Avenue, with an opening scheduled for January. Meehan will again partner with sommelier Drew Langley to serve East Coast-style seafood like scallop cakes, crab dip, and raw oysters, plus yellowtail crudo with tom kha and cucumber. In addition, Meehan and the kitchen crew will serve dry-aged fish and fermented ingredients that reflect Kali’s more ambitious cooking — these items come alongside dishes like burgers with fries for a menu that should be more reasonably priced.
Langley’s wine list will focus on English sparkling wines and Austrian Rieslings that should pair well with the seafood, while the 60-seat dining area designed by Cory Surovek gives off Nordic and minimalist Japanese vibes. The restaurant will operate six days a week with closure on Wednesday to give the team a needed break. Koast will be located at 6623 Melrose Avenue and joins several Michelin-star restaurants on the block, including Kali, Osteria Mozza, Providence, and Meteora.
Those interested in a preview can book a seat at Kali tonight via OpenTable , where Meehan and company will serve a $95 per person tasting of Koast’s dishes. Brunch in San Juan Capistrano La Vaquera, which opened a few weeks ago with a modern California ranchero menu, will serve lunch and brunch at San Juan Capistrano’s River Street Marketplace beginning November.
