The last time I enjoyed a meal prepared by Executive Chef Kevin Meehan was five years ago at Cafe Pinot. He told me his best teacher was his mother and fondly reminisced about watching her whisk, stir and dice in the kitchen. Later in life, Meehan worked at L’Orangerie and befriended wine aficionado, Drew Langley. The two later worked together at Bastide and Citrine, before Meehan joined Joachim Splichal’s team at Patina and later at Cafe Pinot. Meehan and Langley stayed in touch over the years and discussed opening a restaurant together.  In January 2016, they opened Kali on Melrose.

All of the dishes at Kali are plated on colorful dishwear, including the dessert of sugared donut holes, berries and cream. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

Kali is minimalistic with Scandinavian décor of stone flooring and butcher block style tables with blonde wooden chairs. A large glass window slides open to allow in fresh evening air.  The long padded banquette is wrapped in light, metallic gold fabric that is simple, yet pleasing to sight and touch. Near our table and the full bar, a glass wall exposes Langley’s collection of his favorite wines.

Our server Brandon greeted us with the cocktail and wine list. Brandon described the cocktail New Pad Thai as a creative mix of St. George green chile vodka, Aqua Perfecta, lime and coconut ice that tastes similar to pad Thai, the dish. Since Langley is known for his wine, we opted to order two different types by the glass, the summer favorite Rose of Mourvedre from Liquid Farm in Happy Canyon, and a Riesling from the special Kali Summer of Riesling wine list.

Atop the bill of fare is the tasting menu. The night we dined, the five course prix fixe included an amuse of mussels and uni; yellowtail hamachi with melon, cucumber and cilantro; a bowl of black garlic risotto made with barley; thick slices of duck breast and gelato for dessert. Chef Meehan requests that couples order the tasting menu together, instead of one ordering the prix fixe and the other ordering a la carte.

We decided to order a la carte plates starting with a visually pleasing charred avocado vegetarian salad. Noticeable were the brilliant green color, the sprinkling of ash around the plate and shaved heirloom carrots in bright oranges and purples with a yellow core. I enjoyed the pistachios that dotted the plate for a crunch of texture. The lightly blackened avocado rested on massaged kale leaves dressed with a simple oil, herbs, salt and pepper to highlight, rather than overpower, the garden flavors.

Next warm and buttery mini loaves of Parker House style bread with dabs of rosemary butter arrived, complementing a salad of asparagus tips, surrounded by mustard greens and topped with a runny duck egg. This cold salad also had a sprinkling of duck cracklings for a hint of fatty richness. This was not my favorite dish of the evening, but the decorative micro flower petals were a nice touch.

My favorite dish was the smooth Cavatelli pasta shells  colored green from being cooked with arugula. The dish is crowned with more fried arugula leaves along the outer edge of the plate. The sauce is light and made with Meyer lemon, creme fraiche and ground peppercorns. It’s a must-try.

For entreées we chose a black cod on a bed of sweet corn purée with minced fig. It was a small piece of fish, more suited for a multi-course tasting menu than an a la carte item. The duck breast was heartier with three large, thick slices of meat topped with bubbly carrot foam served with simmered carrots that reminded me of vegetables in a stew. Pickled carrots on top offered a zesty crunch. The foam was sweet and a pleasant flavor profile, different from most duck dishes served with a stone fruit sauce.

Each dish was presented on an array of beautiful colored plates that ranged from burnt orange, robin egg blue, taupe and sapphire blue.

The menu asserts that 90 percent of the food is organic and sustainable. The seafood dishes come from waters near Santa Barbara and all produce is fresh from local farmers.

For dessert we opted for gelato. This is not your ordinary creamy treat but rather a white meringue gelato scoop on a plate. Our server, with a cheese grater in one hand and a solid candled egg yolk in the other, shaved the 10-day salted egg over the gelato. Did I love it? It was different.

We also ordered a decorative plate of buttermilk donut holes rolled in sugar resting on swirls of Chantilly cream and raspberries.

For an after dinner digestive Langley offered Channing Daughters muscat, a late harvest sauvignon blanc, known as “sweetie,” from Fiddlehead Cellars; a Reisling Eiswein; and a ruby or tawny port.

There is nothing fussy about Kali. In Urban Dictionary, the definition of Kali is the goddess of power, beauty and art. That is a good description of the intriguing dishes and wine that Meehan and Langley are offering at this dream of a restaurant. $$$ Lunch service is from 12 to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner Service is available Monday through Sunday starting at 6 p.m. 5722 Melrose Ave. (323)871-4160.