Encounter, Los Angeles, USA

It is the most recognisable landmark at Los Angeles International Airport and one of the most famous buildings in Los Angeles as a whole. I am, of course, talking about the amazing Theme Building at the USA’s third busiest airport. This twenty-one-metre-high building with steel-reinforced concrete legs looks like a giant futuristic insect. With its unique architecture, the building has been popular since 1961 and is now home to Encounter—a restaurant with a difference.
For many years, the structure housed a coffee shop providing snacks for travellers waiting to board the next flight. Just a few years ago, Walt Disney Imagineering completely redesigned the landmark. It was converted into a kind of Star Trek restaurant, complete with blue and red lights and moon-cratered walls. You might hear sci-fi or James Bond music in the elevator that takes you up to the top of the building.
Encounter’s management has a difficult challenge on its hands. The building itself is a major attraction with its unusual location and famous architecture. It’s easy in such a scenario for the food to become less important. However, you will be surprised if you stop in for dinner at the Encounter, as the food is delicious.
The Encounter’s executive chef continues the restaurant’s tradition of a menu featuring ‘art-food’; a Los Angeles speciality that focuses not only on taste but also on arrangements on the plate. Whatever you taste, you’re sure to find something you will enjoy looking at as well as eating: my favourite dishes are roast chicken, grilled salmon, and best of all, the delicious California Summer Spinach Vegetable Wrap. And if you’re coming with kids, don’t worry- there’s a menu for them.
Sceptics may think Encounter is just a ‘theme park’ with second-rate food. Don’t make that mistake. The chef has a good thing going on here. He incorporates his passion for genuinely good food, surprising menus and creative presentation. You wouldn’t want to miss his mouth-watering menu regardless of the location and decor.

*sceptic: a person who doubts and questions the truth.