Mettra food hall brings Asian flavors under one roof in Long Island City

Old Bay shrimp tossed with brothless ramen, Pad Thai with Thai iced tea, beef rice noodles, hot pot and ube soft serve: METTRA, a new food hall, brings a range of Asian flavors under one roof in Long Island City, with nearly every dish under $20.

Formerly known as JACX&CO, the food hall on Jackson Avenue reopened Oct. 30 under new management with nearly a dozen dining concepts, an upstairs hand-roll bar and a central cocktail bar. The space plans weekly live entertainment, cultural programming and community events.

For Long Islanders, it's a chance to turn a meal into a day trip, with a two-story bookstore and contemporary art museum a short walk away.

Here's what to eat, drink and explore at METTRA, plus things to do nearby.

What to eat and drink at METTRA

METTRA (28-17 Jackson Ave.; mettra.net; 631-268-4841) is billed as Long Island City's largest food hall. It retains the industrial-style look of its JACX&CO days, with high ceilings, leather seating and an open, contemporary layout. Vendor counters line the perimeter, while a cocktail bar anchors the main floor. Upstairs, a mezzanine houses a more intimate dining space and hand-roll bar.

The food hall is open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and its former tenants included Beebe's, Ace's Pizza, Taïm, Fieldtrip by chef JJ Johnson, Ghaya and Kissaki. The refreshed lineup leans heavily into Asian cuisine, with Japanese, Thai and Chinese specialties alongside fried chicken, soft serve and cocktails. Here's what to order:

Nagaiki Ramen

• A Japanese noodle counter specializing in abura soba, or brothless ramen, with house-made noodles that have less oil and sodium than traditional ramen.
• What to order: The Old Bay Ebi Abura Soba ($16), soft noodles tossed in umami oils and sauces and topped with crispy Cajun-spiced shrimp over lettuce.
• MORE INFO nagaikiramen.com

Siam Thai Express

• A Thai counter serving noodles, curries, rice dishes and iced tea.

• What to order: The Pad Thai ($15) with a Thai iced tea ($6), a classic pairing. Tom Yum noodle soup ($17) and mango sticky rice ($10) are also on the menu.
• MORE INFO siamthaieatery.com

Kimbo Beef Noodle

• A Chinese noodle counter inspired by Huaxi beef rice noodles from China's Guizhou region. The broth simmers for more than eight hours with beef bones and regional spices and the kitchen weighs each portion to keep the flavor consistent.

• What to order: The Guizhou yellow-braised beef rice noodles ($16). The beef with pickled chili and house-pickled cabbage brings a tangy, spicy punch, and diners can choose rice noodles, wheat noodles or steamed rice as a base.

• MORE INFO kimbobeefnoodle.com

Master Spicy Hot Pot

• A self-serve hot pot counter. Diners pick meats, vegetables and toppings from the bar, then weigh the bowl at the register and pay by weight.

• What to order: The dry spicy skewer pot, coated in chili oil and Szechuan peppercorns or a traditional hot pot with rich bone broth.
• MORE INFO 718-666-1333

Ziyan Chicken

• A Sichuan counter focused on slow-braised meats, infused with a 28-spice blend and traditionally served chilled.

• What to order: Sichuan-style braised dishes, cold appetizers and ready-to-eat specialties.
• MORE INFO ziyanfoods.com

Bobwhite Counter

• A Southern comfort food counter built around scratch-made fried chicken and sauces.

• What to order: The fried chicken sandwiches ($9), a chicken Caesar wrap ($14) or beef tallow fries ($5).

• MORE INFO bobwhitecounter.com

Soft Swerve

• A New York City soft serve favorite specializing in Asian-inspired flavors such as ube and matcha.

• What to order: The Broadway special ($8.50), an ube soft serve sundae topped with Fruity Pebbles and marshmallows.
• MORE INFO softswervenyc.com

Center Bar

• The hall's bar, pouring craft cocktails, beer, wine and spirits. It anchors the main floor and comes from the hospitality team behind The Attic and Tavern 157 in Flushing.

• What to order: The La Rosa Negra ($18), a signature cocktail topped with yuzu pineapple foam.
• MORE INFO mettra.net

Himitsu Handroll Bar (upstairs)

• A hand roll bar on the mezzanine level with a 32-seat counter. Chef Mark Garcia, formerly of Kissaki, brings the Japanese dining expertise Himitsu built in Flushing.

• What to order: The three-piece temaki set ($24), with spicy tuna, salmon and unagi. Temaki sets come as complete meals with a signature salad, house-pickled cucumbers, snow crab chawanmushi and hot miso soup. 
• MORE INFO himitsu-nyc.com

Make a day of it

Mettra sits in the Court Square corner of Long Island City, where the museums, bookstores and waterfront parks are close enough to string together.

Browse a two-story bookstore

Book Culture is a short walk down Jackson Avenue. The two-story shop opened in 2017 as the first Book Culture outside Manhattan. The basement is dedicated to children's books, toys and games and upstairs the shelves hold contemporary literature and gifts. (26-09 Jackson Ave.; bookculture.com; 718-440-3120)

See free contemporary art

MoMA PS1 is housed in a former public schoolhouse and admission is free for all visitors through 2028. Timed tickets can be reserved online. (22-25 Jackson Ave.; momaps1.org)

Walk the waterfront

Gantry Plaza State Park is a 12-acre riverside park with uninterrupted views of the Manhattan skyline. At its northern end stands the glowing Pepsi-Cola sign, which dates to 1936 and became a New York City landmark in 2016. (4-09 47th Rd.)

View outdoor sculptures

The Noguchi Museum (9-01 33rd Rd.; noguchi.org, 718-204-7088) is dedicated to the work of Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi and includes a tranquil sculpture garden. General admission is $16 and it's free on the first Friday of every month.

Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Blvd.; socratessculpturepark.org), a free waterfront park of large-scale outdoor art, is two blocks away. Both are a trip toward the Astoria border, so plan a ride share or to drive.