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Mono

Hong Kong

A taste of South America in bustling Hong Kong

Switching sides: Within a few months of opening in late 2019, Mono quickly switched its identity from a contemporary French restaurant to a champion of modern Latin American cuisine. Born in Venezuela, with Colombian, Argentinian and Italian heritage, chef Ricardo Chaneton is one of the few cooks in Hong Kong and Mainland China delivering the fare of his home continent.

Serious chef CV: Chaneton has worked with some of the world's best, including Quique Dacosta in Spain and Mauro Colagreco at Mirazur in France (part of the Best of the Best hall of fame), where he rose to head chef. He moved to Hong Kong in 2016 to oversee French restaurant Petrus, before departing to open Mono.

What's on the menu? Inspiration for Chaneton's dishes stretches the length and breadth of the Americas. The menu turns to South America with dishes like the Andean salad with acai and cashew, before hopping up to Mexico with the seasonal taco (the current incarnation features duck foie gras, a 21-ingredient mole and coffee oil). Other dishes make the most of prized East Asian ingredients, such as the botan ebi with sofrito and coriander and the abalone with chipotle and almond.

Hot for chocolate: Forget bean to bar, Mono makes its own chocolate from scratch, using cacao pods from Ecuador. Instead of a traditional dessert, Chaneton educates diners about every step from pod to plate, with samplings of cacao pulp, nibs, chocolate paste, mousse and bonbons.

The atmosphere: Mono is upscale yet homely, with the best seats at the long kitchen counter. The rotation of timeless jazz on the sound system is astutely paired to the dining experience, with Chaneton's collection of more than 360 vinyl records – many inherited from his father – bringing warmth and intimacy to each meal. For a taste of what's in store, you can find Mono's Spotify playlist on its website.

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