Mono by Ricardo Chaneton (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★★

It must be bittersweet for Chef Ricardo Chaneton to see his old mates at Petrus capture their first Michelin star since the Frédéric Chabbert era. But the Venezuela-born chef is on a new mission now. His new restaurant Mono is still in its infant stage. Just weeks in its existence, it's already creating a few buzz around the local dining scene. Despite not having advance booking, I decided to try my luck this afternoon after getting one of my tooth repaired this morning.



There's no secret that I have always enjoyed Chef Chaneton's contemporary French dishes at Petrus but he's finally without the baggage of working in a fine-dining institution from a storied five-star hotel. I'm probably not the only one in town who is very interested to see how he presents his avante-garde cuisine at Mono.



I always like a small menu with very little words so I don't have to worry about anything other than enjoying what's been put in front of me. Four-course or seven-course, that's the million-dollar question. I'd like to go for seven but with a 2 o'clock meeting looming large, I'm afraid I only have time for four.



Lunch started off with a small nibble, a tiny cube of pork terrine made with pork cheek and tongue. The topping of a crispy pork skin tuile provided some nice crunch to the terrine.



I didn't have to wait very long before being completely blown away by one of Chef Chaneton's offering. It was the very first course, a simple but elegantly presented Spanish carabinero, served with imperial caviar from Germany and shallot cream.



This was beautifully cooked to preserve the natural sweetness of the juicy red prawn. 



I can't think of any better way to start the meal than with the clean, sweet flavors of the delicious red prawn.



I didn't get the chance to take a picture of the roasted Brittany monkfish coming out of the oven but it looked almost like a saddle of lamb. This time it was Chef Chaneton coming over to explain the dish for me.



The chef's idea was to roast the delicate fish like a piece of meat with rosemary and lemon. After finishing in the oven, it was sliced into smaller pieces with bergamot zest shaved over the top.



This was a brilliant dish to follow the red prawn. There were nice smoky flavors coming from the roasted monkfish, perfectly complemented by the lovely acidity (and some bitterness) from the zesty bergamot. Another thing that got me head over heels over this dish was the artichoke purée which has been infused with vanilla for some extra creaminess. An absolutely sublime creation with a great symphony of palatable flavors.



At this point, I was presented with some homemade sourdough baked with quinoa. I immediately noticed there was a string tying the pieces of bread together.



My server explained with a chuckle that in South America, bread are supposed to be tied up coming out of the oven. It's a sign of good luck and of course, they didn’t want to give diners bad luck so they rather leave it to us to untie the string ourselves.



While I was enjoying my bread, the meat dish was almost ready to be served.



My last savory dish was Blonde d'Aquitaine, a modern French breed of large beef cattle. To my surprise, the cut they were serving was the hanger steak, which was known for its rich flavor (but often a bit lean and dry for my liking). These were two slices of superbly cooked steak with nice juicy texture, matched wonderfully with some spicy kick from the smoky ancho chili sauce. The accompanying winter vegetables including celeriac and cabbage did marvelously to absorb a portion of the spiciness.



I didn't want the meal to end so soon but I was down to my last dish, a chocolate themed one using 70% Carúpano chocolate from the chef's native country, Venezuela.



A relatively simple-looking dessert turned out to be very busy one. Underneath the open ravioli made with chocolate were housemade rosemary ice-cream, something like chocolate crumbs and last but not least a small pool of extra virgin olive oil. I never imagined olive oil would work so well with chocolate but the pair really combined well for an exquisite dessert with sharp, strong flavors that married well together.



A macaron with a hint of coconut to wrap up this remarkable meal.



Coming into Mono, I didn't exactly know what to expect because everything has been so mysterious around here. There was no menu posted on their website and no photos were released other than a black and white one with just the chef in it. Little did I know, it would turn into a fascinating culinary journey based on the chef's South American roots and extensive travel featuring a border-pushing cuisine that's bold but with versatility and finesse.

While the combination of quality ingredients with French finesse and South American twist is something to look forward to, my dining experience won't be the same without a seat at the counter area. To witness what's going on behind the scene and the interactive dialogue with the chefs (well, Chef Chaneton and his team were doing most of the talking.), it's a totally different ball game to a traditional fine-dining meal at Petrus.

While Ecriture was the most exciting new opening in 2018, it looks like that Mono by Ricardo Chaneton easily runs away with the title this year as the best new restaurant in town.


Food Rating: 8/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Website: www.mono.hk
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:30pm, 6:30pm - 9:30pm (Mon - Sat)