Hong Kong-based JIA Group has announced the opening of MONO, its latest restaurant co-venture with Chef Ricardo Chaneton, formerly the Head Chef of 3-Michelin-starred Restaurant Mirazur.
Set within an intimate 30-seater space with a chef’s counter, MONO guests can enjoy their meal while watching Chef Ricardo and his talented kitchen team dishing out the plates.
MONO has discarded the traditional a la carte menu format for a single-tasting menu.
They will also be serving a smaller tasting menu for a weekday lunch. The restaurant has taken on a highly essentialist approach, celebrating the beauty of seasonal ingredients in a modern setting.
The MONO Tasting Menu Experience
MONO’s contemporary French tasting menu uses only the finest seasonal ingredients on the market, with a focus on sustainability and responsible sourcing. The accompanying wine menu highlights exquisite hand-picked selections from the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, promising a sublime wine-pairing experience.
The menu showcases Chef Ricardo’s aptitude for contrasting unusual textures and flavours, resulting in contemporary dishes with a strong foundation in tradition. The seasonally-evolving menu is priced at HK$520* for four courses, HK$1080* for a 7-course lunch, and HK$1,280* for the 8 to 10-course dinner tasting menu.
With an extensive background in classical French training, Chef Ricardo was most recently the Executive Chef of Petrus at Island Shangri-La. Prior to his four-year stint in Hong Kong, Ricardo spent several formative years training under chef Mauro Colagreco at the 3-Michelin-starred Mirazur in France and under chef Quique Dacosta at his eponymous 3-Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain. MONO is Chef Ricardo’s first restaurant venture and is the ideal platform to showcase his culinary skills and flavours in a single-tasting menu.
Signature dishes at MONO include the Ocean Crudo, a seafood appetiser that highlights fresh Hokkaido scallops. Hokkaido sea urchin, Spanish Carabinero prawn and Brittany oysters seasoned with Irish moss. Chinese celery, ginger, a vinaigrette of fresh lime juice, Arbequina olive oil and crème of shallots.
The homemade cracker is made through a two-day process of peeling, steaming and drying the shrimp shells, reducing the shells down to powder, then blending with sago and tapioca before deep-frying in oil.
Freshly baked in-house, the Quinoa bread is a sourdough bread made from a 2-month mother dough and three types of quinoa (white, black and red). It is served with one of the finest olive oil in the world – the artisan Eva Aguilera extra-virgin olive oil from Catalunya.
The olive oil, of which only 900 litres are produced per year, uses premium hand-picked organic Arbequina olives harvested during the full moon in early November to ensure its purity and clean taste.
The signature Monkbread fuses monkfish from Brittany with French sweetbread – a marriage of land and sea. The two proteins, while seemingly unrelated, are both highly featured in French cuisine and can be prepared at the same temperature using the same cooking method.
Chef Ricardo skillfully combined the two on a single plate, showcasing the texture of monkfish and sweetbread in perfect harmony. The dish comes with sweetbread crumbles, monkfish skin, monkfish jus and Jerusalem artichoke puree finished with hints of vanilla.
A dish where Chef Ricardo’s solid French culinary skills meet his Latin American origin, Miéral pigeon / Mole makes beautiful use of a whole Miéral pigeon from Bresse, a region in France famous for its poultry.
The pigeon is aged in-house for five days, roasted on the bone and served mid-rare with its liver mousse ‘bonbon’. The base of the modern Mexican-style mole sauce is created with 26 spices at MONO, made in front of guests at the chef’s counter for a rustic showcase.
The signature desserts feature Carupano 70% / Olive oil, an earthy 70% Venezuelan dark chocolate mousse with cocoa nibs, burnt white chocolate, Arbequina olive oil and rosemary ice cream, topped with rosemary flowers and a ‘veil’ made from flour, cacao powder, milk and egg.
Serving as a testament to fine craftsmanship, MONO’s tasting menu surprises and delights while staying true to the chef’s roots. The dishes will continue to change to incorporate the best seasonal ingredients and inspirations, bringing a new experience with every visit.
MONO Wine List
MONO’s wine list highlights over 100 labels with a strong focus on fine wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux, alongside a smaller selection of Latin American gems included in the wine pairing menu for dedicated wine lovers.
A collection of 20 wines by the glass, including champagne, red and white wines, are also available.
From Bordeaux, choices by the bottle include the exquisite 1986 Chateau Palmer 3eme Grand Cru Classe (HK$4,800) from Margaux, all the way to the rare 100% Merlot blend 1970 Chateau Petrus (HK$33,500), from the heart of the Pomerol appellation. Burgundy Red selections by the bottle include the full, rich and medium-bodied 2008 Vosne Malconsorts (HK$7,880) from Domaine Dujac and the beautifully mature and sophisticated 1996 Chambertin Grand Cru Armand Rousseau (HK$23,880).
Interior Design of MONO
MONO’s design embodies the chef’s culinary philosophy, boasting sleek contemporary flourishes that uplift traditional restaurant and kitchen elements. Upon entering MONO, guests will arrive at the entrance foyer finished in floor-to-ceiling dark leather, flanked by a pair of vintage brass brushed satin glass wall sconces produced by Stilnovo in the 1950s. From here, the kitchen with a large stainless steel chef’s counter catches the eye.
Designer Alan Lo wants to draw attention to the chef’s table, the heart and soul of the house and where customers can fully immerse themselves in the MONO experience.
Reflecting the chef’s focus on intricate details, the various materials used to create the space include hand-made marble and terrazzo for the floors, as well as special claddings made of recycled wool.
Adjacent to the chef’s counter is two private dining rooms. These can be converted into one larger space that seats up to 20 guests. The rooms feature decorative lights by Michael Anastassides, dining chairs by Jason Miller and a bespoke carpet designed by Omar Khan.
Artworks that adorn the walls explore the encounter between natural and industrial materials. Featured at MONO is an oil-painted wooden piece by Japanese sculptor Kishio Suga, a prominent member of the MONO-HA art movement of the late 1960s and 1970s.
MONO restaurant location:
MONO by JIA Group is now open on 5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, serving lunch from Monday – Friday, and dinner from Monday – Saturday only.
10% service charge applies: MONO has made a decision to help look after the planet and has teamed up with ZeroFoodprint. This is an international non-profit organisation committed to fighting climate change. In support of this initiative, a 3% carbon tax is added to all bills.
Read more articles on new restaurant openings and reviews here.
You must be logged in to post a comment.