Inside Fashion Designer Humberto Leon’s New Hong Kong-Inspired Restaurant in LA
Humberto Leon is not unfamiliar with pivots. He is well-known for his work at Opening Ceremony and Kenzo. In 2020, he joined forces with his family to open ChifaThe LA restaurant specializes in Chinese, Peruvian, and Taiwanese cuisine. Now, with the opening of Monarch, they’re all turning their focus to Hong Kong in particular.
Monarch is a tribute to both traditional and modern Hong Kong. It’s located in the San Gabriel Valley. Like Chifa, it’s inspired by Leon’s mother, “Popo” Wendy Leon, who lived in Hong Kong through her late 20s and brought the city’s cuisine with her as she moved to Peru and then the Los Angeles area. Here, Leon’s brother-in-law, John Liu, has been tasked with translating that history into Monarch’s menu, adding some dishes from his own Taiwanese background.
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“I think The beauty of Hong Kong,” Leon told the Los Angeles Times, “is that it almost has its own cuisine in itself, rather than just Cantonese, because of the diversity of people who’ve gone through [the city].”
Leon’s sister Rica and Leon grew up eating sweet-and-sour pork belly, which is served in sticky-sweet sauce. Shrimp chips are accompanied by a Chinese-inspired steak tartare, which features snow cabbage and chili crisp. A silken steamed eggs is served alongside fish liver. A baked pork-inspired curry over fresh egg noodles, and braised lamb shanks in tomato curry are two other heartier options.
Chifa’s new restaurant will be in conversation with the old one, drawing from similar design elements as well as some menu items. Chifa became known for its collaborations with artists, and the trinity shrimp fried rice that it worked on with Solange will become a permanent fixture on Monarch’s menu.
Drinks-wise, Liu and Rica’s son, Jarod Wang, has been creating the cocktail program, which will include both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, in partnership with the LA-based Optimist Botanicals. You can choose from oolong or pu-erh coffees, as well as a range of teas, such as flower-bud and flower-bud.
“We’re definitely going to take our tea quite seriously, but in a fun way,” Leon told the LA Times. “Sometimes I feel like serious tea could be too serious; we’re not trying to give you a three-hour tea service, more just a delicious cup.”
Given Leon’s design background, the restaurant will also have some pretty cool merch, alongside its culinary offerings. You’ll be able to get Monarch-branded T-shirts, hoodies, totes, a metal lunchbox, a water bottle, a portable cooler/foldable chair and stickers. Some items will come adorned with the spot’s butterfly motif, while others will call out its San Gabriel Valley location.
That hometown pride is maybe the most important part for Leon, and why he’s returned to the city to become a local restaurateur, right alongside his family.
Monarch, which opened January 14, will offer dinner between 5 and 9 pm Friday through Sunday. It will soon offer lunch and possibly other days of service.
Click here To view all photos of Monarch, click here
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