How Mono is championing eco-conscious dining in Hong Kong: Ricardo Chaneton’s Latin-American restaurant in Central is 100 Top Tables’ Sustainability Hero award winner for 2023

Chef Chaneton’s journey started at three-Michelin-starred Mirazur in France; now his initiatives include receipts printed on recycled paper and presented in seed envelopes that can be planted

Mono donates to Zero Foodprint Asia to provide grants to farmers and has partnered with Future Green, which conducts sustainability assessments for restaurants

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Chef Ricardo Chaneton of Mono, a Michelin-starred Latin American restaurant in Central, is showing how a more environmentally friendly F&B industry is possible, even in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Published: 4:10pm, 29 Mar 2023Updated: 6:10pm, 22 Nov 2023

Building any sustainable venture in Hong Kong is hard – green initiatives don’t come easy in one of the world’s most densely populated metropolises. Despite the difficulties, chef and owner of Mono, Ricardo Chaneton, refuses to compromise on his vision for a more environmentally friendly F&B industry.

The recipient of the Sustainability Hero award for 2023 in 100 Top Tables, South China Morning Post’s annual fine dining guide for Hong Kong and Macau, Mono is a Latin-American restaurant located in the heart of Central. Under his guidance, the Michelin-starred establishment is viewing the world of fine dining through a green lens.

The chef’s counter at Mono in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Chaneton has long gravitated towards sustainability, but it was his experiences at three-Michelin-starred Mirazur in France that saw him marry his culinary ethos with environmentally sensitive principles.

Talking to the Post, he recalled his duties in the kitchen garden as a chef de partie, picking the daily herbs and vegetables. “Mirazur connected me with the gardens, farms and fishermen and the starting point of the best produce in the world,” he said. “It also taught me about seasonality and respecting ingredients.”

Chaneton has held onto this connection. “For me, cooking sustainably starts with knowing where your produce comes from and working with products that are ethically sourced.” For the chef, this means ensuring his partners share his values. “That’s the basic standard I set for our cuisine at Mono.”