The Leon family knew within the first week of opening their Peruvian Chinese restaurant Chifa in late 2020 that a sophomore effort was in the cards. While Chifa draws inspiration from the family’s first restaurant in Lima that Wendy opened in 1975 with her Peruvian husband, Ricardo José Leon, Monarch takes its culinary cues from Hong Kong, where the family’s history also stretches. While Monarch bills itself as a Hong Kong-style restaurant, don’t expect to find standard dishes and presentations. Take, for instance, the Hong Kong cafe staple baked pork chop rice. Under chef John Liu’s care, a pan-seared pork cutlet is served over fried rice with tomato sauce and topped with Gruyere cheese. In a similar fashion, wok-tossed lobster tails get a crush of black pepper usually reserved for steaks. Tap the link in bio to read the opening feature by Eater LA senior reporter/editor @gastronomyblog 📸: @wonhophoto