Official trampled by turtles 20 years 20th anniversary tour jan 19th 20th and 21st 2003 2023 California poster shirt

For his second restaurant, Leon is keeping a few of the Official trampled by turtles 20 years 20th anniversary tour jan 19th 20th and 21st 2003 2023 California poster shirt and I love this things that have made Chifa—the restaurant in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of LA that he opened in late 2020—so successful, chief among them working with his family. His sister Rica runs the business side, and her husband John Liu is the chef. But whereas Chifa combines Peruvian and Chinese cuisine, Monarch will focus exclusively on dishes from their Cantonese and Taiwanese heritage. “My sisters were both born in Hong Kong, so the place holds a dear place in our heart, but John’s Taiwanese so he always brings his Taiwanese flair,” Leon explained. The menu includes comfort classics like a pork bolognese on Chinese egg noodles, silken steamed egg with monkfish liver, and sweet-and-sour pork (made with Leon’s mother’s special sweet-and-sour sauce). Leon is particularly excited about the beef noodle soup, “which is John’s recipe, passed down through two generations.” The restaurant will also be partnering with Westholme, an Australian Wagyu beef purveyor, as well as ROE caviar, for those who want to “splurge and get a little bit fancy.” (Leon recommends the caviar on the “tartare with a quail egg, pickles, and garlic.”)

Official trampled by turtles 20 years 20th anniversary tour jan 19th 20th and 21st 2003 2023 California poster shirt, hoodie, tank top, sweater and long sleeve t-shirt

Leon also designed the Official trampled by turtles 20 years 20th anniversary tour jan 19th 20th and 21st 2003 2023 California poster shirt and I love this interiors for the restaurant, resulting in collaborations that can turn the dining experience into a shopping one—if that’s what you’re into. “While I’m eating, I always think about shopping,” he explained laughing. That means that the groovy gold cutlery (by cult designer Izabel Lam), the blue tinted glassware (by Mamo), and even the wallpaper (designed in collaboration with Calico Wallpaper) are all available for purchase. There is also a line of merch (of course) done in collaboration with Vista Print, the company that likely printed a large percentage of the merch tees, totes, hats, and other ephemera currently in your home. Alongside all the aforementioned merch classics, you can also get stickers, a chef’s tote, a foldable cooler chair, and even a tin lunch box—all emblazoned with Monarch’s logo, designed by Naomi Otsu, and most of it in a heavenly shade of blue that matches the color of the building, as well as the restaurant’s spirit. “I have this theory that butterflies fly between our space and another spiritual world and come back to us—that’s why it’s called Monarch,” Leon explained. “I wanted everybody that walks into the space to feel like they’re in heaven.”A look at the interior of Monarch, designed by Leon.