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From the Andes to Hong Kong: The Rare Tour Arrives at Carna
- May 12
- 3 min read
Carna by Dario Cecchini × Tributo — A Four-Hands Culinary Encounter Between Two of the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants
This June, one of the most distinguished collaborations in global steak culture arrives in Hong Kong. For three nights only, The Rare Tour touches down at Carna by Dario Cecchini, bringing together two of the most celebrated fire-led kitchens in the world — and two unmistakable culinary voices shaped by vastly different landscapes, traditions, and philosophies.
Ranked No. 78 on the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2026, Carna by Dario Cecchini will host Tributo — ranked No. 24 on the same list, and widely regarded as one of South America's most compelling fire-led kitchens. Leading the collaboration are the legendary Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini and Chef Luis Maldonado of Tributo, joined by their respective culinary teams for a four-hands residency conceived as a dialogue between two distinct cultures of meat, fire, and craft.
A Journey Rarely Made — Over 30 Hours From the Andes to Hong Kong
Bringing Tributo to Hong Kong is an undertaking of exceptional scale. Chef Luis Maldonado and his team will travel more than 30 hours from Quito, Ecuador, crossing continents, hemispheres, and time zones for a residency lasting just three evenings.
The distance is more than geographical. Tributo is a restaurant profoundly rooted in the rhythms of the Andes — its landscapes, its producers, and its centuries-old traditions of fire and meat. To see it transplanted, even briefly, to an Asian kitchen is an uncommon privilege, and marks one of the few occasions on which guests in Asia will encounter Tributo's cooking outside South America. For three nights in June, the fire of the Andes meets the fire of Tuscany — on one stage, in one city, for one fleeting moment in time.
A Shared Language of Fire
Though separated by continents, Carna by Dario Cecchini and Tributo share a singular culinary vocabulary: bold, fire-led cooking, an unwavering respect for the whole animal, and a deep devotion to craft.
The collaboration opens a seldom-heard dialogue between Italian butcher tradition and South American open-fire mastery — expressed through a six-course tasting menu revealed only on the evening itself, ensuring each guest experiences the residency as an unfolding discovery.
Carna by Dario Cecchini — A Tuscan Philosophy, Reimagined in Asia
At Carna, the lifelong philosophy of legendary Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini finds its Asian home — a devotion to whole-animal dining, reverence for craft, and the timeless joy of the shared table. For this Hong Kong residency, Cecchini himself returns to the kitchen, reaffirming the spirit that has long made his name synonymous with Italian butchery on the world stage.
Leading the Hong Kong kitchen alongside him is Chef de Cuisine Billy Yau, whose leadership guided Carna Hong Kong onto the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2026 list in its debut appearance — a milestone that has firmly positioned him as an influential voice in the restaurant's continuing international ascent.
Tributo — The Voice of Andean Fire
At Tributo, Chef Luis Maldonado has shaped a culinary philosophy unlike any other, built around the Andean Old Cow — a programme that restores dignity to the animal and presents it with the respect, precision, and excellence traditionally reserved for the world's most celebrated beef.
Born in Valencia, Venezuela, and Ecuadorian by choice and at heart, Chef Luis is widely considered one of the most compelling voices in contemporary meat cookery. Through fire, craft, and narrative, he transforms each cut into an expression of culture, identity, and terroir — a cuisine so intimately tied to its origins that Tributo's appearances beyond South America remain exceptional, making this Hong Kong residency a genuinely singular occasion.
Joining him is Pastry Chef Joaquín Araque, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished pastry talents in Latin America, whose work will bring a distinctive close to the Tributo experience.
Event Details
Event | The Rare Tour Hong KongCarna by Dario Cecchini × Tributo, A Four-Hands Culinary Encounter |
Dates | 18 – 20 June 2026 |
Location | Carna by Dario Cecchini, Mondrian Hong Kong |
Format | Four-hands collaborative dinner |
Menu | 8-course tasting menu; details revealed only on the night |
Price | HKD 2,480 per guest + 10% service charge |
Capacity | 40 guests per evening |
Reservations |
Together, Dario Cecchini, Luis Maldonado, and their respective teams present a culinary dialogue that honours distinct product traditions, philosophies, and expressions of fire — designed as an immersive, intimate, and unforgettable residency. With Tributo's return to Asia unconfirmed and The Rare Tour not expected back in Hong Kong until 2027, these three evenings mark a singular moment in the city's culinary calendar.