La Mona Rosa, Spanish for “the pink monkey,” is a Mexico City-inspired hideaway instantly recognizable by its namesake, 7-foot pink neon monkey clinging to the restaurant and bar’s exterior. From an open kitchen that overlooks the dining and cocktail bar, Executive Chef Isidro Marquez-Castillo has curated a menu built to share.

The dishes are a culinary reflection of Chef Isidro’s travels throughout central Mexico, as well as family recipes, to introduce a refined vision of authentic, regional cuisines that will feel like home to those from the country and elevate the status of Mexican food for those who aren’t.

Born and raised in Puebla, Chef Isidro worked on his family’s farm until he was 18, growing Serrano peppers, jalapenos, tomatillos and more. He would watch his mom make mole, but was never allowed to cook. It was frowned upon. “Men didn’t cook where I’m from,” Chef Isidro laments.

When Chef Isidro was 18, he relocated to Las Vegas to study engineering. To fund his education, he cooked in famed kitchens on the Las Vegas Strip, such as E by Jose Andres.

After meeting Peyote Executive Chef Daniel Arias, the duo launched a Mexican seafood pop-up concept, The Black Pearl, which led the Chefs to Corner Bar Management.

At La Mona Rosa, his exploratory, flavor-forward menu includes Tamales rojos from Oaxaca and pozole from Jalisco, among other traditional dishes such as moles, tacos, tostadas and more inspired by Yucatan, Nayarit, Puebla and elsewhere. A touch of northern, coastal Mexican appears on the menu in the form of the Caesar salad, queso fundido and more. Each dish is accentuated by hand-made corn tortillas, made from nixtamal ground in house.