Steven Chou will tell you that Cudo’s Latin American cuisine isn’t “textbook traditional”. This latest addition to the Eleven Co. Group, which also includes Siri House (Asian) and Moxie (Mediterranean), on Stanley Street celebrates Latin cooking’s evolving traditions and dynamic flavours.
Chou, also Group Executive Chef at Eleven Co. Group, graduated from The French Culinary Institute in New York. In his 20-plus-year culinary career, the Taiwanese American has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants such as The Modern and The Public.
His thoughtful and diverse culinary approach is also influenced by his experience as a consultant for The Privé Group (Hong Kong) and the culinary director for Resorts World Genting (Malaysia).
Cudo, however, is his most personal project to date. His recipes are a tribute to the comfort food he enjoyed during his early years in New York, particularly the bold, vibrant dishes he enjoyed in Latin American neighbourhoods like Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona.
“From the tacos, tortas, and elote usually sold by street vendors in Mexico City to the home-cooked meals I shared with colleagues after long shifts, everything reinforced my belief that Latin cuisine is about passion and community,” Chou says.
His “modern Latin” menu combines traditional Latin American flavours with refined contemporary techniques and inventive touches. For example, Chou’s Snapper Crudo, inspired by classic ceviche, features cured local red snapper with charred rather than raw onions for a smoother, more balanced taste.
“It’s about staying true to the essence while making it our own,” he explains. The dish’s refreshing complexity comes from a fusion of citron vinegar, white balsamic, lime juice, lemon oil, charred tomatillo, green grapes, and white ponzu.
Cudo’s bold and punchy flavours are mostly anchored by bold ingredients like adobo paste, chipotle, ancho, and guajillo chilli. Almost every dish also contains lime, says Chou. “It’s that final hit of brightness that lifts everything.” The Grilled Catch’s seabass fillet is an excellent example. Served with a parsley-lime sauce flavoured with burnt spring onion puree and pineapple salsa containing bell peppers, onions, cilantro, and jalapenos, it is both visually and gastronomically appealing.
BOLD, BALANCED & ADDICTIVE
Adobo paste, chipotle, salsa verde, and chimichurri are among the staples of the restaurant’s sauces and pastes. “These elements form the backbone of the menu. They bring heat, acidity, freshness, and depth,” says Chou.
With Cudo Cado, he reinterprets guacamole by mixing smashed avocado with beef, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, and lime, before adding yuzu juice for sweetness and smoky chipotle oil for depth. Served with crispy, golden plantain chips, it is bold, balanced, and addictively moreish.
Even so, it is the Carnedilla that’s closest to Chou’s heart. Braised short ribs, three cheeses, and caramelised onions are stuffed and seared into flour tortillas. “Smoky, cheesy, savoury, nostalgic, and thoughtfully built, it’s comfort food at its best. Every element is layered for maximum flavour.”
If you still have room, try the Disco Fries, a reimagined New Jersey favourite of Chou’s. A rich gravy of beef jus, paprika, and garlic reduction is drizzled over baked French fries with mozzarella and aged Mexican cotija cheese. They are finished with chorizo oil from slow-cooking minced sausage until it is infused with smoky, savoury depth.
As Cudo’s popularity grows, Chou is already thinking about the future. His vision is to open an offshoot of Cudo serving street food favourites, such as esquites (the off-the-cob version of elotes), chipotle fries, chorizo mash, tostadas, and Cuban sandwiches. “Perfect for quick snacks.”
