Kin

Hugues Mbenda (Chef) was born in 1989 in Kinshasa and learned to cook watching his mother Jeanne run a small street restaurant. He trained at Lycée Escoffier, progressed through Taillevent, Apicius, Burgundy, Le Violon d’Ingres, Les Sources de Caudalie, Pearl at the Renaissance and Le Céladon, and has held roles as Second de cuisine and head chef. He opened L’Orphéon and Libala in Marseille, continues international residencies, and co‑founded Kin with Mathilde Godart in February 2023. Kin is a gastronomic restaurant in the heart of Marseille highlighted by the Michelin Guide under “Cuisine créative” and listed as SELECTED. Located in the centre of Marseille, the restaurant occupies more than 100 square metres and offers an intimate, travel‑inspired gastronomic setting created by the chef and his team. The kitchen marries fresh local Mediterranean seasonal produce with elevated African ingredients to deliver contemporary gastronomic dishes; the menu is renewed monthly and can be adapted for vegetarians or to accommodate allergies with 24 hours’ notice. Specialties: Béarnaise tamarin; Granité bissap; creative seasonal desserts.