“Mention ChoLon to a group of friends and someone will instantly reference the soup dumplings. Intended or not, chef Lon Symensma has staked his reputation—and ChoLon’s—on those beautifully wrapped pockets of sweet onion soup and Gruyère cheese. But to only know ChoLon by the dumplings would be an oversight. The pork belly buns are a fully evolved street snack, with artistic dollops of hoisin and unctuous slabs of pork belly slathered with sesame-honey glaze. The steamed buns themselves are doughy, chewy—perfect. Likewise, the Singapore chicken rice will entice you with shreds of poached chicken, tangles of cooling cucumber steeped in the aroma of coconuty-citrusy pandan leaves, and a bowl of fiery sambal for mixing in. Simplicity is not in Symensma’s vocabulary as he applies layer after layer of flavor and technique to balance sweet and savory, hot and cool, Old World and New—to enchanting effect.”
“If the kitchen is a stage, then Lon Symensma, chef-owner of ChoLon, is its undisputed star. He exudes extraordinary verve and charisma behind — and beyond — the line, and there’s no end to his experimental innovation and bedazzling flavors and textures. But even more important is his endless pursuit of perfection, evident in every dish he creates, plates and tastes before it’s whisked from the kitchen. He leaves absolutely nothing to chance, cooking with precision and finesse, standing guard over his troops and exposing his soul in every sauce, glaze, skewer, dumpling, potsticker and egg cloud that touches your lips. This is the kind of restaurant — and Symensma is the kind of chef — that makes you want to drop everything you’re doing and just surrender to delicious temptation.”
https://www.cholonconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/cholon-3.jpg495745Savanna Roncohttps://www.cholonconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cholon-restaurant-concepts-monogram-dk-264x300.pngSavanna Ronco2013-07-01 08:00:142019-08-20 22:11:31Westword Top of the Town – Best Chef
“Nothing’s worse than getting all fired up for a decadent, wine-soaked meal, only to discover that the restaurant’s wine list is a total snooze. That’s why we woke up and took notice last fall when ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro opened. The array of sixty-plus modern selections (including eight sake offerings) might make you scratch your head initially (Côtes-du-Rhône? Chilean sauvignon gris?). But chef Lon Symensma and his wine director, Chris Todd, make sure that each wine on the list is a perfect foil for one of ChoLon’s tongue-tingling flavor combinations. The only thing that makes fans of both food and the grape happier than a stellar wine-and-dine experience is a stellar wine-and-dine experience at decent prices, and at ChoLon, you can score a kickass bottle for an average price of $48. We’ll drink to that.”
https://www.cholonconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/cholon-1.jpg495745Savanna Roncohttps://www.cholonconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cholon-restaurant-concepts-monogram-dk-264x300.pngSavanna Ronco2011-07-01 08:00:202019-08-20 21:58:53Westword Top of the Town – Best Overall Wine List
“Last fall, when Lon Symensma opened ChoLon, his upscale homage to Southeast Asian cuisine, local foodies rejoiced. Here was a chef with pedigree—his resumé includes Spice Market and Buddakan in New York, Jean Georges Shanghai, and Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Spain—who chose Denver as home for his first restaurant. It was hard knowing what to be more excited about: what ChoLon was going to offer, or what the restaurant’s arrival said about Denver’s dining scene.”
https://www.cholonconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ChoLon-Potstickers.jpg38405760Savanna Roncohttps://www.cholonconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cholon-restaurant-concepts-monogram-dk-264x300.pngSavanna Ronco2011-05-01 08:00:172019-08-20 22:02:145280 Review: ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro
5280 Magazine - 25 Best Restaurants 2013
/in ChoLon Press, News & Updates, Press /by Savanna Ronco“Mention ChoLon to a group of friends and someone will instantly reference the soup dumplings. Intended or not, chef Lon Symensma has staked his reputation—and ChoLon’s—on those beautifully wrapped pockets of sweet onion soup and Gruyère cheese. But to only know ChoLon by the dumplings would be an oversight. The pork belly buns are a fully evolved street snack, with artistic dollops of hoisin and unctuous slabs of pork belly slathered with sesame-honey glaze. The steamed buns themselves are doughy, chewy—perfect. Likewise, the Singapore chicken rice will entice you with shreds of poached chicken, tangles of cooling cucumber steeped in the aroma of coconuty-citrusy pandan leaves, and a bowl of fiery sambal for mixing in. Simplicity is not in Symensma’s vocabulary as he applies layer after layer of flavor and technique to balance sweet and savory, hot and cool, Old World and New—to enchanting effect.”
5280 Magazine – 25 Best Restaurants 2013
Westword Top of the Town - Best Chef
/in ChoLon Press, News & Updates, Press /by Savanna Ronco“If the kitchen is a stage, then Lon Symensma, chef-owner of ChoLon, is its undisputed star. He exudes extraordinary verve and charisma behind — and beyond — the line, and there’s no end to his experimental innovation and bedazzling flavors and textures. But even more important is his endless pursuit of perfection, evident in every dish he creates, plates and tastes before it’s whisked from the kitchen. He leaves absolutely nothing to chance, cooking with precision and finesse, standing guard over his troops and exposing his soul in every sauce, glaze, skewer, dumpling, potsticker and egg cloud that touches your lips. This is the kind of restaurant — and Symensma is the kind of chef — that makes you want to drop everything you’re doing and just surrender to delicious temptation.”
Westword Top of the Town – Best Chef
Westword Top of the Town - Best Overall Wine List
/in ChoLon Press, News & Updates, Press /by Savanna Ronco“Nothing’s worse than getting all fired up for a decadent, wine-soaked meal, only to discover that the restaurant’s wine list is a total snooze. That’s why we woke up and took notice last fall when ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro opened. The array of sixty-plus modern selections (including eight sake offerings) might make you scratch your head initially (Côtes-du-Rhône? Chilean sauvignon gris?). But chef Lon Symensma and his wine director, Chris Todd, make sure that each wine on the list is a perfect foil for one of ChoLon’s tongue-tingling flavor combinations. The only thing that makes fans of both food and the grape happier than a stellar wine-and-dine experience is a stellar wine-and-dine experience at decent prices, and at ChoLon, you can score a kickass bottle for an average price of $48. We’ll drink to that.”
Westword Top of the Town – Best Overall Wine List
5280 Review: ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro
/in ChoLon Press, News & Updates, Press /by Savanna Ronco“Last fall, when Lon Symensma opened ChoLon, his upscale homage to Southeast Asian cuisine, local foodies rejoiced. Here was a chef with pedigree—his resumé includes Spice Market and Buddakan in New York, Jean Georges Shanghai, and Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Spain—who chose Denver as home for his first restaurant. It was hard knowing what to be more excited about: what ChoLon was going to offer, or what the restaurant’s arrival said about Denver’s dining scene.”
5280 Review: ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro