Chef Lon Symensma opened ChoLon in Downtown Denver in 2010, having already earned two stars from the New York Times during his time working at Buddakan in New York City. ChoLon, which means “big market” and refers to the largest Chinese-influenced market in Saigon, Vietnam, is Symensma’s homage to Southeast Asia and the years he spent traveling and living in that region.
After many years of evolution – including eight years on the 5280 Top 25 Restaurants List and being named a James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant in America – Symensma and business partner Christopher Davis-Massey decided to open a second ChoLon location in Stapleton, home of the former Denver Airport.
At the helm of the new concept is Executive Chef Becca Henry, who started as a line cook at ChoLon’s downtown location in 2012 and spent years learning every detail of every station to finally assume the role of Executive Chef in 2019.