ChoLon - Downtown

"Lon Symensma’s swanky LoDo flagship impresses with impeccable service and creative Southeast Asian-influenced fare, including the now-iconic kaya toast and French onion soup dumplings as well as smoked tamarind–glazed spare ribs with green papaya salad and Indonesian-style fried rice with pork belly and heirloom tomatoes. (For a more casual take on the same cuisine, ChoLon sibling YumCha just around the corner dishes up seven or eight different types of dumplings at any given time along with kicky twists on old-school favorites such as crispy pig’s ear pad Thai and Wagyu beef and broccoli chow fun.)" - Ruth Tobias, Eater Staff

"Though xiao long bao come filled with everything from matzo balls to green chile these days, no one had seen anything like Lon Symensma's dumplings — delicate yet fit to burst with French onion soup and gruyère — when this eternal LoDo hot spot opened in 2010. And to this day, no one in these parts has seen anything like his Kaya toast, a Singaporean-inspired dish of coconut jam–slathered brioche with savory egg custard for dipping." - Gigi Sukin, Ruth Tobias

"ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro comes from chef Lon Symensma, who once served as executive chef at fancy Asian food mainstay Buddakan in New York City. He now creates memorable dishes in Denver inspired by similar flavors and ingredients. The soup dumplings with sweet onion and Gruyere are the staple there. For lunch, the Korean hot fried chicken sliders are a treat." - Erin Perkins

"The French onion soup dumplings are still the stars of the show at this fancy modern Asian restaurant. Order them during happy hour for $10, along with discounted pork belly buns ($13) and Wagyu beef skewers ($11)." - Eater Staff, Josie Sexton

"Symensma wants LeRoux to generate fandom for its foie gras in the same way that his perpetual hotspot ChoLon has done so for soup dumplings." - Josie Sexton