Many Denverites think of the 16th Street Mall as little more than a destination where tourists grab Colorado T-shirts and overpriced beers. But the mall is also home turf for office workers and a growing number of downtown residents. For those folks, and for the rest of us looking for something special to top off a night on the town, ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro shines as a beacon of culinary excellence amid the fast-casuals and street-food kiosks. Chef/owner Lon Symensma's clever brand of Asian cuisine is a form of entertainment in itself, from the classic ChoLon French onion soup dumplings and kaya toast with egg cloud to newer explorations that go deep into Southeast Asian cooking, like a beautiful Burmese fermented tea-leaf salad. Symensma takes us on a journey he's made many times himself, showing us the street-hawker eats and the extravagant hotel dinners of his favorite cities. Not content to rest on his laurels, the chef keeps improving both the menu and the setting, with posh new seating for guests, better sound control in the always-packed dining room, and an evolving parade of dishes that show the kitchen at its most creative.
Readers' Choice: ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro