ChoLon refreshes its menu for spring

Blustering snow and winter temperatures may have blown into Denver this week, but that didn't stop ChoLon from shedding its winter coat and lightening up both its lunch and dinner menus for spring -- swapping out celery root soup for asparagus soup with soy-glazed mushrooms and spring onion, for example...

By Kate Gibbons

April 11, 2013

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Blustering snow and winter temperatures may have blown into Denver this week, but that didn't stop ChoLon from shedding its winter coat and lightening up both its lunch and dinner menus for spring -- swapping out celery root soup for asparagus soup with soy-glazed mushrooms and spring onion, for example. And the dishes were not the only thing redesigned; a relaxed lunch menu geared toward individual entrees rather than sharing was introduced last week.

In addition to lunchtime favorites like the Angus burger, tilapia tacos and BBQ pork ribs, ChoLon now features a turkey Cobb wrap with Maytag blue cheese, bacon and sesame-garlic vinaigrette, and a Korean hot fried chicken sandwich on house-made brioche. With lunch, diners now get a side of taro chips, fingerling potato salad, white or brown rice; for an extra $2, French fries with Asian ranch or a side baby lettuce salad can be substituted. The "Express Lunch Pre-Fixe," at $17 per person for two courses, is available Monday through Friday.

"We want people to feel good and healthfully nourished after they have lunch here so they don't fall asleep at their desks in the afternoon," says chef Lon Symensma, who just won our Best Chef award in the Best of Denver 2013.

The aforementioned asparagus soup and an Asian grilled shrimp caesar salad have been added to both the lunch and dinner menus; a new Skuna Bay salmon crudo, with avocado and spicy radish, as well as the diver scallops with spring vegetable pad thai and cashew gremolata, are exclusive to the new dinner menu.

Symensma's favorite addition? "I love the turkey Cobb wrap that's new on the lunch menu," he says. "We adapted my favorite salad to put an Asian spin on it using garlic and sesame oil. The turkey is brined in soy, garlic and ginger and slow roasted."

ChoLon typically adds a seasonal dish or two, he notes, but this spring's refresh has added something new to every category on the menu, from soups and salads to "plates."