ChoLon denver USA

Came here for Happy Hour with some girlfriends. They were late so I enjoyed a drink at the bar, which was pretty good. The bartender was very attentive. When the group arrived we moved outside and placed drink and food orders. Unfortunately the staff kept bringing our food we didn’t order, and our drinks didn’t show up until 40min. later. The waiter and manager continually poked their heads outside to the outdoor area to see if our drinks had arrived, but never once apologized for their late arrival. When we were ready to leave, our server brought us our check right away, which included all six drinks we waited 40min. for. We had to go in ourselves and ask to speak to the manager about taking them off, something that should’ve happened as a customer service courtesy.

The service is excellent. I had the wagyu steak which was also brilliant. Although it is an Asian fusion restaurant, don't expect to find some real Asian food there. The dumpling looks Chinese, but not what's in it, and the skin is too thick. The fried rice is too salty. It's a bit of everything, but I don't think it is any better than a traditional restaurant.

We headed to ChoLon for a late lunch based on a best restaurants in Denver list, but ended up doing an early happy hour since that's all they serve from 2-6. The cocktails we ordered were great, and the food was mostly pretty good. Some of the options were a bit too fusion for our taste, like the Gouda "soup dumplings" but overall we were pleased with our meal for the price. The runaway success at the table were the Korean hot fried chicken sliders, and the kaya toast was a nice surprise. The pork belly buns were unfortunately mediocre. Also, despite the restaurant being mostly empty at 2pm on a Monday, the service was spotty.

I have always been a purist when it comes to cuisine, especially Asian cuisine so I was a little biased walking into Cholon as it's labeled as "Asian fusion". Man was I proven wrong, we tried many items on the menu, all of which were excellent. I loved the lobster crepes, they were able to keep the fish sauce used for dipping as Vietnamese authentic as possible. Other memorable and noteworthy dishes were the Kobe beef skewers and the Malaysian pan noodles. Top notch menu accompanied by top notch service and an inviting and intimate ambience make this restaurant a must try for all those with a more discernible and adventurous palate.

Good food, service, and atmosphere. Haven’t been here in a while - last meal was more memorable. Regardless, I look forward to coming back. Gluten-feee friendly menu.