Whenever traveling, Honga enjoys learning about the food behind a culture. Her enthusiasm has been the ticket to visiting five-star kitchens in Thailand and stepping behind food carts on the streets of Bangkok and Vietnam. It was in 1987 that Honga consciously combined her two passions: mountains and cooking. She opened a foodcart on main street Telluride, where 13,000-foot peaks met her gaze while she worked.The cart was a success. At 26, with no experience in business or restaurants, Honga expanded from the cart by opening Honga’s Lotus Petal.

In the sixteen years since her restaurant’s inception in Telluride, it has evolved into a popular, thriving establishment, loved by locals and glowingly touted by the New YorkTimes,
In-Style magazine, 5280, Ski and other national and Colorado publications.