Old Roots, New Partnership: Ridgway Natural Foods Becomes Lotus Root Kitchen
RIDGWAY, COLORADO • NOVEMBER 30, 2022
Thanks to a new partnership between Ridgway-based chef Honga Im and former management consultant Jessie Vaughan, Ridgway Natural Foods market at 618 Clinton St. has been revamped as Lotus Root Kitchen + Market + Catering. The store will provide healthy to-go food options and specialty goods, locally sourced produce, meats and cheeses, juices to order, coffee drinks, a wide variety of teas and tisanes, and more.
“The new partnership feels very collaborative,” says Im, a founder and former operator of Ridgway Natural Foods. “We both love great food and love finding things we love to share with others.”
Im and Vaughan “had a mutual attraction to each other from the start,” Im continues, recalling how she got to know Vaughan and her husband during their frequent visits to the store, but even more during Covid, when they formed a true friendship.
“I got to know Honga before even meeting her,” laughs Vaughan. “She’s well-loved in the Telluride/Ridgway communities,” for her culinary talents, but Vaughan had also heard about Im’s noteworthy athletic accomplishments as a mountain biker and skier.
Korean-born but raised in the U.S., Im is perhaps best known for starting the beloved restaurant Honga’s Lotus Petal, a Telluride mainstay for many years. After selling that restaurant and moving to Ridgway, Im turned her attention to private catering that reflects her dedication to local and seasonal ingredients mixed with an Asian fusion flair.
Vaughan was raised in Argentina and Ecuador before ending up in Houston, TX, where she helped her Taiwanese mother operate three successful restaurants. She has degrees in business management and East Asian studies and worked as a management consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the country. Her love for the outdoors is ultimately what landed her and her family in Ridgway.
“Honga and I found a lot of commonalities,” says Vaughan. “I think we complement each other’s strengths well. We both bring very different backgrounds to the table that are celebrated and strengthened through our partnership.”
Lotus Root customers can expect to find local beef, lamb, pork, eggs, baked goods, pantry items, and harder-to-find specialty products like harissa, saffron, yuzu, and kimchi. And while much of the store’s prepared food will have an Asian flare, “we will also have whole rotisserie chickens, salads, sandwiches, bowls of curry, poke bowls, Korean bowls, noodle bowls, soups, chilies, sweet treats,” and more, says Im. The partners are also excited to bring curated chocolates, oils, and vinegars to the store’s inventory, along with coveted gift items like local beeswax candles.
“Ridgway may be a small mountain town tucked in the San Juans, but it’s rich in culture and art. The residents tend to be well-traveled and appreciate an international palette,” says Vaughan.
Along with made-to-order juices, customers will further enjoy the fact that Boulder-based OZO coffee roasters will be training Lotus Root staff in making coffees. Im also plans to provide a full education on teas and tisanes and their medicinal properties. Moreover, catering will continue, with offerings for as few as four people and up to large group weddings, events, and fundraisers.
“The Lotus Root space feels really great and the thought of sharing that with people feels exciting,” says Im, adding, “The creative process with Jessie has been a breath of fresh air and I’m learning from her and she’s learning from me.”
Both Im and Vaughan believe in the power of bringing people together through food. As the market reopens, they look forward to sharing their respective cultural legacies with the local community.
With an opening date set for Thursday, Dec. 1, Lotus Root Kitchen + Market + Catering plans to be open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. For more information and updates, visit their website, www.lotusrootridgway.com.
Ridgway might just be Colorado’s Tiniest Foodie Town
EDIBLE MAGAZINE • FALL 2016
"LOTUS ROOT. After 30 years of cooking in Telluride, Korea-born Honga Im has relocated to Ridgway. From her new restaurant inside Chipeta Solar Springs Resort, Im prepares organic brown rice bowls and carefully sourced sushi. Vegetarian and gluten-free diners will love the root bowl with kale, Brussels sprouts, beets, and sunflower seeds or the wellness roll with avocado, cucumber, spinach, and sesame oil."
Telluride’s Honga Im
EDIBLE MAGAZINE • FALL 2011
Honga's Lotus Petal, Pan-Asian Cookbook
WINNER - 2007 BEST COOKBOOK AWARD, FOREWORD REVIEW
Sample the delicious flavors and eclectic Asian fare of Honga's Lotus Petal. A local favorite, this venerable restaurant serves up fresh Asian-influenced cuisine from an American skiing mecca. Honga's menu combines flavors from Thailand, Japan, Bali, Korea, China, Vietnam, India, and even Polynesia to create a truly unique culinary perspective. Whether it's the sushi, curry, or vegetarian fare, the focus here is organic, natural, and hormone-free. Honga's menu defines creative. Favorites include Blackened Tofu, Asian Pumpkin Soup, Coconut Curry Mussels, Spicy Poke, and Grilled Salmon and Bok Choy. From the tofu to the fish dishes to Honga's exquisite sauces, this book includes recipes for soups, salads, appetizers, main dishes, sushi, drinks, desserts, and more. The easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions guide you and the luscious full-color photographs inspire you to bring the simple elegance of Honga's Lotus Petal into your home.
