MAKfam — Restaurant in Denver

Nut allergy friendliness: I noted my nut allergy at the counter and had no problems! They're phenomenal with allergies here, labeling every dish.

Order to Food: 10 Minutes Order to Cocktails: 15 Minutes

We arrived at 6:30PM on a Saturday and parked in the neighborhood nearby. Surprisingly had no wait (we were expecting at least a half hour) and we got counter seating for 2. The music is a bit loud here.

We weren't that hungry but still ended up spending a pretty penny for food and drinks. For two people, we split:

Fancy Wun Tun Tong (3.5/5): Make sure to eat this with the sauce and some soup (like a punctured soup dumpling) for maximum flavor. The texture of the dumpling was thicker than expected and had a nice chewiness. I'd say it was a tasty bite but for $4 per bite (4 dumplings), I wouldn't buy it again. Sizzling Spicy Noodles (4.5/5): I thought this was excellently balanced on spice and flavor. A great serving of noodles that was quite sharable. Definitely would order this again, way better value than the dumplings. Marinated Shiitake Bao (3/5): Honestly, I was expecting some more depth from this. It's exactly what it sounds like, though. The mushrooms were tasty and it was a packed enough bao, but it needed something to add a texture or flavor kick. Maybe for $3 I'd buy it again. Shredded Pork Belly Bao (4/5): I'd definitely order this again over the mushroom bao, but the pork belly fell a bit flat in tenderness. It was a bit dry, but I guess this isn't Texas barbecue. The Fortune Teller (3.5/5): I thought the Ube foam was the most unique part of this. Otherwise, it kind of just tasted like a slightly alcoholic tea? I got some faint notes of the coffee liqueur in bitterness but not too much. MSGin (3/5): Okay, this one we just ordered because it was funny. It was basically a juiced up gin martini but the MSG rim was actually not bad. I wouldn't order it again though.

Total ~$84 for two people.

Overall, I'd come back for the main noodle dishes but would say the cocktails were a unique one-time taste and the appetizers could be better...

My Disappointment Is Immeasurable And My Day Is Ruined. I visited MAKFam expecting something special, given the Bib Gourmand nod, but was pretty underwhelmed. The food, while presented nicely, lacked real flavor and depth. We ordered four dishes for the family, and despite that, we left still hungry. Portions were quite small, especially for the price.

The atmosphere seemed to aim for a hipster vibe, but it came across as more pretentious than authentic. The fact that there were no Asian chefs made the experience feel gentrified, like it was trying too hard to play into a cultural theme without actually embracing it. It was expensive for what it was worth.

Overall, it felt like style over substance—fine if you’re looking for a trendy night out, but not the place if you want real, flavorful Chinese food. MAKFam could definitely improve in terms of portion sizes, authenticity, and pricing.

If you're looking for authentic, flavorful Chinese food, I’d recommend Hong Kong Station. They have a diverse set of dishes, and the portions are generous, offering a much more satisfying and authentic experience.

Edited to add: Thank you for sharing your perspective and clarifying the philosophy behind your food. I now better understand your focus on highlighting Chinese-American experiences rather than traditional Chinese cuisine.

When I mentioned “authentic,” I was referring more to the vibe and overall feel of the dining experience rather than the food itself. As a Peruvian American, I really enjoy culturally mixed foods, especially since I’ve experienced American Chinese, Peruvian Chinese (Chifa), Szechuan, and Chinese cuisine in various cities like Chicago and San Francisco.

While I appreciate the beautiful presentation and your efforts to share your story through your dishes, the flavors and portion sizes didn’t quite meet my expectations, and the experience felt a bit gentrified to me. I hope this feedback can be taken constructively, and I wish you continued success and growth in...

First place I go to whenever I visit Denver and I'm hungry! After reading about the Bib Gourmand award last Fall I visited Denver in November and ate here twice on that one week trip, but I forgot to take pictures! The food looks so delicious it's hard not to dig in right away when it arrives. I'm back again and made a beeline for MakFam. Visited on a Monday at around 1pm. I ordered something I hadn't had before (Shredded Pork Belly Bao Bun) and again, it was so delicious looking that I was 3/4 pf the way through with it before remembering a picture. Presented like an Asian taco with a skewer through the middle to hold it together, it was beautiful and It was terrific! A problem I usually have with bao, not enough filling! That certainly was not the case here. Ample pork and radishes and scallions to balance out the ratio of filling to dough. Remarkably good hoisin sauce too! Next I went for the dish I fell in love with on my first visit, from the small plates, the Fancy Wun Tun Tong! The broth on this dish is a warm, comforting, chicken broth that spices up and gets deliciously oily when mixed with the pork grease from the XO sauce astride the chicken and shrimp dumplings! I was tempted to get another pork bao so I could get a picture (it's THAT pretty) but I was full at lunch. These two small plates plus a refreshing Sparks Fly IPA was all I needed, but I will be back again on this trip for dinner this time (different menu). It's probably a good thing that they are closed on Tuesdays, or I would be back again tomorrow. Wonderful and terrific service at the bar from Ashley. Patrons on either side of me were obviously enjoying their dishes, and happy to chat about their selections. I also found out from Ashley that the chef had recently...