Denver Restaurant Receives Award For Outstanding Asian Cuisine

Photos courtesy of Caren Austin

Welcome back my fellow foodies. Growing up in New York, I had my fair share of Asian food around every corner, and it quickly became my favorite cuisine. When I moved to Colorado, I was on a mission to find the best Asian food in the Denver area. To date, I have found two favorites, both of which I have written about, and now I am going to venture to MAKfam to see if I can put a third Asian restaurant on my list.

MAKfam is in the Baker neighborhood of Denver. The husband-and-wife team of Kenneth Wan, and Doris Yuen have created a family inspired Chinese restaurant with a modern twist. Chef Wan is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist for emerging chef. He worked in luxury hotels, and restaurants like Soho House and Momofuku Ssam in New York before heading to Colorado with his wife Doris, where they opened Meta Asian Kitchen in Avanti Food and Beverage. In 2023 they opened MAKfam. I couldn’t be any more excited to go and try MAKfam, as they have just won a Michelin Star Bib Gourmand designation. I grabbed a few friends and off we popped, so let’s eat!

When I entered MAKfam, all I could think about was the wonderful smell coming from the open kitchen. You order up at the counter, or you can sit at the bar and order there.  The menu isn’t large, but it is mighty. I couldn’t decide on what to order, I wanted it all, and with five people in my party, we decided to order different items and share. There are small plates and large plates on the menu. We started with the Chinatown Dumplings, the Mala Wings, the Scallion Pancakes, and the Fancy Wonton Tong. Everything was so delicious. The Scallion Pancakes were flaky, and light as a feather, and they disappeared quickly. The Fancy Wonton Tong are house made shrimp and chicken wontons in a spicy XO chili sauce. I could have eaten 100 of these, they were so good and have now become a favorite bite of mine.

For the large plates, we ordered the famous Corned Beef Fried Rice, the Glass Noodles with Shrimp, and the Beef Stir Fried Noodles. The fried rice was so innovative, and like nothing I have ever had. Made with grass fed corned beef and mustard greens, it took fried rice to another level, and it hit every mark. The Beef Stir Fried noodles were coming in a close second as my favorite. The crispy egg noodles were a perfect match for the tender beef and oyster sauce. There are vegan options for some dishes as well.  Cocktails are fun and inventive at MAKfam and served in the cutest glasses. I had the Little Tiger cocktail, and was not disappointed with the Asian flavors of this drink or the tiger glass it came in.

MAKfam serves dinner, brunch on Saturday and Sunday, and a killer happy hour every day from 2-5. They have a huge takeout business as well if you don’t feel like dining in.  There wasn’t a dish that we ordered that I didn’t love. I was already planning my next trip to try other dishes on the menu. MAKfam fills up fast and sometimes has a crowd waiting outside, because it is that good. I have now put a third Asian restaurant on my favorite Denver list, and I know you will too. Thankful to have them in Denver! Until next time my fellow foodies, eat well, drink well, and be well.