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    Vanmak

    4.7 (19 reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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    Recommended Reviews - Vanmak

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    Bottles
    Bee E.

    Been awhile since we've been back to Vanmak. Their makgeolli is delicious. They now offer food along with makgeolli slushies. We shared a tuna kimbap ($6.49), tteokboki ($19.99 medium), japchae ($15.99 medium) and slush ($5.99). Food was decent but don't expect restaurant quality. Grabbed a citron ($13.00) and peach wine ($10.00) to go. Both were great!

    Rose W.

    Vanmak specializes in making fresh local makegolli. I recently visited their downtown location where you can purchase a variety of flavours! Their makegolli has no preservatives, is abundant in probiotics & also results in no headaches/hangovers. The taste is yummy too! It's a fermented beverage so it becomes fizzier the longer you store it. We tried their chestnut, citron, peach , strawberry & more! My fave flavour was citron. The price ranges from $10-$13. You can also enjoy the drinks with some typical Korean food. They complemented the drinks well & are affordable. We tried: -Korean pancake $15.99 -Tteokbokki $10.99 (S) $19.99 (M) -Kimbap $5.99 -Shrimp Fried Rice $5.99 (S) $10.99 (M) -Japchae $8.99 (S) $15.99 (M)

    Aggie E.

    Wow I can't have enough good things to say about the service here. Super attentive and friendly service and she took the time to explain the dishes and different drink options! We really enjoyed the strawberry slush that was slightly alcoholic but really refreshing. Food wise, my favorites were: - the pork belly, which came with the freshest garlic - japchae which was perfectly seasoned - fish cake in a flavorful, satisfying oden broth We all got some drinks to go home with because they were so good! I can't wait to come back.

    Anita Z.

    This place is known for their makgeolli, and they supply many Korean restaurants in the lower mainland! Since my friend has never had makgeolli before, I took her here to try some, as well as get some Korean food! We got the tteokbokki, tuna kimbap, and half half korean pancake. She also got a glass of citron rice wine to try. The food was really good; it was warm and very flavourful. I love eating kimbap with tteokbokki! As for the makgeolli, it had a fermented taste with a light citrus aftertaste. We got lucky because a party was about to leave when we entered, but the restaurant does not have a lot of seating. There are only around 12 seats available, so keep this in mind when going! I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who is wanting to try Korean rice wine.

    Makgeoli Slush + Orange Soda Slush
    Kelly T.

    I was in a rush to see a movie nearby but hopped in quickly to get their makgeolli slush, it's been something I've been meaning to try since the summer! I came during happy hour meaning it was reduced from $5.99 to $3.99, I had tried their strawberry makgeolli in the past and really enjoyed it -- likewise, I loved the slush! The slushy texture really complemented the sweet fermented flavour of the OG makgeolli -- my friend had the orange soda one (great if you're looking for something non-alcoholic) and I thought the orange tasted not super artificial. I also grabbed a tuna kimbap ($6.49) to go which they made fresh -- hence it was steaming hot which I really enjoyed since I've only ever had prepackaged cool kimbap! Will definitely come by again to try their other makgeolli flavours (particularly peach and citron).

    Shirley A.

    I first bought a couple bottles and jugs here during their BOGO deal last year. And ever since then, I've fallen in love with everything they have ! It's so smooth and easy to drink. My mother in law LOVES to drinks their makgeolli. So we get her a jug every time we go You won't be disappointed with anything you choose. Every flavour is good, but my number 1 is strawberry ! I recently won a contest on instagram, and I decided to try out the food out. Omg.. it does not disappoint. Jokbal was so tender, and juicy. And the slushiessssssss. So amazing. All the staff are super friendly, and the owners are super sweet! This is a dangerous store, because it's right across the street from where I work Hands down, this is the only place I will be buying all my makgeolli and Soju from now on. Thank you so much for coming to downtown

    Lindsey D.

    Loving the local makgeolli scene. First tried Vanmaks rice wine at a Korean restaurant in N.Vancouver, finally made it today to their store and try their rice wine slushy and kimbap. In-store dining is cosy and they have many items that is ready to eat (kimchi) and frozen. Looking forward to return.

    Original tteokbokki, kimbap (from the freezer), fried chicken & chestnut makgeolli
    Celine L.

    We walked in on a Saturday afternoon and was greeted with a cozy interior! The shelves and fridge were lined with various rice wines or frozen foods. There isn't much seating inside, maybe for up to 8-10 people but luckily we grabbed their last table. We ordered some snacks like tteokbokki, fried chicken, kimbap, and a bottle of rice wine off their menu. The staff was very nice although would be confused by some of the questions we asked (like about their fried chicken sauce). We were told to grab the kimbap from their freezer (which they would microwave), and that was definitely interesting. I don't think they have a kitchen in the back so the snacks weren't freshly made. It didn't detract from the taste though! It was still tasty and paired sooo well with the makgeolli. We got the chestnut flavour and it was SO good. It's light, flavourful, sweet, creamy, and smooth all at the same time. We'll return for the makgeolli!!

    Exterior
    Jonny M.

    Haven't been to Lee Bros Winery out in Surrey but have drank their makgeolli previously. Their Gastown location, Vanmak, is next door to Hoduya Walnut Cake Dessert. We dropped in on a Saturday afternoon (4:00pm). There's a small seating area but it's mostly a takeout spot. They had a buy two, get one free deal when we visited. Had to buy a snack ($1.00) to purchase alcohol. Four types of makgeolli ($12.00-13.00 1L), strawberry wine ($10.00 375mL) and a couple of local spirits. They also offer some frozen and refrigerated food options. The rice wine is best consumed within two to three weeks but doesn't go bad (just continues to ferment). We were told to refrigerate and keep upright (as the caps have small breathing holes). - 6x Makgeolli - original, two chestnut, two citron and green grape. Smooth, creamy with a touch of sweetness. Favourite flavours were the chestnut and citron. - Strawberry wine - they added this on the house. Tasty. Will be back to Vanmak for more delicious makgeolli!

    Front entrance~
    Edward L.

    New distillery across the street from Tinseltown (International Village). Well, it's a new location. The original location is in Surrey. Parking is pretty awful here. I guess there's the Tinseltown lot. Just buy something from there first. The place is actually pretty small. There are maybe 10 seats. The place is more of a store than a tasting room. The wine here is Korean rice wine - it is not the grape based stuff from western countries. Think of it as almost like a weaker version of Japanese sake. Great for sipping and making friends. The bottles I tried were all 6.5%. In other words, it's not much different from beer. Definitely goes down well. The traditional way to drink this stuff is out of bowls. The wine is also served with a large bowl (soup style) and scooped with a ladle. Friends and I got a kick out of this. We tried several flavours. Original - actually on the sour side. Something to keep in mind. With that said, I imagine this would be the one to try first, so that one has a reference point. Citron - nice lemon taste. Might be too sour for some. Chestnut - sweet, but not too sweet. Among the group, this was the favourite one. I was told that the current version is less sweet than the previous one, which makes this one drinkable in large quantities. The old one was like syrup I hear. Something to keep in mind in case you tried the old formulation. The place also has Asian style food, but it's of the microwave variety. This place does not a kitchen. The food I'm sure is brought in from elsewhere (possibly T&T or H Mart). I'm talking about this like (not fresh) deep fried chicken nuggets, or sliced brisket, or pork knuckles. Goes down well while drinking this stuff. Pricing was surprisingly reasonable for everything. Honestly I'd probably be here more for the takeout liquor, but it's not a bad place to stop by for a break if desired.

    Spicy pork hock and pork belly
    Sandra D.

    Great spot for drinks and eats. The Makgeolli here is so delicious, highly recommend the sake. I appreciate the pricing, affordable. Service is always super good. Would always return. Ambiance is cozy for a yap session.

    Japchae, dukbokki and gimbop
    Aden G.

    Best mak I had in a long while. It's almost worth a trip. Mak was excellent. Not too sweet and flavorful. I'm happy with the original flavor. As for the food, I would have picked up the frozen items and heat them up myself at home. Each items were tasty nonetheless. I just don't want to pay extra for heating them up. Enjoy.

    Rice wine & pork belly

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    2 years ago

    Going in I didn't know how to feel about Rice wine, but I can say I see the hype! I loved it!

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    Review Highlights - Vanmak

    They're known for their makgeolli, which is easy to drink and also contains probiotics, which helps with digestion.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

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    Festina Lente Estate Winery - Ginger and lavender mead

    Festina Lente Estate Winery

    4.3(7 reviews)
    43.9 km

    If you think you know Mead - you gotta try this place. The…read moreowners are amazing and the offerings are amazing. You will truly love this stuff to compliment any collection you may have. Highly rated!

    We stumbled upon this place when the GPS took us on the wrong route to Chaberton Winery and lost…read moreour way. We decided to stop here when backtracking to Chaberton as it was on the way. Unfortunately the tasting of 6 different flavored mead made us a bit too woozy to go across to Township 7 vineyards for more wine tasting. Luckily there's a traveling tea shop on the lawn where we could sober up with some high tea food or sandwiches or charcuterie board. I never realized there are quite a fair bit of wineries in the Langley/Abbotsford area. You don't really need to go far to kelowna if you're short on time. We also saw horses out here. Too cute. And really a wonderful way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. This place specializes in mead. You can be a club member and there are special meads for members. They do a tasting for $10 which is waived with purchase of a bottle ($26). I love how the staff will tell a story or origins of the name for their different meads. Dry mead -- the original. I tend towards sweeter alcohol and I'm surprised I could drink this. Not overly sweet. It is light and crisp with a bit of bubbly (not fizzy) to me. Very refreshing. Ginger mead -- I like ginger but not in this mead. A bit herbal to me. Lavender mead -- it's the prettiest with the violet hue. It smells of lavender but the taste sticks for the longest time for me. Cranberry mead -- a light orange pink color. It's very tart. Vinum Regum -- 2 versions, we tried the reserved one which is aged for 90 days in oak barrel so it has a Smokey flavor like whiskey. It's really strong for me. Lvna (Luna) -- mulled mead which has winter spices like mulled wine. This is the sweetest. Very nice. They have other fruity flavors like pear. Lovely staff and definitely come here if you want some uncommon flavored mead.

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    Festina Lente Estate Winery
    Festina Lente Estate Winery
    Festina Lente Estate Winery - The tasting room

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    The tasting room

    Vanmak - wineries - Updated May 2026

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