Pretty disappointed by KoKyu. I had high expectations because of the reviews and I heard good things, but I ordered the bulgogi bowl and felt like I had wasted my money. For one, the bowl is so expensive for no reason. There's barely any meat and 80% is either rice or side dishes, which are not hard or expensive to make. I couldn't even finish the bowl. I really don't think it's worth it, and I've had much better Korean fusion bowls at less expensive places. read more

Kokyu is our favorite pandemic take out spot! They haven't opened the indoor to seating so I am happy they are taking their Covid precautions seriously and supporting the safety of their staff. We order online and pickup and it's always ready when it should be (you get a text it's ready), and they are quick to bring it out, unlike other places. If you want to sit and eat, you can choose and outdoor table and mobile order giving the table number. A great compromise! But what about the food!? One thing I love is this location is a shared kitchen for their other businesses and so you can order off several menus. Our go-to is ko-faux bahn from Na'mean (light on the chili sauce) and we get a kokyu side of furikake steak fries. Y'all, I don't even like fries but these are delicious! I want to buy their seasoning straight up like people buy everything bagel seasoning. Wait, but really, I want it on avacado toast now. The fries travel pretty well for the trip home and are downright my favorite. I love the crisp, the cut, and omg that flavor. Seriously, what are you waiting for!? They are even open Sunday's now. read more

4 shops in 1! Love this concept. My bf and I decided we would start off with Kokyu itself and then next time we come we will order from the other places. First off the Furikake Steak Fries are IT. If you order nothing else, GET THESE FRIES. I love a good crispy fry and these were that and seasoned amazingly. They were good alone, but it did come with a dip. My Dojo Steak Tacos were delicious and flavorful. The crispy rice inside was a great texture to add to the taco. My bf ordered the Burnt End brisket Nachos and was in heaven. Giant chunks of meat that were really tasty. The best part however: The Ghost Pepper Queso. We dipped everything in it. My tacos, the furikake fries, everything lol. Our server was Adam and he gave such great service. We will be coming back very soon to try the other places. read more

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As a long time fan of the OG KoKyu when I heard they opened up a new spot I had to go. The location is a bit random, but parking and space isn't an issue. The menu is completely different from the other location, but you will not be disappointed. We got the following items: Duck Fat Tots (3/5)- Great appetizer, but execution could use improvement. The sage was just dumped in the tray, and the sauce could use some revision. General Ko Bowl (5/5)- Generous portions of juicy chicken served on a bed of rice topped with sesame and green onions. BOWLS ARE BOGO ON MONDAYS AFTER 4PM. Short Rib Quesadilla (3/5) - Overall good, but I felt the portion was small given the price ($13). I also felt that this was rather spicy and that the sauce should be served on the side vs on top. Calamari Tacos (4/5)- This was extremely good! The sauce was delectable and the portion was just right. However, they killed the dish with the amount of peppers. Burnt Ends Nachos (5/5)- When I saw this item approaching our table I said "are you serious?!?" due to the sheer size. This dish looks so good you don't even want to touch it, its a legit work of art. Piled high, with tons on guac, meat and cheese this is the best time we ordered. Again, they could've tamed the spice by not adding the ghost peppers all over, but that's a lesson learned for next time. All in all, this is a great spot especially for lunch. They also have BOGO bowls on Monday's after 4 pm. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is due to the amount of spice in all of the items we got. read more

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KoKyu is always good-see my review from earlier. Today was particularly good-taco special are Cajun grilled shrimp tacos, which they let me sub the Cajun shrimp for crispy shrimp on the Thai Chop chop salad. They are extremely accommodating with special request for my Keto diet. Excellent as always. read more

Always great to! I got the Belly Banh and it was amazing as usual! The bread was soft and chewy, the veggies were fresh and the pork belly was tender and cooked to perfection Great spot! read more

The place had so much hype and unfortunately I was left disappointed. It is overpriced and overrated. The food was sub par and seasoned in not the right way. There was absolutely no service. You order, they bring the food out in a paper bag and don't even bother to ask how you are doing, bring you silverware or anything. Very disappointing. They do not have any indoor seating and no service. The food is not one to spend your money on. read more

So exciting to have a new KoKyu location to try! If you like beer grab a bracelet and try the wall of beer that you can pour yourself. We also tried the home-bucha. We split the brisket rice bowl, corn, duckfat tots and fish tacos for food and everything tasted great. I also want to comment on the service because it was fantastic! read more

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They are only doing outdoor seating right now. Menu is on your phone using a QR code specific to your table. Payment using Toast. Meal brought in disposable containers in a brown bag. Parking spaces by the front door are reserved for patrons picking up carry out orders which are quickly delivered to their cars. Friendly staff are masked and distancing as much s possible while providing excellent service. And the food is absolutely delicious. My husband got a chicken bowl, I had shrimp tacos and we shared a salad. Everything had something extra in flavors. There was NOTHING left over. Portions are generous but not ridiculous. The wine list is good with prices very reasonable. The beer choices are extensive. Location is very easy to get to, off and back on I-40. read more

Only the outdoor is open and with no notification on the website. The first picture is of indoor seating-it's misleading. If you want to only sit outside on 85+ degree weather this is it. Basically still a food truck with a brick and mortar front. I wish I had seen the correspondences in the reviews with the owner sooner. We would have never drove over. Wow. We've orders take out from here when it was on 55. But that was the distance past. Never again. read more

First this place is outdoor seating only or takeout. I ordered the galbi beef short rib bowl. I loved the pickles but I felt there was far too much short rib to rice and veggies. The short rib was well cooked and tender but it felt almost overworked and I didn't feel had enough Korean spice. The menu also has many vegetarian options which my friends tried. They enjoyed the vegan tacos and loved the tofu lettuce wraps which were fresh and plentiful. I went back for the peanut sauce fried chicken special. I enjoyed this lunch significantly more than my original meal. The flavors were well balanced and the umami of the peanut butter paired with the spicier sauce. Overall I'd want more veggies in a bowl like this but thought the portion was very generous and enjoyed the flavors read more

Honestly all of the food I've had here (and whatever these conjoining restaurants are) has been delicious, but soooo expensive for what you get. If the prices made more sense I could eat here multiple times a week. Instead, it's more like once every couple of months. 16 bucks for two tacos? 15 bucks for a side of chips and corn dip? 8 bucks for a side of fries? 18+ bucks for a burger? $17.50 for nachos? $16.25 for a chicken sandwich? A chicken sandwich, a side of fries, and a drink runs you over $30 (as long as you tip). Again, the food is very tasty and worth trying every once in awhile, but it seems to me the prices could be quite a bit lower and people would dine far more often. The spicy chicken sandwich is good, but not 5 times the price of chick-fil-a good. The burgers here are more expensive than any $$$ or $$$$ actual sit-down restaurant I've been to in the area, and at least those places actually serve a side with the burger, not to mention wine and bread; it doesn't make sense. Edit: The owner has been messaging me for like three hours complaining about grubhub. I originally left 3-stars, changed to to 4 because at first he was nice, but this is ridiculous. He's annoyingly persistent but keeps offering me free food. It's almost like he's in the business of giving away money to strongarm me into doing business with him by annoying me (his literal complaint about grubhub) Edit 2: Now he has started messaging me from a second account to circumvent the block I placed on his first account. What professionalism. read more

I am so glad that the duck fat tots are back in my life. When I moved to Durham 10 years ago, the Kokyu truck was a staple on Rigsbee and I loved getting their sliders and tots. Then they disappeared to focus on other ventures-- but now they are BACK with an expanded menu! The old favorites are all there but now there are also things like lettuce wraps AND you there are several taps to choose from! The ambiance is also really great and we had no wait for lunch on a weekend. My only complaint is that they are located in South Durham (in a nondescript strip mall). I wish they were closer to downtown Durham so I could go more often! read more

Absolutely incredible unique food here. This flavor is definitely something to travel for

NEW Durham Restaurant Alert! KoKyu ************* You may be familiar with the food truck but they now have a location that is not to far from The Streets of Southpoint Mall. I attended the soft opening and enjoyed a sampling of their food and beverage offerings(they have a self -serve beer wall y'all + cider + wine on tap, kombucha and rootbeer). Some oldie but goodies from their food truck are on the menu (like their duckfat tator tots) + duck and short rib quesidillas, fish tacos, fried rice balls, chicken and brisket sliders. There were alsp vegan items like the buffalo not chicken sliders. There were so many yummy bites from KoKyu that I tried this weekend that I can not wait to go back. ------- Located: 245 E. NC Hwy. 54, Suite 105, Durham, NC 27713 ... in a professional center , free parking read more

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I was not a big fan of fusion dishes before I had a meal here, and it was really amazing for me. I had the calamari taco and their special tomato sandwich. That was the best quality tomato sandwich I've ever had and I am happy that I tried their food. The calamari taco was innovative in that they put mangos in there and it mixed very well. It doesn't have an in-door seat for some reason, so you have to sit outside. It's ok when it's not too hot or sunny, but still quite annoying if you don't want to get sun burnt, and the wind is constantly blowing hard. Overall very good experience and you should try it when you visit South Point. read more

This is an offshoot of the original KoKyu'Namean which I'm dying to try. I went with a co-worker for lunch today and I was pleasantly surprised. This place was beautiful....ambience second to none. Light, airy, spacious, so much sunlight from all the windows and gorgeous plants and trees throughout. I'd come back just for the oasis feel. Their food, while menu options were somewhat limited m, were phenomenal. Very tasty, high-quality, fresh ingredients and well-crafted combinations. Korean-Fusion I'd call it. I ordered the duck fat tater tots which were smothered with cheese, and pickled veggies. Delicious combo!!! I also had the fish tacos which were PERFECTLY crisp. I haven't had a battered fish taco that crispy and tasty in awhile. On point! My friend is vegetarian and she ordered the buffalo "chicken" sliders which were soy-based and a kaesar salad. She loved the sliders. We weren't sure why it was a kaesar (assuming it was supposed to be made with kale?). It was topped with shrimp chips so she wasn't thrilled about that even though a server said she doubted their were made with real shrimp flavoring. If you like shrimp chips, this salsas is for you! I'd love to come back again and see if their menu rotates and, of course, still trying to make my way to their parent restaurant. Great job for only being open a couple months! Keep up the great work and tasty menu! read more

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My husband and I went around 7pm on a Thursday and it was hoppin! I don't think there was a single table open! The location is tricky because there are no other restaurants near it but it's convenient from our house with great parking. I decided to order the bulgogi bowl which was good but PRICEY! it is crazy to me that it cost $17 to have bulgogi with a fried egg. To me, a $17 meal should be sit down with table service. I felt the ingredients were high quality and it was very filling...I just couldn't get over the steep price. read more

Kokyu rose to fame in 2019 when it was featured on the popular Network animated bird courtroom procedural series Owl Be The Judge of That. In the episode (season 3, episode 6: "Hoot-dunit"), two myna birds have been arrested by Officer Dwayne J. Kookaburris for allegedly breaking into Kokyu and eating calamari tacos, karikari brussels sprouts, and Thai chop chop salad. The birds maintain their innocence, claiming that their digestive tracts could in no way break down Kokyu's delectable treats like furikake steak fries, caramelized kimchi nachos, or even the veggie bibimbap. The mynas say they were merely hiding out in Kokyu's dumpster to avoid a hungry turkey vulture swooping in for a mouth-watering Kokyu smoked jalapeno burger. Long story short, after a lot of gavel banging and convoluted courtroom speeches (e.g. "Your honor, stealing is a CARDINAL sin and we ain't no common JAILBIRDS!"), we're treated to a cameo appearance by Metabirds owner Lark Zuckerbird as a surprise witness. He's used his data team to hack into all of Durham's external security cameras to prove that it was in fact the turkey vulture who broke into Kokyu while the mynas were simply eating Pigeon McNuggets from a fast food chain down the street. Zuckerbird announces he loves Kokyu so much, he's moving the Metabirds headquarters to Durham. Chief Justice Screechy McGiblets flaps his wings and hoots that the mynas can go free, then treats the whole courtroom to toasted almond horchata from Kokyu. All in all, kind of a meh episode I gave 5/10 stars on IMDb (Identifying Mynas and Dodo birds). But more importantly, it introduced a larger audience to the glory of Kokyu, the one restaurant whose variety, vibe, and consistency are so stellar that it has nearly bankrupted me and put my children's college funds in peril. (Next up, a review of Kokyu owner David "Flip" Filippini's new Owl Be The Judge of That aftershow series Flip'n the Bird) read more

The food and service here are great, but not worth the price. We ordered the pork belly rice bowl, honey gochujang chicken sandwich, Turkey Rochelle sandwich, crispy chicken nachos, brussel sprouts, and horchata. Everything was delicious, but for about $100, I just can't say it's worth it. I'd personally rather spend $100 on high quality sushi than innovative Asian fusion. read more

Glad to see the KoKyu food truck having a true physical location. II was underwhelmed by Na'Mean -- KoKyu's other location so it was so nice to see KoKyu opening up a new location that featured the more traditional menu of the KoKyu food truck. It was nice to see all of the KoKyu food truck menu staples I was missing. The sliders, the pork bell, the duck fat tots. They were all there with some new menu additions too. It's also nice having a nice new food destination in South Durham, near South Point. The new KoKyu location features a wide variety of menu items but comes down to a selection of bowls and sandwiches. My wife and I were eagerly looking forward to experiencing something that reminded us of the old KoKyu menu but also something new. We both went with the slider meal combo. I got the lobster roll sliders with duck fat tots. It was a sizable portion of lobster on two sliders. It was KoKyu's take on the lobster roll and it was so delicious. Paired with tots and spicy mayo it was nearly a perfect Saturday afternoon lunch. My wife got the sparerib sliders. The kind of sparerib meat that was slow-cooked and fell off the bone. She really enjoyed them and I really liked them too. In fact I might get those next time. There was also a pork belly bowl and Korean chicken sandwich which I came very close to ordering. It's also a good sign when there's too many menu choices at a place instead of not enough. This location features one of those walls of beers that you can get a wrist band for and pour yourself. I really loved this location's menu and it was nice to see all my favorite menu items return. The service was friendly and quick and the location is very easy to get in and out of. I cant wait to go here and try other menu items. Highly recommended. read more

Have been wanting to try KoKyu for some time but slightly disappointed the indoor dining is still closed. Decided to try take-out and it was well done! Ordered online and it was ready in the time that was anticipated. I had the Burnt End Nachos with Ghost Pepper Queso and it was to die for! I am gluten-free and had no issues. The portion was huge and so yummy. I totally recommend. My friend had a bowl and really liked it as well. Will be back! read more

First time here and loved loved loved the short rib taco. Smoked, tender, DElicious slices of heaven...with a mix of veggies/slaw and sauce. Husband had the Kung Pao tacos---super spicy. The tater tots were perfectly crisped, with a fun dipping sauce. Stephanie was absolutely friendly and on point with her recommendations. read more

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KoKyu Almost "accidentally" found this place on Apple maps. I've driven by the area so many times and passed by it. It really is a neat place- though if you aren't careful, you can drive by the entrance of the area and will have to take a u-turn. Based on an employee's recommendation, I got the pork belly rice bowl and added kimchee. Ambiance: 5/5 Coming inside, I was surprised by the decor for this Asian fusion. It has almost like a hipster brewery kind of feel with many self-serve beer and drink options. They also had a great soundtrack playing in the background. Service: 4.5/5 Service was helpful. You have to order up front and the employee was very helpful in his recommendations. In addition, the food came out quickly. Food: 4/5 The food came in a very generous portion. The bowl was bigger than I thought. I was only able to finish maybe 2/3 of the bowl before getting full. Another thing that automatically stood out was the baked or grilled broccoli- that surprised me because I didn't expect that to come with an Asian style pork belly bowl but the flavors actually worked quite well with the Asian fusion pork belly. The pork belly itself was delicious- perfectly cook. Overall, it felt like the bowl was missing something to tie it all together- maybe a sauce the brings all the ingredients together. read more

KoKyu - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Wow, this place is amazing. The staff, decor, drinks are all great. The food is next level, they have a good range to choose from and everything I had was perfect. The kimchi, steak, and fish tacos all taste great and I'm looking forward to working my way through the rest of their menu. The self serve beer system is great as you get to try smaller pours of the stronger beers and move onto the lighter beers when you're ready. Oh, the umbrellas outside are huge and there is so much parking that you'll never have trouble. This place is a real gem. read more

KoKyu - Fish takos, duck fat tater tots, and bulgogi. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food was great! Nice portions. No inside seating but nice outdoor tables. Pet friendly.

Food was amazing, and I would love to give this place 5 stars but they don't have any indoor seating and that is slightly aggravating. Like how did you not plan for that and what will people do in the winter when it's cold? Do the food truck thing if you don't want to actually be a restaurant. read more

Very good offerings but at this point over priced. Good beer selection. Great location. The last i ordered i has 3 general items no drinks and it was about $50 read more

After trying their sister restaurant (KoKyu Namean) a while ago and liking it, we stopped in to this new restaurant for lunch on Labor Day. Instead of focusing on banh mi sandwiches this one seems to focus on bowls. We heard the duck-fat tater tots were the bomb and ordered some of those in addition to a veggie bowl and a brisket bowl. The tots were okay, not incredi-maze-tastic like some people make it sound. We did enjoy the bowls, the casual setting and the friendly service. Would definitely go back and try out other menu options. read more

KoKyu - Duck fat tater tots and brisket bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Here is where you can find the TRULY spicy, the lingering kind of heat that makes you have to take a break between bites. The food is fresh and rich in flavor, we enjoyed everything we ordered. We started with the Baht Mi, a Korean short rib sandwich on really good bread which boasted a lot of fresh veggies, along with some mint, sriracha butter and chopped peanuts. Really good, though the meat was a bit tough here and there. We paired that with the togarashi slaw which was complimentary to the main dish but in itself, bland. Next we tried the Cashville Hot: very hot indeed, and very greasy! The bottom of the bun was soaked, which was the only downfall. Still a really tasty sandwich though, and still knocks any other Nashville hot chicken sandwich I've had out of the park. Finally, the tiramisu. The variety of their menu still slightly puzzles me but I enjoy it nonetheless. I'm happy to say the tiramisu did not disappoint. Overall, I'm already looking forward to trying something new here but I honestly wouldn't go back solely for anything we had today. read more

Always so yummy! Easy pickup or outdoor seating. Service folks are always so friendly and helpful. Every time I visit I try something different and I've never been disappointed. Big fan of all of the different fries (bring friends with you so you can get all of them and share ) and the frozen horchata. All of the entrees are fantastic. read more

My husband and I frequent kokyu often. Their service is fast and the food is tasty! My favorite is the veggie bahn mi which is spicy, filling, and delicious. read more

the bread was so yum- unsure how i felt about the chicken. the ambiance is okay, pretty casual.

The food was okay. It was not amazing but it was decent enough. The chicken wasn't particularly dry but there was no specific flavor, especially in the bowl. read more

KoKyu - Ma'Dang Chicken Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I can appreciate the variety of flavors you get at Kokyu. I was so surprised the calamari tacos had cantelope on top. It added a sweet freshness I wasn't expecting. The Chaat wings were sweet with a bit of spicy. The short rib sammiches (yes I said sammiches) melted with tenderness. I know everyone was talking about the duck fat tots but honestly I was wondering what the hype was about. I'd like to see what kind of desserts they'd create. read more

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This place is... DELICIOUS. I went here two nights in a row. The first night I had chicken and shrimp tacos. I will say that I typically don't order shrimp because I don't really like it. However, after having these shrimps tacos, I have a whole new outlook on the food! The ordering and pickup was a breeze and very COVID appropriate. The second night I order more tacos. Once I got home I realized that the incorrect order was given to me. I called them to let them know so they didn't confuse my order with another's but told them I'm fine with keeping it. The graciously and voluntarily refunded me. That is quality customer service. I will say that the food I ended up with was delightful as well. I can't wait to go again and continue to support their business and try new items! read more

Great food and service. The burnt end nachos are delicious with the cheese sauce on the side. Also, good spot for those that need to eat gluten free. Their staff made sure everything we ordered was safe to consume as my wife has celiac disease. All around good spot. read more

We are so incredibly grateful for KoKyu. We enjoyed the original food truck back in the day, so we were very excited when they opened up this location, which is walking distance from our house. They have excellent COVID protocols in place and are one of the few places we feel comfortable getting takeout from. We order from them as often as we can because we desperately want them to be around post-pandemic! Believe me when I say ANYTHING you can order here is delicious. Anything. Fish and shrimp tacos, short rib bowl, burnt end nachos, garam masala sweet potato fries, Thai salad - everything is flavorful and fantastic. You can't go wrong! read more

Service was amazing (but it was outdoor only) and the sweet guy even brought out dog bowls and water for my dogs. The ambiance was typical outside eating. The pork belly banh mi was the best food I've ever eaten in my life. I would fly out just to eat it again. HIGHLY recommend!!!!! read more

Somewhat hidden gem in SODU near Southpoint Mall. Many of y'all may live close by and not know it's here. First I will say they are doing a great job of curbside pickup - they will spot your car and come out to meet you. Some of our favorites are: Beef Bulgogi Baht Mi Furikake steak fries Burnt end nachos We like spicy and this hits the spot. read more