I cannot say enough about KoKyu. I've been going here for years. My spider sense must have been tingling because I showed up today and they had inside seating back again! It is so pleasant inside and service was attentive and on point! And the food, as always, is so so good. Bright and bold flavors, always super fresh and quality. Omg the baht mi with the most soft and crusty bread, amazing homemade pickled veg, just the right amount of sweetness and spice. I die trying to eat the whole thing, this sandwich is huge. Ordered a side of seasoned fries that were crispy seasoned perfection, and the cabbage slaw style salad also so fresh and perfect. Right near Southport, don't you dare eat mall food when you come come here. read more

I stopped in today for lunch and to see the new dining room. The ceiling is high and the surfaces are hard. The music made it a little hard to engage with the staff who frequently came by to check on me. The food has always been great with really unique flavors and combinations. The menu is vast, maybe a little too big, but the execution is on point. My one note would be to recognize that the prices are a bit high, but worth it. read more

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The food is really really fresh and the combination of spices and food combinations are delightful. The service was a bit slow, but they explained what happened and reordered and rushed it to the table. It's a very clean facility and the outdoor seating looked inviting but it was too humid that day to sit outside. The staff were all very accommodating, and very attentive.. The portions of food are very generous. Like many restaurants, the acoustics weren't good, so I guess nothing is perfect. read more

This place is awesome! Food is awwwwwwmazing! The patio just rocks my socks and the staff here are super friendly! I highly recommend. Definitely sit on the patio you are surrounded by trees and their jams are hittin just right! read more

Delicious food and a great ambience. A unique Asian fusion that worked great and urban feel close to RTP. Highly recommended. Service is amazing in general but manager Jen's kindness made us feel right at home - now we're regulars! . read more

I had the Pork belly Baht Mi to go. The bread was fantastic and the veggies had the right amount of pickle. The meat was fairly portioned. The sandwich was delicious but far from a traditional Bahn Mi. This was more of a American fusion sandwich. Regardless, the flavors were delicious. The price was on the upper end for such a casual spot. Great place to hang with friends with lots of IPA cans to chose from. read more

Tasty Asian/American fusion place in Durham area. Portion size is amazing (a lot for your money), I definitely felt filled up after my burger and so did my family after their meals like the bowls. Beware: only outdoor seating available, if you have a party bigger than 4 you're going to have to steal chairs from surrounding tables and squeeze in. The service was kind and the wait wasn't bad (10-15 mins for food). Nice woodsy area and tables have a sturdy umbrella cover. There was one small harmless fly that pestered us, though! Overall: a little pricey but got good value for your money. I would definitely recommend the jalapeño burger for its juiciness and how filling it was. We also ate the fries fast! read more

KoKyu - Smoked Jalapeño Burger - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The food and service were great! There is no longer an indoor space to eat, so you have to either eat outdoors or take your food to go. The only problem with sitting outside is that cars pull up to take out food and they tend to leave their engines on while waiting. It would be great if Kokyu asked them to turn off their engines while waiting. With that being said, we'll be back soon because the tofu bibimbap and the steak fries were so tasty! read more

Tired this place for the first time and I am looking forward to returning! Friends and I ordered take out and I was very happy with my meal. I got the shrimp tacos which were very good and flavorful! I also had the chance to sample two different types of French fries and loved both! The thin mint milkshake was pure bliss!!! I sadly cant comment on the inside, as they walked out to the car, got our name and then brought our food to us. They seemed efficient and friendly! Keep up the good work and I am very much looking forward to exploring more menu items as i continue to wash it down with that thin mint milk shake! Thank you! read more

KoKyu - Pure heaven; Thin mint milkshake!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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A very interesting fusion restaurant with some unique flavor profiles. Currently there's only outdoor seating available, so you can eat at the tables outside or carry out. Service was a little slow moving but the food was very fresh. A little on the pricier side, but the food portions are filling! read more

KoKyu - Burnt end nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Service here is prompt and friendly. The food is good. I didn't realize, however, that this place focuses on takeout. They have metal tables outside if you want to stay to eat. You can not dine inside. Luckily, the weather was comfortable enough to dine outside the day we visited. Prices & food: For takeout, I find the prices a bit high. My asian style lunch bowl was $16.99. Other entrees were $20 or more. I found it was more expensive than a typical lunch place, but we enjoyed our choices. I ordered an Asian bowl of spicy chicken, rice, and snow peas. Simple but tasty. My date enjoyed his spicy chicken sandwich. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. I would recommend it if you don't mind a lack of ambiance because you will dine while watching the parking lot activity. That said, yummy, easy food and quick service. read more

Good food and super friendly service. This establishment only has outdoor seating and you can either order through the QR code at your table or through the waitress/hostess. Food came out very quickly and super fresh. We got the KO F.C (Korean fried chicken sandwich) and which had good flavor but lacked the Korean spiciness that I was expecting. The bread was yummy though being perfectly crispy. The Ko Jangles fries were crispy and good. And the fish tacos were a total win. Spicy yumminess jam packed with flavor and good texture. First time here and definitely not my last. Eagerly looking forward to trying out their other menu items. read more

Easy to order food via QR code. Outdoor seating and friendly service! The food is pretty tasty with a spin on traditional dishes. Great place to bring a date! read more

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Two questions: Is KoKyu in the top five best places to eat in Durham? Are birds real? This might be a hard worm for other restaurants to Swallow, but KoKyu does fast-casual Korean food egg-ceptionally well, and the answer to question one is a h-Owl-ing, resounding YES! Jury is still out on question 2. You will love KoKyu so much you might be singing like a Warbler about it to all your friends and Flock. I can guarantee you will go Cuckoo for their Furikake Steak Fries. Seaweed fries Dove-tailed with the spicy mayo is a no-brainer, silly Goose! When I brought my partner here for the first time, he was so happy to have Korean Fried Chicken and quality Bahn Mi. He loved the variety of sauces that went along with his meal. I'm pretty sure he would Swan-dive into a bucket of Gochujang sauce given the opportunity. I definitely agree that flavor and quality go hand in Talon at KoKyu! Long story short, KoKyu is worth the trip. Can't wait to fly back!! read more

KoKyu - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We felt like having something Asian for lunch so we checkout Yelp and thought KoKyu looked interesting. It's Asian fusion. What a great find. It was a casual place that probably does a good weekday business. We both had tacos. I had pork belly and my brother had fish (I believe it was Cod)! They were DELICIOUS!!! There was an expansive menu that looked enticing. We will definitely be back. Btw, our server was Anna who could not have been more attentive. It's right around the corner from Southpoint if you need a bite after shopping. read more

This was my first time at KoKyu as I always thought it was a vegetarian spot but boy was I wrong. This was one of the best chicken sandwiches I've had in the RDU area, and it was very fresh. Their unique take on hot honey , as well as the steak pepper fries are a must. I'm not a huge fan of coke slaw but it was the perfect pair with the chicken sandwich as all the flavors came together. KoKyu offers an extensive menu, with a highly trained and welcoming staff. Amazing atmosphere and even better food/service. read more

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Each component of my bahn mi was perfect. Bread: soft with crunchy exterior. Meat: sweet, savory, salty. Vegetables: fresh. The balance was perfect. The peanut sauce brought a creamy element. Though not entirely "traditional," this was the best bahn mi I've ever had! read more

LOVE this restaurant. The food is so good, with a cool vibe. I have taken so many people here! Try the crispy shrimp tacos and the burned end brisket nachos (spicy)! read more

Atmosphere: Kokyu is an outdoor dining/takeout restaurant serving unique Asian fusion dishes. Service: We ordered online and picked up our food relatively quickly. Everything was freshly made! Food: We tried their Honey Gochujang Chicken Sandwich, Crispy BBQ Shrimp, and Baht Mi. We were super impressed with all of them! The Honey Gochujang Chicken Sandwich was saucy and had a nice sweet glaze to it. The Crispy BBQ Shrimp was perfectly crispy and went well with the fresh vegetables. The Baht Mi was loaded with flavor and was quite filling. Overall: Kokyu was a great takeout date night spot. Though their prices were a bit steep, we enjoyed our food and would definitely come back to try more of their menu items! read more

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Kokyu is on of our favorite places to eat. Love that there are different specials and new options on the menu. Everything that we have eaten here has been amazing. The people that bring food out have always been so kind. read more

KoKyu serves yummy Korean and Vietnamese fusion rice bowls, tacos, and sandwiches! They only have take out or outdoor seating, which is very limited. We ordered: Burnt End Nachos ($18.50) - Beef brisket burnt ends with ghost cheese sauce and other nacho toppings! My friend's favorite dish here! Super loaded and generous portion Korean Fried Chicken Banh Mi ($14) - Very vibrant colors, but just meh :/ Chicken Banh Mi ($13.75) - Chicken was surprisingly juicy and tender! Didn't taste like an authentic banh mi but pretty good for a sandwich read more

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Great food. Service is excellent and the back patio is a great place to sit and eat.

KoKyu is conveniently located off the interstate on the outskirts of Durham. It's an order online food place which we didn't realize, but you can eat along the outside of the restaurant on patio furniture. This was my first time visiting their newer moved facility from its previous location. The service was nice and pleasant. I personally think it's a shame with what looks like a creative menu to not have an inside facility is a miss, especially in North Carolina's humid weather conditions. Lucky for us it was a mild day. I had the Bánh Mì sandwich and the kimchi potato salad. The bread on the Bánh Mì sandwich was tuff to chew through. Now, I understand the bread has to hold up to what's on the sandwich and juices. So I ate the ingredients inside the sandwich without the bread and it's was good. I also opted for no hot peppers, so I could taste it without a lot of heat interference. The kimchi potato salad was a hit it's very kimchi spicy like and with a funky potato mix. I would like to try some of the other dishes on the menu next time but it will be to go. My old review of this place was five stars. read more

KoKyu - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Firstly, I absolutely hate dining like this. I don't so much mind the online ordering, or the clunky social media, but the outdoor dining/seating is ROUGH....especially with the heat. This place is half ghost kitchen/takeout, but will absolutely be super accommodating if you order when you get there. Walked us through the process. 3 ice cold waters while we waited. Continued to check on us throughout the meal even though they were technically not our "servers". Thankfully sun was down when we got our food, but still not the most comfortable. This is a big menu and based on our experience tonight I wish we lived closer to be able to run through it little by little. I don't love the word "fusion" from a culinary standpoint, but there's so much going on here it's hard to avoid it. And if this is the next generation of "fusion" I guess I'll have to suck it up because it's AMAZING. Our slightly less adventurous eater (our daughter) got Mac and cheese (and we finished it). Restaurant mac and cheese is far from my favorite, but I would have eaten this off the ground. Little saucy. Kinda baked. Great texture. Really tasty. Wife and I split Crispy Shrimp Tacos, a Nước Chấm Banh Mi, and Szechuan Cashew Broccoli. Shrimp on the tacos were crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. Cabbage slaw and Thai basil added freshness and brightness. Cashews for the crunch. So good. I think there are a few places trying to pass off Banh Mi or other variations of Vietnamese sandwiches with sub par bread. No matter how great the sandwich could be, if you're not getting the bread right, it's just blah. This bread is PERFECT. Might be the best I've ever had and the boys and I over the years have had quite a few. The pork cutlet was thin, seasoned, crispy, and tender. Pretty much a perfect sandwich. The Szechuan broccoli was familiar yet completely new at the same time. I've had variations of this before but this is the best version we've ever had. We took ZERO pictures and ate every bite. I'm jealous of people that get to call this a local spot. If you're visiting, don't be discouraged by the non traditional setup and get to ordering. read more

Got this with my fam and we got the tofu lettuce wraps to share, and then a mix of rice bowls. Everything is fresh and BRIMMING with flavor. Absolute fire! read more

We left before we even ordered food. We were told we could only sit outside even though the weather wasn't suitable. As well as being told we had to download their app to order. She hinted that tipping was mandatory. Rude and unwelcoming. The seating was bad enough with dusty tables. Not a place for a nice dinner. read more

Went strictly for the watermelon juice and it was sooo good! Very refreshing and will have to come back to try the food. It looked and smelled just as good! read more

The baht mi and kim cheeseburger was delicious, but oh so filling! There are covered patio tables outside. It was chill. read more

KoKyu - Kim cheeseburger - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Kari kariBrussels sprouts ...wow! So good. The KOFC sandwich was ginormous! I took it to my husband to share because there was no way I could make a dent in it! The chicken lightly breaded was tender and tasty. The cabbage kimchi slaw on top, delish! Next time I'll probably order this without the bun. So the restaurant is being remodeled. Order ahead of time and sit outside or in your car. I was a little surprised I could not go in to place my order but James was right there to take my order. He gave great recommendations after I finally was able to wrangle my browser to the menu. So much to chose from. He also brought me ice water while I waited, which was not long! Lots of drama around how they manage the business but the food is special. Get some good food you don't have to cook and enjoy every moment! read more

Had a couple of the Korean bowls. Did not taste Korean. Small amount of protein. A good amount and variety of veggies. Would not recommend. The kids meal fried fish was tasty and enjoyed by my kiddos. read more

I was happy with the food at KoKyu. The OG - Original Grandmother crispy chicken sandwich was phenomenal as were the Burnt End Nachos. I highly recommend both, though watch out for the ghost cheese sauce that comes with the nachos. It was quite spicy, even for me (I love spicy food). This is a trendy Asian fusion restaurant and beer bar with a hip vibe. The dishes are creative, unique, and playful. I'm relatively new to the area so I wasn't familiar with KoKyu and its different brands such as Flip's Griddle-Burger and Na'Mean Sandwich Shop. They were described as pop-ups and "ghost kitchens" on KoKyu's online menu. It was a little confusing at first. One restaurant with one menu is good enough for me. I ordered takeout and thankfully, all the various brands' menus were consolidated into one. It appears KoKyu opened in this location, at Southpoint Professional Center, in 2019. It's in a small office park - not the kind of place you'd expect to find a restaurant - just off I-40 exit 276. I told my wife, who works for UNC Health, that this business is strategically located in between Duke Health Center South Durham and a bunch of health clinics / doctors' offices. This is a casual restaurant with a modern, hip space. Inside, space is limited. The walls are bright blue, there's loud graffiti, and a neat self-serve beer bar featuring digital displays. The storefront windows are big and the bathrooms are colorful. Outside on the sidewalk, there's lots of patio seating. The patio umbrellas are larger than average and there's nice evening lighting too. Here's what I ordered for my wife and me: Bites * Burnt End Nachos ($14.80) - beef brisket burnt ends, corn tortilla chips, aji verde salsa, pickled sweet chilies, and fresh scallions with sour cream and ghost cheese sauce on the side Rice Bowls * Beef Bulgogi Bowl ($15.75) - hand-cut and marinated picanha steak, "broc-choy," spicy daikon, quick pickles, "gochu-bap" sauce, roasted sesame. Ma'Dang Chicken Sandwiches (kimchi-brined crispy chicken sandwiches) * OG - Original Grandmother ($10.50) - kimchi'd daikon, bread & butter takuan pickles, soft & toasty bun, "BFD" sauce, lettuce Na'Mean Sandwich Shop * Pyongyang Hot Chicken ($13.50) - Korean fried chicken, gochujang mayonaisse, romaine, ssamjang, quick pickles, takuan, sesame seeds We definitely preferred the Burnt End Nachos and the OG - Original Grandmother chicken sandwich to the Beef Bulgogi Bowl and Pyongyang Hot Chicken sandwich. So, the taste of the items wasn't consistently great across the board; they were "just" OK/good to great. Portions sizes were generous across the board. They feed you well here. The "ghost cheese sauce" caught us by surprise because it's actually ghost *pepper* cheese sauce. Luckily, both of us enjoy spicy food. We had poured the entire container into our nachos before we realized it was made with ghost peppers. The heat wasn't unbearable, but we probably would've dialed it back had we known. The melted cheese is a mix of mozzarella and cheddar. As for the beef brisket burnt ends, wow - they didn't skimp. These were among the meatiest nachos I've ever had. It was more like, "Would you like some chips with your barbecue?" The brisket had a good balance of lean and fat. The chips were on the thinner side. All in all, these were scrumptious and extremely filling. The Beef Bulgogi Bowl was substantial, dense. The bowl was big and had some weight to it. It was bigger than your typical fast-casual restaurant rice/salad bowl, though priced at around $16, I can't say I was surprised. The bowl contained plenty of thick, relatively tender cuts of picanha. Picanha is the same thing as top sirloin cap or culotte. The veggie ingredients were fresh. While packed with flavor, my only gripe with the bowl was that it was too salty. Overall, not bad though. The OG - Original Grandmother chicken sandwich was outstanding. It was simply a superbly-made sandwich, from the huge, savory, crispy piece of chicken to the crisp and refreshing daikon and takuan pickles. The ingredient combination and proportions were just right and I found every bite to be really gratifying. One of the servers told me that the BFD sauce is a mayo-based special sauce akin to In-N-Out sauce. She said it's a mixture of all sorts of sauces -- ketchup, mustard, mayo, barbecue, teriyaki, etc. It's good. If I had to nitpick one thing about the OG, it's that the bottom bun didn't hold up well to the wetness of the ingredients. The Pyongyang Hot Chicken sandwich was our least favorite item for a couple reasons: (1) The chicken was a tad dry. (2) The gochujang mayo was too salty. Also, the roll was kind of hard and chewy. However, there was plenty of chicken. Ultimately, this was an OK sandwich at best and I probably wouldn't order it again. Service was excellent. My order was ready fast and on-time. The two servers I interacted with were polite and kind. Ordering and paying online was easy thanks to Toast. read more

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Second time here. Still good, friendly service. Got a chicken peach bowl, but wasn't as good as the first time here. Kinda dry and the whole dish just wasn't very flavorful for the price. read more

I've enjoyed several meals here and especially the chicky nuggets meal with the perfectly sweet, sweet potato fries. Just be warned you'll want a second order and you'll be tweeting about it. The tater tots made me cuckoo too! My family all hoots about this place and loves to enjoy the many flavors and dishes they have to offer. I love the tacos as well. The fish is mild and the pickled cabbage is just right. If you like a kick you can ask for a little extra sauce that will you surely get you chirping loudly. Owl you need to do is bring your love here and you'll be as happy as a quaking duck. If you enjoy eating outside there are several nice tables to choose from and the Birds Eye view is lovely. The staff here is polite and friendly. Flock on over and enjoy. read more

This was our first experience at Kokyu. We had been to another Korean BBQ place before so wanted to compare. At Kokyu, the staff were very friendly and helpful since we weren't sure about the online ordering protocol. We decided to eat outside since the indoor dining was small and a bit crowded at 12:30 PM for lunch. No one was outside so we had our choice of seats in the long mostly shady balcony facing the woods. It was hot but they had fans mounted to the side of the building that kept the air flowing. The building created the shade until 1 PM when the sun crested the roofline and it was quite hot. I thought that the native flowers in the planters was a bonus. Also note that the roar of I40 could be heard but it was not obtrusive. Our food was a bit of a disappointment though. The BBQ sauce on the meat could have been thicker and more flavorful. The bowl had a lot of rice with some veggies. There was a dark green wilted veggie that was quite sour. We had something similar at Bulkogi at Boxyard RTP and it was way better and a few dollars lower in price. This would be a nice place to eat when the weather is cooler. Perhaps we will come again and try a different dish. read more

I came back recently to try some other dishes, and was definitely more impressed this time around than my first visit. I ordered the Spicy Pork Bulgogi Bowl, which was bulgogi over rice with spinach, bean sprouts, kimchi, and their gochu-bap sauce (similar to gochujang). I enjoyed the spice level (very spicy), and the meat had great flavor. There was more spicy sauce on the side, which I just poured all over this bowl - it was good stuff. The kimchi was tasty, and I really didn't have any complaints about the bowl. My wife ordered the Galbi Beef Short Rib Bowl, which was slow cooked short rib galbi over rice with pickles, a fried egg, and their gochu-bap sauce. The meat this time was not dry (compared to the slow cooked short rib meat in the baht mi we tried last time), but I guess slow cooked galbi is still not my favorite way to enjoy galbi - I think I like the texture of grilled galbi better. The pickles were pickled well, and the flavors were all good, so overall it wasn't a bad bowl. I am definitely interested to try more from Kokyu in the future, and I may stick with the bowl options, since I feel like I get more bang for my buck with those over the sandwiches / burgers. Knowing it's best to order beforehand online, I was able to have a quick and easy pickup from the restaurant all the while staying in my car, so definitely A+ for service. read more

Are you kidding, you can't find a better burger and fries anywhere, the Korean slaw in the bowls is amazing, the service is great and food is prepared quickly, the fish and shrimp tacos are great too read more

This place is AMAZING! The brussel sprouts were crispy tangy savory and sweet. INSANELY good contrast of flavors and textures you must get these if you come here The short rib banh mi was also quite good but a little messy to eat because they pack it full! Next time I'll probably go for the nachos. The biggest downside about this place is there is no indoor seating and I'm not sure if they'd even let you in to use the bathroom. I'd recommend eating your food there if you can though because i imagine the quality takes a tip if you let the food sit. read more

KoKyu - Brussel sprouts and short rib banh mi - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

love me some kokyu! i've had the food twice now and it's just as good as it was the first time. BE CAREFUL, though... it's heavy. like "just had it for lunch on a work day and now i am full of regret because my workplace does not allow me to nap while at work" type of heavy. speaks to how tasty it is, though. this time around i tried the pork belly bowl. it's delicious! super fatty and flavorful, but also very rich. too rich, almost, but the portion is just right. the food here is on the pricey side, but it's unique enough that i'm not sure they have any competitors. like $16 or so for my bowl. i also tried a side of fries. they were ok, but nothing to write home about. read more

KoKyu - pork belly bowl. delicious. picture is gross but the taste is fatty and unctuous and heavenly. good stuff. like $16. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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If I could give more than five stars I would... This is one of the best meals I've ever had. The sandwich was so fresh! I can't wait to try the rest of the menu. The staff was so kind! One of the workers even brought us a free milkshake because we were celebrating our anniversary. So nice!!! I loved how creative they were with the food! Can't wait to go back! read more

KoKyu - Milkshake - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I came here about a month ago when I was staying in NC for the weekend. It was Friday night, me and my friends had been on the road for about five hours and we were pretty hungry. My friends suggested we stop at some fast food place for dinner, but being in a different state, I suggested we go to a local spot instead of getting something we can find anywhere. I ended up kind of regretting that decision, unfortunately. This place has no indoor seating, there are tables set up outside of the building, right by parking spaces, which I didn't mind too much, except for when cars pulled up and people were just sitting there waiting for their to go orders to come out. You order everything on your phone, which isn't too bad since it's not a huge menu, but I did wish there were more pictures of the dishes. I ordered the spicy pork bulgogi bowl, my friend ended up giving me most of his sweet potato fries and I got the Prairie Basic Rebecca imperial stout for a drink. My favorite part about the whole meal was the beer, it was a strong, dark, delicious stout. In all honesty, the beer made this place 3 stars instead of 2, and if I ever found myself in Durham again, I'd stop by here just for the beer. They have an impressive drink selection. The food was OK. I live in north Jersey where there are so many good asian restaurants and supermarkets, and bulgogi happens to be one of my favorite things when eating Korean food. Based on the overall rating this place has, I had high hopes for it, but it turned out to be pretty disappointing. I find all the food to be pretty bland. Good bulgogi is heavily marinated and comes out wonderfully full of flavor, but I just didn't get that here. The veggies were fresh, but also lacking in flavor, and the rice was just kind of dry. For a $17 rice bowl, I definitely expected more. Our server was nice and attentive though, which is always appreciated. It's possible that I just got the wrong dish, but my friends weren't thrilled with their food either. Especially for these prices, I think this place can do a lot better. read more

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