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    M Kokko

    4.3 (580 reviews)
    ModerateKorean, Asian Fusion
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order M Kokko Takeout or Delivery

    M Kokko Photos

    M KOKKO ATMOSPHERE

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    Ryan C.

    The food was really good! The menu is small but plenty of options still. The service was quick and on top of things. Never had to wait long for anything. I'd recommend. Just be aware that the restaurant is small so there might be a wait but everything else is speedy.

    Jia jiang mian
    Lauren K.

    I came for a weekday lunch with a group of 4 and had to wait for a table to open up as the space was small. We were also disappointed to learn they didn't have the biang biang noodles, as they came highly recommended. After that though, the meal was great! We started off with drinks - some of alcoholic and others not - all of which were refreshing. We also shared the pork buns, which had a delicious smoky flavor. Of the dishes I tried, I preferred the chicken sandwich to the jia jiang mian, but everyone was happy with their choices. By the way, don't get confused about the entrance. It shares a corner with m sushi and the doors are 90 degrees from each other.

    Menu
    Shanelle Y.

    I've wanted to come here for so long and I finally got the chance to come for dinner on a Tuesday evening. They do not take reservations, but my friend and I got there around 5:30 pm and we were seated right away. The restaraunt is quite small (less than 10 tables) so I imagine it must be hard to get a table on the weekends / during busy hours. The menu is displayed very artfully on the wall and while it is small, it includes a nice variety of meat and non-meat options. Even though there were only 8 menu options, almost all of them sounded good to me so I had a hard time deciding which to pick! I ended up ordering the jajang mieng and my friend got the Korean fried chicken with a side of rice. I hadn't tried Korean food before so I didn't have much to compare these meals to, but I loved the flavor of both dishes and found them uniquely delicious. Our waiter was also super kind and the food came out quickly. I already want to go back and try the other menu items that caught my eye!

    Ashlee J.

    This restaurant has to be one of the best ramen restaurants I've been to in the triangle. It only has about 10 tables in the entire place. When we walked in, we were told we could sit anywhere. And we were immediately greeted and walked through the menu. Now, it only has 8 things on the menu but with the items we tried, they do these items well. The server was patient and did a wonderful job of clearing out tables and pacing our meal. We started with the Perfect Snow sake, which was unfiltered and an acquired sip; unfiltered being that it still had rice particles in the sake. Good, slightly sweet, I'd definitely order it again. We ordered the Pork Buns to start and the char on the pork belly with the freshness of the shallots and cucumbers and the plushness of the bao bun. These were very enjoyable. The ramen we ordered with pork broth but no mushrooms or bamboo shoots due to a mushroom allergy at our table and it was a really good, deep broth. I adore that they give you the entire egg, instead of just half like, most ramen places. We couldn't finish it all and our server boxed it up to go, and packaged the noodles separately from the broth, to keep their integrity. I enjoyed this place and would return to try other items on their menu.

    Hainanese Chicken Rice
    Andrew J.

    This place was pretty solid! We very much enjoyed the ambience and the speediness of the food that arrived! We had to wait awhile since this restaurant has the space that is basically the equivalent to a walk-in closet in comparison to the space that M Sushi enclosed. We got the hainanese chicken rice, ramen, korean fried chicken, and yuzu semifreddo. Tldr: the hainanese chicken and yuzu semifreddo was great, the ramen was good, and the KFC was tepid and soggy by the time it got to us. KFC: this was a solid appetizer... if it had come about 10-15 minutes prior to when it did because it was a bit soggy and somewhat warm by the time it got to our table. I felt the flavor was solid and penetrated through the large pieces of meat Hainanese chicken rice: this was great! The flavor was very good with the chicken and the fried scallions. I feel like the cucumber could have bit cut to smaller pieces though since they were very large but maybe the point was to bite through them? Definitely recommend giving this dish a try. Ramen: solid bowl of ramen! had all the elements needed for ramen with solid amount of toppings. nothing to complain about. Yuzu Semifreddo: This was a great one! I didn't know what semifreddo before this but it was not as cold as ice cream and the creaminess was balanced with the citrus taste of the yuzu. The red sauce was definitely a bit offputting but the flavor was good. Recommend giving a try. Overall, recommend giving this place a try. Definitely worth trying at least once

    Jia Jiang Noodles
    Al W.

    Tried to go to M Sushi next door but the wait was too long (Saturday night and this guy forgot to make a reservation) so they suggested this sister restaurant. How lucky for us! The menu is TINY - only 8 items including appetizers. But everything was executed so perfectly that it didn't matter. We split the pork buns (2 per order) and they were probably the best pork Bao I've had anywhere. For the mains my daughter got the Biang Biang noodles (which were absolutely amazing - especially the wide noodles themselves) and I got the Jia Jiang noodles (extremely rich and not for the faint of heart - but brilliant nonetheless). The service was impeccable. A 2-person team who ran the small dining room well, keeping tea and water full, running and checking on food and never letting an empty plate sit for more than a minute. My only complaint is that with the tiny dining room I don't know if we will ever be able to get in again!

    Ramen
    Andrea A.

    My first M restaurant experience! I got the Ramen, which was pretty standard & hit the spot on a cold day- good portion size with a good number of toppings (pork chashu, black garlic oil, bamboo shoots, woodear mushroom, scallions, soft boiled egg). I think the broth's depth of flavor could be improved; the chashu wasn't the most tender I've ever had, but it was good. It may be the best ramen in Durham, but that's relative when you don't have a lot of great ramen around lol. Service was great, but they did seem short-staffed so it took a while for our food to come out. The doors to M Kokko & M Sushi are v easy to confuse, so don't be embarrassed if you go to the wrong one haha, happened to me as well. As a lot of people have mentioned, seating is very limited so would recommend coming close to opening, especially if you have a large party (they do not take reservations). Otherwise, the ambiance is good. There was a parking lot next to it, but not sure if it's paid (there are a lot of City of Durham garages nearby that are free on weekends or weekdays after 7pm). 7/10 would recommend, may be a bit overhyped but definitely try for yourself.

    Pork bao
    Allison D.

    If you're looking for a meal that'll make you wish you could eat the same thing every day, M Kokko is the place to be. We went with three people, and, as soon as the dishes hit the table, we were completely blown away. The menu is perfectly curated (thankfully, not overwhelming), and honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on it. We kicked things off with the Nashville hot chicken wings, which packed a punch but were perfectly crispy, followed by the pork belly bao--oh my--it was so tender and flavorful, it practically melted in your mouth. The beef noodles? Unfortunately, we got so caught up in devouring them, we forgot to take a picture, but let me just say they were divine. Tender beef, savory broth, and noodles that soaked up all the goodness--you can't leave without trying them. We washed it all down with some sake and a beer, but at this point, we were eating so fast and in such bliss that we were already planning our next trip before we even finished our meal. The service was also top-notch, which only made the experience that much better. If you're in Durham, you need to make M Kokko a priority. Trust me, it's worth every bite. We'll definitely be back.

    Jia Jiang Mian
    Erica P.

    The stars aligned and somehow on a Saturday night at 7pm, I was able to walk into M Kokko and be seated immediately! Fully intending on having to wait nearby and have a drink, I instead got to enjoy the Bamboo cocktail while surrounded by the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Obviously there were pork buns involved, but if you've had them before, then you know they were demolished before I even had the thought to snap a pic for you. Others have it handled, though. The chicken sandwich is the stuff of legends, but I decided to branch out and try the Jia Jiang Mian noodles, which were DIVINE. They were HOT (temperature, not spicy) and flavorful and gosh just so darn good. 10/10 would order again. All of the M restaurants are fabulous, but M Kokko will always have a special place in my heart (and my belly).

    Buns
    Jason W.

    Tiny tiny restaurant. They feature a curated selection of Asian dishes. The menu is online you can see the latest one by scanning the QR code in my review photo. I tried the jiajiang noodles and pork buns. Both were pretty good and solid representations of the cuisine.

    Ashley F.

    I stopped here for a quick lunch with my son. It was close to the nearing close time so we were able to get in no problem. I will note this restaurant is so small, not at all a good place for a toddler who likes to move around. It had a very simple ambiance, with wooden tables and just a chalk board. Despite the tight corners and my son acting running around, the server was still patient and kind with us. The food was really good, I ordered the chicken wings and they were delicious, they were flavorful and saucy and crispy. I ordered a noodles dish as well but did not have time to eat it. My husband ate it later and he said it was tasty. I would recommend this place for a quick lunch if you don't mind being in close quarters.

    Pork buns
    Christine W.

    This used to be my favorite ramen place in the triangle. I went back for the first time in years and was devastated to find the ramen less flavorful than how I remembered it being. We got the cha shiu pork, which wasn't marinated very well. There was a little bamboo, but not substantially enough to add flavor to the ramen. The pork buns we got at the start of the meal were wonderful, though! I'm just disappointed by the quality of ramen. Service was a little slow getting us seated and they didn't check in frequently. But my boyfriend requested some chili oil for his ramen (maybe found it too bland without), and they brought it over fast. I think I had such glowing praise for this place in the past, but I'm really disappointed this time around.

    Inside. M Kokko sign just inside entrance.
    Daniel B.

    I give M Kokko a solid four stars. My wife and I really enjoyed the food, drink, and service here. M Kokko's Korean fried chicken is the best we've had to date in the Triangle. It was exceptional. And it looked much better than the versions we saw pictures of on Yelp that were posted in 2021. So if it was good then, then it's probably even better now (2024). M Restaurants is our favorite restaurant group in the area. They've set a standard of excellence in Durham. The M stands for Michael as in the founder, owner, and chef, Michael Lee. His wife brushed the "M" logo that represents their brand. M Kokko opened on September 27, 2016 as a Korean fried chicken joint. It's next door to M Sushi, the best sushi restaurant in the Triangle (in my opinion). M Kokko and M Sushi are hidden on the back corner of a brick building in downtown Durham. There's a small city-owned-and-operated parking lot next to the restaurants (Lot 32), but it only has 10 spaces and is often full. Alternatively, you can park on the street or in the nearby Durham Centre Parking Garage at 300 W Morgan St. For all of these options, hourly rates are enforced Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. M Kokko is first come, first served. Unlike the other M Restaurants, M Kokko doesn't take reservations. There's a touchpad at the entrance where you can sign your party up for the waitlist. My wife and I got lucky and were seated right away around 5:30pm on a Saturday. We got the second-to-last two-top. When we arrived, the dining room and uncovered makeshift patio were almost completely full. The restaurant is very small and the space is simple. I counted exactly 22 seats inside. I didn't count the outside seats, but if I had to guess, maybe 8-10. The patio was string-lit. Inside, the tables were small and placed closely together. The vibe was casual and the place was bustling. The restrooms are shared between M Kokko and M Sushi. The main food menu was limited to eight dishes plus four desserts. Beverage-wise, they offered cocktails, sake, beer, and wine. M Kokko and M Sushi share alcohol. One of the cocktails we got here was the same as what we got at M Sushi. Here's what we had: Cocktails * Ginger Peach Mule ($17) - Tito's Handmade Vodka, ginger, peach, lime, Fever-Tree Ginger Beer * Blueberry Ginger Smash ($18) - 1792 Bourbon, rosemary, lime, simple syrup Food * KFC Wings ($17) - Garlic Soy * Ramen ($17) - pork chashu, black garlic oil, bamboo shoots, soft-boiled egg * Hainan Chicken ($17) - poached chicken, cucumber salad, chili, and soy sauce; Singapore's national dish * Biang Biang Noodle ($15) - smoked tofu, yu choy, cilantro, crispy shallots, pickled mustard, black vinegar, and chili oil Dessert * Coconut Sorbet ($11) - served in a coconut shell with "tropical fruit" The Ginger Peach Mule was excellent. That's the cocktail we had before at M Sushi, except it was $14 there about a year-and-a-half ago and $17 here. The price difference wasn't too surprising given recent high inflation. This is one of those sneaky strong drinks. It was cold and refreshing. The Blueberry Ginger Smash immediately reminded me of another cocktail I had at M Sushi and didn't like, the Purple Haze Hot Sake & Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur. While fundamentally different ingredient-wise, both cocktails reminded me of Dimetapp cough medicine. My wife liked the Blueberry Ginger Smash though, so it wasn't all bad. One of the dishes we wanted to try here was the Jia Jiang Mian (zhajiangmian), Chinese noodles with fermented black bean sauce. Unfortunately, they were out. Since we were one of the first seatings of the day, I think they had been out of Jia Jiang Mian for multiple days. That was disappointing. The KFC Wings were outstanding and I have to admit, better than I expected. This was among the best Korean fried chicken I've had anywhere, that I can recall, and this includes a lot of the tried-and-true Korean fried chicken chains. Everything about them was perfect. They got the extra crispy and crunchy texture just right. The wings were nice and meaty *and* juicy. Overall, the wings were incredibly flavorful and well balanced. If I had to nitpick, there could've been a bit more sauce. Along with the Garlic Soy flavor we got, other KFC flavors here included Spicy and Nashville Hot. The Ramen was solid. In Durham, we still prefer the ramen at Rose's because the noodle quality and texture was better there (from our experience). Also, M Kokko's ramen broth isn't the richest nor the most complex. That said, I do think it's tasty and worth ordering. The Hainan Chicken was yummy as well. This is a staple, straightforward, comforting rice and chicken dish and M Kokko did a fine job with it. My wife liked the Biang Biang Noodle more than the Ramen, but I thought the opposite. The noodles were wide, appetizing, and had nice texture. The Coconut Sorbet was light and delicious. Recommended. Service was fantastic. Kailey was our server. Everyone we interacted with was great.

    Biang Biang Noodles

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    Service very good. Minimal decor, super small and extremely overpriced. I would not return.

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    Ask the Community - M Kokko

    How do I make to go order?

    Online website!

    What are the gluten free options?

    Gluten free options?

    Yes

    Ate lunch/dinner menus and prices different?

    Same please!

    Can you make reservations?

    I'm sorry but Kokko is first come first serve please and no reservations

    View All 6 Questions

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    Juju - Crispy Brussels SproutsBrussels

    Juju

    (777 reviews)

    $$$

    Juju is the perfect spot for a night out. The ambiance is dark and moody, but perfect to enjoy all…read morethe various dishes that are amazing for sharing. It is hard to pick a favorite, I would easily eat all of these dishes again and again. We started with the sweet chili cucumbers, a great combination of sweet and a touch of spice and the crispy brussels sprouts, also on the sweeter side. For our main dishes we enjoyed the garlic ramen noodles and mongolian beef. The ramen had a beautiful presentation, that let's you choose your own combination in every bite. The beef is paired with fingerling potatoes and got rave reviews from the whole table.

    Food: 4 Service: 1…read moreWent in for lunch. Place not busy at all -- maybe 6 small tables of 2 or 3. Server interrupted...and interrupted...and interrupted. Friend ordered the Midnight Clove cocktail and I ordered a G&T with Conniption gin. Server returned to interrupt us and say they were "out of" the Midnight Clove cocktail. Friend ordered something else. Server returned to interrupt us and say they were out of Conniption gin-- which is made literally a mile and a half away. Another server interrupted our conversation to deliver something we hadn't ordered.... They just seemed surprised and completely unprepared to be in business. Food was great, though, especially the soup and the best tofu I've ever had. Bahn mi was served on soft bread a bit like ciabatta --I'd have preferred the more traditional crusty bread.

    M Kokko - korean - Updated May 2026

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