Food was okay, but overpriced. The service was terrible. The only menu is what you see on the wall, which is inconvenient from more than half the seats in the place. I came here on a weekend night when it wasn't busy but spent half the night waiting on the server. That is after a 20 minute wait of sitting outside in a gravel alleyway when half of the tables weren't occupied. The server brought the wrong food out to the table next to me, forgot half their order, didnt bring them silverware - which happened to me as well - and had to be tracked down in order to get the bill. The KFC was decent but not authentic and a small portion size. I found it odd that it was served with collars greens. That's a new version of fusion I've never seen before, but they were good. Their most popular "bowl" dish had a small serving size and didn't look like anything special. The pork buns were incredibly tiny and not worth the price read more

Best Ramen that we had in Durham. The flavor was outstanding. The broth was rich and there was a decent amount of pork belly in the ramen. KFC wings were fabulous!! The only negatives was that the noodles in the ramen could have been cooked a little longer and the eggs in the ramen could have been warmer. Will definitely visit again to try the other dishes. read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We got the ramen & a cocktail. I was dissatisfied with both, considering the price. Very mediocre & there's definitely better places to get ramen around the triangle. read more

Not really crazy about this place, the ramen is ok and same with the chicken wings.. read more

M Kokko - Garlic wings and Ramen - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

One of the best ramens i've had. Great service. Would recommend getting there early as seats do get full.

Gave me a lower priced wrong order when I got a takeout order... but was given a refund and apology immediately when I called back. It was good customer service and at least whatever that I received tasted decent. read more

Food here is 5 stars, most people rave about the ramen but the jjiajangmen is the money. It's a popular traditional Chinese dish that most American restaurants have never even heard of, so awesome to see it re-interpreted and reborn here. That dish alone will keep me coming back many times. Without knocking off a star (because the food is that good), here are some negatives - it's so hard to get a seat, forget having a big dinner party, and our waiter who was running 8 tables alone forgot one of our orders. It just makes it harder for me to throw money at this place, when that's all I really wanna do. read more

Step aside, Dashi. Get your ramen fix at M Kokko, I beg you! If you are not familiar with M Restaurants, they are a collection by chef Michael Lee. He has a big vision for the Durham food scene, and BOY is it ever a delightfully tasty vision! He has 5 other restaurants in the works and I can not wait. M Kokko is a cozy-casual space featuring Korean and Japanese cuisines. There's really no frills here, but c'mon. You are here for the food y'all! You will probably notice that the menu is never quite the same, as they are constantly experimenting with new flavors and techniques. That being said, there are a few staple items. The house-specialty is their "KFC" wings - as in, Korean fried chicken wings. If you've never tried it before, I highly recommend doing so promptly! My personal favorite, however, is the ramen (insert heart eyes emoji here). This creamy, deeply rich and multi-dimensional broth is EVERYTHING. Really. The pork belly melts in your mouth and is full of flavor. The soft boiled egg is surprisingly sweet and undoubtedly what I most look forward to slurping up. Another go-to is the fried chicken sandwich with sweet pickles and garlic aioli. The buttermilk fried chicken breast is as big as your face, but do not be intimidated. You can devour that thing in no time, I assure you. For $9 and a side arugula salad, this choice is a no-brainer. Honestly, I'd go to M Kokko every day if only there were more seats readily available. This restaurant operates first come, first serve and they do not take reservations or provide an estimated wait time. Your entire party must be present within 10 minutes of notification from the hostess to be seated. Because the space is so small, it is challenging to accommodate a group larger than 5. Good news, M Sushi is right next door where you can grab a nice glass of wine and wait while watching the sushi chefs do their magic. I have never been disappointed at M Kokko, and I'd say confidently whatever the wait is that it is well worth it. Heads up that M Kokko is closed Sunday and Monday. read more

We had heard many great things about M Kokko and M Sushi (right next door). We tried M Kokko for late dinner and had a short wait of about 5 minutes. The restaurant indeed is small, which matches its short menu on the wall. I thought the Korean fried chicken wings were delicious! The skin was crispy like it should be and the soy garlic sauce was a great choice (you can also get the spicy gochujang sauce on the side to get a taste of both) with the wings. Basically loved these! The accompanying radish was nice and refreshing, but the cooked down kale was a little too salty. Hopefully, it was just that batch. Having eaten some really great ramen on the west coast and in Japan before, we thought the ramen was only okay. It is chicken broth ramen, which is important to note! My boyfriend didn't read, of course, and expected a pork based broth... so I can understand the disappointment there. The pork chashu meat and other toppings were pretty generous. Even though the cilantro addition was pretty nice in this bowl, cilantro in ramen felt a little abnormal. I guess it's fusion though, right? For the portions, I do think that most items on the menu could come down $1 (especially for a $9 or so banh mi). read more

This is definitely in my top 5 restaurants I've ever eaten at. I've technically only ordered the biang biang noodles from here, but I've also had the curry udon noodles from M Sushi, which I'm assuming is the same since they share a kitchen. M Kokko is a tiny place with maybe about 10 tables and no reservations, so you gotta shoot to get there when they open, or don't show up hungry and go grab drinks elsewhere until you get the text that your table is ready! The menu is written on a giant chalkboard on the wall, which is so cute and makes it pretty fun to look at the drawings. They have updated it a few times but have kept the two vegan menu items the same, I don't expect them to change those anytime soon. The noodles taste so fresh and delicious and I love the flavors. You get a huge huge bowl and although it's a very large serving, I can totally finish it off in one meal. The prices are also super reasonable for such large portions of great food. I always crave coming here, but like to keep it as a special treat for every once in while. read more

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Amazing!! Me and My Hubby went on a Friday night on the town and the food was amazing and a great atmosphere. Wish there was a larger space but I feel it may take away from the ambiance and nostalgia. We got the Jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), Spicy Ramen and of course their famous KFC Wings! Try this place if you haven't already ! Good Food! read more

M Kokko - jajangmyeon - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Amazing noodles and WINGS (perfectly crispy and sauced)! Be prepared to wait for a table (no reservations) but they will call you when they're ready. read more

M Kokko - Biang Biang Noodles - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Really cool "hole-in-the-wall." It may seat about 20 or so people. The menu is written in chalk on the main wall! I ordered Bibimbap- basically chicken and vegetables. I had arugula instead of rice to minimize the carbs. From the ambience to the food to the service, I would definitely give this restaurant a try! For me, I'll definitely come back next time I'm in Durham! read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great curry udon and biang biang noodles!!! Excellent service. Will def come back and try everything on menu. read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

M Kokko is my jam bom, it like hits your lips and slides down your slippery gullet and makes your stomach people happy. MMMMMMMMM M Kokko is gooooooooooooooo read more

Updated from 5 to 3 stars 1/21. Just went and they had changed their ramen recipe. And raised the price. I paid the increase before the recipie change no problem. Their new automated system also never texted us our table was ready but they made that right. The problem: they changed the ramen recipe. Substantially. Now it's just a place with a few interesting dishes that's too hard to get into to be worth it. On the bright side, the new recipie is so middle of the road it killed my ramen cravings. Hey there, *coy smile* remember me? You might not, but we've spent a lot of time together. I have been known to slip away, driving from Knightdale to have you all to myself. It's pretty serious. I only ever get one thing, and while your menu is deceptively simple, this dish is as complex as your skill. You know it, I know it, let's say it together.....Ramen. Spicy pls. I would say it's hard to put into words how I feel about you but shucks, that's clearly not true. Shall I compare thee to a summers eve... something I want badly but when I get it makes me sweat and need a nap but I want it over and over? I have tried to recreate your ramen at home and days later, $120 lighter, I'll leave it to you. I have tried other ramen bowls, shameful, I know, but they don't compare. The cloudiness of the broth, the grain of the miso, the noodles (handmade me thinks?), the ramen egg, pork belly, mushrooms and bamboo shoots are sublime together. Meant to be, like the next time I go to town on a ramen bowl. Till then read more

Cannot wait to get back here. Decent price and oooooh so good . Staff very informative and nice. It's small but don't care it's simple and to the point. All about the food!! Everything I've tried so far is outstanding! Hidden gem! read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I understand the rules that no waiting area and all people need to be there in order to get seated. But today we came with one of my friend broke her ankle. The restaurant has plenty of seats and the usher insists us to go outside to wait for our other friend who was parking and actually came literally 2 minutes later. The usher showed no mercy nor humanity at all to watch my friend walked in and out limped. The restaurant is almost empty and they just can't let her sit first. What a shame. read more

Small hole in the wall with big flavor! They call their menus experimental and this experiment has gone horribly RIGHT! Great pork buns, ramen, and wings. Definitely a hidden gem in Durham. Keep concocting the good stuff! read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Best ramen I've had in North America! Get the spicy ramen; can't go wrong! Be ready for long waits right after opening time. You can wait at M sushi and have a drink while waiting and they'll even bring it to kokko if you've already got the table ready text after ordering the drink. read more

Among the best ramen I've ever tasted minus the added cat fish but I should note that I'm not a big fish/seafood person. 5 stars because the food was bomb and the service was decent. read more

M Kokko is one of the better ramen places in Durham. The food and service are equally good! Although the menu isn't elaborate, and the space is small, each item is well-made, and the quality has always been consistent. If you're craving ramen in Durham, this is the place to come! In terms of ramen, they have both an original and a spicy option. For $13 you get to enjoy a good-sized bowl of fresh ramen topped with charsiu, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, and a oh-so-gooey marinated egg. I have always gone for the original broth because I can always add spice to it. If you're a spicy ramen person, by all means order the spicy one, because it is more flavorful :) Apart from the ramen, they also offer black bean noodles (Jijiajiang men), chicken rice bowl (Oyakodon), chicken sandwich (a HUGE piece of tempura style fried chicken), and KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). Interesting fusion style food, but also very tasty! The restaurant itself is pretty small, so make sure you come around their opening time to avoid long lines. Also, you'll be sitting probably quite close to other diners since space is limited, but hey, good food beats everything right? That being said, the service is timely and everything is in taken care of by only a few servers. M Kokko is by no means THE best ramen shop, but if you're ever in Durham and wants good ramen while checking out a cute store, this is the place to go :) read more

Love the ramen here! One of the best places locally to get ramen. Ramen is definitely the best item on the menu. Have had the fried chicken sandwich and it was a bit too greasy for us. Wait time is long as the restaurant is SUPER small. We don't mind as much as we like to put our names down and walk across the street to grab a drink and Pour Taproom. read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The space is tiny and cute, and even on a Tuesday had about a 20 minute or so wait, but it was so worth it! It was nice having more than one vegan option and the Curry Udon and Biang Biang noodles were both fantastic! Can't wait to eat here again! read more

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When you love a food, sometimes it's good to step back and think about why. One reason is that it can be a badge of place and belonging. That's how I love smoked brisket: shiny, leather-y outside, marbled like a dirty secret on the inside, smoked for the better part of a day. While my parents fed my congee at home, I was figuring out how to exist as a clearly 'other' person in South Texas-- "Do you see in widescreen?", "No, where are you REALLY from?", and other shitty tropes most Asian-Americans will have heard on the regular. Eating brisket, knowing when it's good, loving it, was like saying, "I don't look like you, but I'm from here too." So why do I love ramen? A little tougher. The first time I really thought about ramen was when I saw the movie "Tampopo," which included this tongue-in-cheek scene of how to eat a bowl of ramen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9m6FoSw4jE): "First, observe the whole bowl. Appreciate its gestalt. Savor the aromas. Jewels of fat glittering on the surface... Concentrate on the three pork slices...First caress the surface with the chopstick tips." "What for?" "To express affection. "I see." "Then poke the pork." "Eat the pork first?" "No. Just touch it. Caress it with the chopstick tips... What's important here is to apologize to the pork by saying, 'See you soon.'" I read "Tampopo" as a celebration of food and community. I think ramen for me is a crystallization of the idea that you can make joy, put it in a bowl with a soft-boiled egg, and transfer it to humans sitting in a restaurant. Something that sublimes the bittersweet background of my other food loves. But great ramen, like great brisket, takes love to make and is hard to track down. *** M Kokko is Mike Lee's latest joint, slipped right next to M Sushi and just an alley down from the more a more recognizable neighbor: The Durham Hotel. The small space is matched by a slim, curated, and often-changing menu that celebrates the humble chicken. My focus and excitement is on the ramen... ... which is, hey, pretty good!! The chicken and pork based broth, the soul of the bowl, packs a balanced bunch. The squiggly noodles-- and I do prefer my ramen noodles quite squiggly!-- were a welcome and resilient chewiness. Two other must-haves in the soft-boiled egg and chashu pork served their role admirably, although I found myself wishing for fattier, softer cuts of pork, rather then chop-like piece that is currently being served. The tangling pile of cilantro I complained about before has been removed, yay! But, the devil is in the details. I still think the bowl is a little unbalanced. A mess of bamboo shoots is left after the noodles is gone (too many!) and the spicy ramen came with a level of 'ma la' (numbing spice) that obliterated the delicate savoriness of the broth. For now, I recommend getting the normal ramen, and using the handy chili oil that is provided on the table. But -- this is still the best ramen you will find in Durham, maybe the Triangle!! I trust this small kitchen will get it right soon. New to the menu is 'Jjiajang men.' This dish originates from Shandong China ('zhajiangmian,' literally 'fried sauce noodles'), but has also been adopted for Korea when turmoil led people in China to seek work and refuge in Korea. What I was craving was the Chinese variety, but no matter -- what you'll find here is the Korean-inspired variety, with black rather than yellow beans. In whatever country you find it, this dish is synonymous with "comfort food," but isn't very common in the West yet! Think of it as a spaghetti analog. I was stoked to see it here, but I don't recommend it in its current state. The black bean casings didn't work for me taste- and texture-wise; I'd like to see the beans as the more traditional paste. I loved the julienned cucumbers on top: a traditional dose of crispy freshness with this dish. And finally, a quick note that the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich is a revelation. It's battered almost in the style of fish & chips: airy and light. It also comes with delightfully simple tossed arugula. I'm incredibly delighted to find a great bowl of ramen in Durham, a place I'm still trying to make home, that I can love. Don't forget to to poke the pork. I look forward to seeing what else Chef Lee & friends cook up! P.S. Don't forget to grab a ramen noodle refill for $2. read more

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Service: GREAT! Biang Biang noodles: too oily Fried chicken sandwich: just a giant beer battered & fried piece of chicken...nothing special Not really Korean. More asian fusion and definitely more of an American-Asian restaurant. ...Not worth it. read more

M Kokko - Biang Biang noodles - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I wish I could give this place zero stars! I called in early and when I came in they said it would be a short wait, I stood outside for an hour and a half being told "I was next on the list" but never got in. Waiter had the audacity to come out and tell me that the kitchen is closing and he can't accommodate us. Service here is so poor, no respect for customer's time whatsoever! Waited 2 hours in the summer heat for them to just kick us to the curb with no apologies or remorse! Hope that the owner reconsiders how the staff treats their customers. read more

this is the best chicken sandwich i've ever had. fuck kfc fuck popeyes fuck chik fila this is it. peak chicken sandwich

Wanted to check out this place however could not find it. Drove around circles and no parking anywhere. I wanted to park and walk around and look for it. No idea where it was. No signs nothing. I even tried to call and no one answered the phone. I also do not see a website with directions or a map. Fix this if you want customers. read more

Everytime I'm craving Ramen on a Monday it's closed. Sucks that M Kokko doesn't stand for Monday Kokko (lame joke inserted phew). Otherwise M Kokko is probably my favorite Ramen in Durham as it is flavorful and fresh. The broth is not too overwhelming and also not bland. I also recommend the KFC and their Dan Dan noodles! read more

Overall: great food and good service! Food: 4.5/5: My boyfriend and I ordered the JjiaJangMen and the Chicken Sandwich. We had a hard time deciding on what to get and will have to come back again. Both dishes are extremely large, so definitely come hungry. The chicken sandwich is definitely a bit greasy but that's to be expected. Service: 5/5. The service was quick and our server was attentive/ friendly :) Other recommendations: Tables fill up quickly, even for lunch, so I recommend getting there as close to opening as possible because they do not take reservations. I can only imagine that they are more full for dinner! read more

Ah what can I possibly say about this magical place to do it justice.. This is 100% our favorite restaurant in Durham. We've taken countless visitors here after constantly talking about it and they are never disappointed! The ramen is the absolute best I've ever had as well as the wings. MY GOD, THE WINGS! The crunchiest you will ever experience. As you would expect, there is usually a wait here because it is so fantastic, but it's absolutely worth it. The restaurant is only about 10-12 tables which really adds to the experience. The waitstaff has always been wonderfully helpful. We've had just about everything on the menu and its always great. read more

The flavors in all three of the dishes we tried were AMAZING!!! I'm already ready to go back!!!! Definitely try the wings, pork belly buns, and of course the ramen!!! read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Ordered the chicken broth ramen and the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. The ramen had a rich, milky broth despite being a chicken broth. The bamboo shoots, wood ear mushroom, chives, and cilantro complemented the broth well. Thin noodles were good. Overall the ramen was good but the pork belly in the ramen was lackluster. I think the pork belly is holding the ramen back from being as good as the ramen at Dashi across the street. The pork belly was was not very flavorful and was too thinly cut. Chicken sandwich was huge and delicious. The buttermilk fried batter was light and crispy and the bread was nice and soft. I would come here again. read more

M Kokko - Buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and chicken broth ramen with pork belly - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Dynamite! Enjoyed the Bianca Biang Noodles - wholly vegan with no compromise on richness or flavor - and excellent Ramen. Awesome beer selection too. Highly recommend! read more

Everything here is good but not the best. I like the zajiangmjan as a Chinese! 4/5. One of my friend is a sandwich guy and he gives 3.5/5 for the chicken sandwich ( he gave 2/5 to subway as a baseline). The bimbop (not sure if I spell right) is good which has two different ratings: 3/5 from Indian and 5/5 from Turkey. Overall, 4/5 read more

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Great food! We've tried the ramen (spicy), both KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), Banh Mi, JJaiJang Men...it was all Fantastic! Worth the wait outside in the cold. Will be back to try their famous chicken sandwich and work our way through the menu. read more

M Kokko - Korean Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The most casual restaurant in the M chain. Fried chicken is so crispy and delicious. Though the line is usually super long so definitely get there ahead of time. read more

M Kokko is not just a place, it's a destination. The Korean fried chicken is as good as it gets, and the fried chicken sandwich is unbelievable. They take no shortcuts in preparing and cooking a great meal. The wings are crispy and the sandwich is perfectly balanced. Delectable. I would love to see fried chicken thighs on the menu and they should give there potato wedges more character or scrap them altogether. The location is fun, it feels like a secret place only you and a select few know about. The atmosphere inside is wonderful, good for a dinner date or a quick lunch meal. It's a simple shop, with a well curated menu on a chalkboard wall. The most notable aspect of the interior, after the wall size menu, is the lighting. It's a small yarn of Christmas lights captured in a bottle. Very cool. I would recommend this place to anybody who likes fried chicken or Asian food of any kind or just anyone who has working taste buds. The whole staff was tremendous, there when you need them but not lingering, and always very happy to be serving you. Also they are a flexible group and seemed to respond to any needs that may come up. Just a great restaurant, not limited by type. read more

Best ever RAMEN in the Triangle area!!! I've been looking for good RAMEN for more than one year since I came to the States and finally HERE IT IS!!!! read more

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