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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.
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!
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
M Kokko surely deserves the high rating. I am a noodle lover (ramen, udon, soba, etc) and I can be very picky regarding my noodles. I ordered the Spicy Ramen, Curry Udon and the "KFC" garlic soy sauce wings. Both noodle dishes are flavorful with perfect balance of spices. Most common ramen joint usually has very salty broth. M Kokko is able to create ramen broth and curry sauce that have a lovely balance of the spice without one overpowering the other spices. Both the ramen and Udon noodles are fresh and great texture. They are cooked a bit too soft to my liking. I do like my noodles al dente. The Ramen and Curry Udon are delicious and deserve a 4 1/2 stars. I took off a half star for the noodles being a little too soft. The "KFC" wings are just ordinary. I rather order other dish than the wings here. The restaurant is very tiny but it's clean and has nice ambiance. read more
4 years ago
Best Ramen and buns ever. 10/10. The broth was AMAZING. Such a cute little spot to pop in if you're in the area. read more
If you're planning on going in the evenings, especially on the weekends, expect a long wait. If possible, try to go during their off hours. M Kokko is a very small restaurant. I wouldn't recommend going with more than 1-2 people. The bigger you're group, the longer your wait will be. Sadly, you can't make reservations over the phone so you'll have to put your name on the list and wait. They'll call you when your table is ready. Like I said M Kokko is a small, intimate restaurant so limited seating is available and you'll be very close to other people. It may be a little difficult to get through people to get to the bathroom, which the door to it is located on one end of the restaurant and when people are sitting at the last table, it's hard to get through and if you're sitting at that table, you constantly have to move for people. One unique thing about M Kokko is that their entire menu is drawn on the wall. It doesn't have all the details so if you have dietary restrictions, I'd recommend asking the servers what's in it. I've been to M Kokko quite a few times now and I've tried everything on their menu and loved them all. If I had to pick, my favorites have been the pork bun, ramen (get it extra spicy) and biang biang noodle. They do have vegan options available for you. I recommend getting the biang biang noodle! It comes with soy braised shiitake mushrooms, smoked tofu, cilantro, pickled mustard root, yu choy, crispy shallots, and chili oil. It is delicious! read more
Ramen asked for barikata, harder noodles but was still quite soft. Paitan broth didn't taste like thick creamy chicken or look like it but it was tasty. I asked for it at the end, but came with the hainan rice so I had to take out noodles right away or it would have been soggy worst. Ramen comes at the end and no talking need to eat right away. So should not bring it out until guest is ready or if that's only thing they ordered. Kfc spicy wet, good gochugari gochujang sweet and spicy. Nicely fried smaller pigeon wings had a nice crunch. Not over cooked. Hainan chicken rice didn't have enough oily chicken fatty flavors in the rice. Chicken not smooth low and slow cooked or young chicken, sauces looked Singapore correct but was off. Rice a bit too al dente opposite of the ramen. Overall fantastic for Durham. We're not comparing to Singapore or Malaysia so nice job. Spoon and fork please, Singapore way of eating. Friendly service from Jefferson! read more
I've been to M kokko twice now. I love visiting when it's colder outside and I need some Asian comfort food. M kokko takes Covid very seriously. Taking temperatures at the door and distancing the tables. If you are trying to visit I recommend arriving when they first open at 5pm. From what I've heard there tends to be a wait around 7 and they do not take reservations. Now for the food. The first time I visited I had the ramen and wow was it good. It was refreshing to know that there was a good Asian restaurant in Durham. The second time I visited I decided to have the vegan curry udon while my boyfriend had the pho. We both shared the KFC chicken. All of our dishes were amazing. I wish I could of got my severs name from the second visit because she was amazing! read more
While in an unassuming part of downtown Durham, this was some of the best ramen I've had in NC! Wait time: 15min (requested to wait next door where there was more space) Ambience (4/5): cute but somewhat cramped due to small size. Service (5/5): quick, friendly waiters/waitresses; received entrees within 10min of ordering Price (4/5): $27 for the two dishes; portions were fair Food (4/5): ramen left me wanting for more; its rich broth was definitely a highlight, although i would have wanted some more depth to the pork flavor in the ramen Biang biang noodles were visually an artistic masterpiece with immense textural variation. I was hoping for a more varied flavor palate- perhaps more onions and garlic. Nonetheless, "very solid", particularly for being vegan (coming from someone who eats meat). read more
I went here once with my boyfriend on a Friday night right at opening time. There was no wait and we got seated immediately. The menu is drawn on their wall, which was cute. We both ordered their ramen and this is probably as good as it gets for North Carolina. They only have one flavor of ramen and it's with chicken broth and pork and a good amount of toppings. You can also control the spiciness with their spicy oil on the table. I came back here another time with 3 other friends on a Saturday night. There were 8 tables ahead of us and we ended up waiting 2 whole hours. We barely got seated before they closed for the day. We shared their kfc among of the four of us, and the waiter conveniently reflected 1/4 of the chicken in each of our bills for us. This time, I ordered their ramen again and had some of my friend's bibimbap. The seaweed in their bimbimbap is essentially the typical seaweed snack, but I'm not against it. I'd recommend going to M Kokko, but you won't find me waiting 2 hours on a Saturday night again. read more
4 years ago
Not too impressed by this Asian fusion restaurant. I ordered the pork buns and biang biang noodles (added chicken) and ended up disappointed with both. The bao buns were soft and fluffy, but I found the pork, while tender, burnt around the edges. For the biang biang noodles, even though the noodles had a nice chewy bite, I expected more of the traditional mala (numbing spicy) flavor profile so was surprised to taste a mostly acidic sauce. read more
I came in with a party of five and we were seated quickly. The tables and restaurant were small, however so they cannot accommodate parties more than 5. Lots of great options inspired from various Asian cuisines. Food was a little slow but our server was great. I got the curry udon which was OK but it hit the spot. Many in my table ordered the garlic oil ramen which was delicious. I would definitely come back for the ramen. We also had some pork belly buns which was also delicious. Overall good experience. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
3.5/5 M kokko is a very small restaurant with an also very limited menu. Luckily, there were some open tables outside. I ordered the ramen after endlessly reading reviews of how great it is. I am a big ramen lover. Food came out relatively quick and service was good. The ramen....I wanted to LOVE it. I really did. And at first it looked great, tasted great, but after I finished the entire bowl, my consensus was "overall okay" for overall taste, presentation, and price. A bit overhyped. Let me break it down- noodles good, mushroom great, pork belly DELICIOUS, egg was flavorful. The broth was good but not my cup of tea - it was spicy and I love spicy foods. However, there was some Szechuan peppercorns in there I was not expecting which gave it a pretty weird aftertaste. I didn't think it paired well. Would I eat the ramen again? Yes. Would I come here for takeout for the ramen (my weekly routine)... no Side note- I love their chopsticks. read more
6 years ago
Really taking the pandemic seriously, this place is small but they take your temperature upon entry and have plastic dividers in between tables. We had: -KFC chicken-must do! So delicious! -Ramen-YUM! I will be back. This place was super tasty! read more
6 years ago
I got dinner takeout from M Kokko on a Saturday night and felt like my overall experience was just okay. I understand they're really busy. However they gave us a 1 hour estimate when we called in our order, and when we showed up 1 hour later we had to wait an additional 30 minutes for our food. Waiting 1.5 hours for takeout isn't ideal but I'd be more okay with it if we were given advance notice instead of having to wait around for a pretty significant amount of time. On to the food: I had the biang biang, which is a chili oil flavored noodle dish. I thought it was decent with a nice texture to the noodles but not enough to make up for the wait. The menu itself also seemed slightly overpriced for the area, although I appreciate them repackaging traditional Chinese food items for a young and largely non-Asian target audience. Overall, it could have been a 4 star experience if it weren't for the unexpected additional wait. read more
What the heck? How can ramen taste so good? After having a bowl of ramen here, I am still dreaming about one of the best 20-minute food experiences of my life. I had a hard time finding the restaurant but I am glad that I did not give up. That's life for you! Don't ever give up! I was finally able to find the restaurant and was seated immediately for a party of one. The space is really tiny but I understand the M Koko hype! Yes, the hype is real! I love the ambiance and look/feel of the restaurant. The menu was also displayed on a chalk wall which was beautifully written. I love how the menu was straight to the point, sweet and simple. I ordered the spicy ramen and it blew me away. The broth was a perfect consistency with just enough flavor. It was not salty like most other places which were a plus for me. The noodles, bamboo, and pork belly complimented it well! The pork belly is on another level. It basically melted in my mouth. It was such a perfect bowl of ramen! I am now living in Durham which is a few blocks from M Koko, talk about a gift in disguise! I am excited to try other items on the menu. The prices are perfect for the quality and experience. Take my money! read more
I love this place. I always get the same thing the spicy ramen and I try different apps from time to time. The food is always good and super fast. The menu is limited but that leaves little room for error I haven't had a bad experience here ever. I'd highly recommend. I'm a fan of the entire "M" chain of restaurants read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
Wow. Amazing food! Went a week ago and still can't get over how good the ramen was. I don't know how to describe it. The broth was delicious, together with the pork, egg, mushroom, and noodles-- SOOOO GOOODDD!!! It all went together so well! We were so so happy with the meal! :) The one thing that wasn't super great, was how long the service took. It was understandable because there was only one waiter. He was super kind though, and helped us a lot in thinking about what to eat. Also, a note on COVID accommodations: As other people mentioned, although the location's small they really made an effort to maintain tables apart, had dividers, and checked our temperatures. It made me and my friends feel at ease. Overall, 10/10, would recommend 100% to all. If you're looking for some amazing food at a good price, with a great atmosphere-- MKokko is where it's at! read more
4 years ago
After having tried M Sushi multiple times and loving it I decided to try M Kokko. I ended up getting the fried chicken sandwich and the pork buns. The fried chicken sandwich was good and a bit different from what you'd get at Chick-fil-A or Popeye's. The chicken was breaded a bit lighter and didn't seemed to be as deep fried as those other restaurants I listed. The price of this sandwich was a little steep though. The pork buns were great and definitely the better item of the two that I tried. I'd recommend M Kokko to everyone. read more
Yeah this is up there for my favorite Ramen in Raleigh and they also have a super legit gigantic Chicken Sandwich. The food is great, but the seating capacity isnt. For this reason until they expand, definitely plan to wait for a table unless you go right at opening or closing time. They have a number of items available for takeout so definitely take advantage of that if you can as I did with the Chicken Sandwich. Wait staff is great and the prices were very reasonable for the servings. read more
Went there with high expectation shouldn't have. The place is like a hole in the wall behind M sushi- same owner. As a noodle enthusiast and ramen obsessed person, I did go in with high expectation. Waited 1 hour for a table. You can't go to m sushi and sit down when you have reservation/ or put your name down on the list. Food: Ordered two to tonkatsu ramen. It lacked in flavor and didn't have too much ingredient to make it authentic tasting or flavorful. Ontama (egg) wasn't marinated and bland. It wasn't special at all. Even the server told us it isn't the best selling dish. Server recommended chicken sandwich. I was like "... what?" So we ordered it. And guess what- yes, this is what you should order instead of the ramen. Chicken was hot and nice but it was very rich. Service: Small place and very busy. The server tried best to keep up with nonstop filling tables but it was lack of staffs here. For an hour wait, will not come here. If you like ramen I suggest sono ramen in Raleigh. read more
6 years ago
Looking for a cozy, cute, and delicious spot with good, trendy Asian dishes? This is your spot! Came here around 5 pm to avoid the crowd, which was a smart move as the restaurant filled up quickly. The three of us split the korean fried chicken, which was delicious - the skin was SO crispy and perfect! I only wish you could do a combination of both sauces (spicy or soy garlic) but since that wasn't an option, we went with the soy garlic and got hot sauce on the side. Delicious! I ordered the ramen, which was decent - broth a bit thin for my taste, but the egg and pork were cooked perfectly. The noodles were fine, nothing to write home about. Still, pretty good by Durham standards! Glad I finally made it here - will certainly be back!! read more
3 years ago
6 years ago
Dang, this would have been 5 stars if it weren't for the massive price jump. I've been to MKokko so many times and I'm quite disappointed at the $4 price jump in ramen. It used to be $12 but now it's $16 and it seems like they cut down on the amount of meat you get too. It went from two hefty pieces to one medium piece. Don't get me wrong, I really like the ramen here but I don't know if I can say it's spectacular anymore. In the past year, I've tried A LOT of ramen and I was surprised at how much I prefer M Kokko the other ones. M Kokko really does this ramen right. I love their food but I don't love their wait system. Since the space is so small, I wish they had a better system in place or at least took reservations on weekdays. I hate driving to Durham and being turned away because there are too many people. I guess that comes with the popularity. Worth a try but it won't be a regular spot for me anymore. read more
One of my favorite places for vegetarian noodles in the Triangle. I so wish it wasn't as hard as it is to get to eat at this place. I love eating here but, the wait time turns me off. The last time I wanted to eat here, the wait time was over an hour and I went some place else. But, this time it wasn't that bad. It was still a good 30 mins wait, so my husband and I grabbed drinks across the street while waiting for a text from M Kokko indicating our table is ready. The service is a little slow but the servers are very courteous. We got the Biang biang noodles and the curry udon noodles (both are vegan) and loved every bit of it. It is pretty much our standard order every time we go here and absolutely love it. I think having that few months gap before I eat it again is what makes it worth the wait! We also got the sake carafe and shared it, and it was very good. I am happy that there are two very very good vegan noodle options but, I would love to see some veggie options on their appetizers too. If you are in the Durham area, this is definitely one of the best places to eat, if you don't mind the long wait. read more
M Kokko is a super-tiny, trendy, Pan-Asian restaurant. It is tiny so don't come with a big group. All the tables are 2-tops. And they're busy. If you come with more than 2 people on a busy night, you might never get a table. The place is hard to find too. It's at 311 Holland St, which isn't even a street. It looks like an entrance to a parking lot. It's next to M Sushi, its sister restaurant. You walk in and you write your name on a Kiosk and wait in the queue to get a table. Our server didn't give us a menu. He just told us to look at the wall, which has their menu or check yelp. We couldn't see the wall. Instead of walking over and checking it out, I just opened up Yelp like the lazy people we are. I tried their KFC, Bian Bian Noodles, and their Pork Buns. The KFC comes in 2 flavors: spicy and garlic soy. They don't do half and half, you have to commit to one flavor. The spicy is actually sweet and spicy--very similar to the Korean Yangyum flavor. I decided to go with that. I thought the sauce was on point. The meat was a little bit dry, but the crust was crunchy and not to soggy. It was a good KFC. It came with pickled daikon and some collards. Their Pork buns were all right. The pork was good and marinated well. The buns fell apart too easily. It was a messy affair. But I still enjoyed it. Their Bian Bian (pronounced Bi-ah-ng not Bi-en) noodles seemed to be a big hit there. Almost every table had it. It's their vegan noodles. The noodles were cooked well and the flavors were great. I loved the spiciness and the texture of all the ingredients. Overall, I enjoyed my meal. The food was solid. If you can stomach their wait times, I recommend this place. read more
4 years ago
Super yummy ramen and cute space. The ginger mule was very good too. Would definitely go back! Everyone ordered something different and everyone liked their food. It's a little off the beaten path, so hard to stumble upon but still crowded read more
Come early! After only 15 minutes since opening, there was already a wait. We ordered the ramen and biang biang noodles with chicken. Both were delicious! The ramen had black garlic oil, which enhanced the flavor of the broth. The pork was delicious. The biang biang noodles were nice and chewy. The chicken was moist and delicious as well. read more
Pretty good ramen action here, meh chicken sandwich. Came with a friend, and it was both our first time, so we decided to stick with the tried and true ramen that everyone raves about and share the sandwich. The broth was milky and creamy, and coated the noodles well, so that every bite of the noodle had some broth flavor. I also loved the abundance of scallions and mushrooms. I'd be down for it again. The chicken sandwich was okay, but I've had better in Toronto for much cheaper. The breading was a little thin, so the meat to crunch ratio was a little off. Also, there was some air bubble (during the frying process or breading process?) so some parts of the breading didn't actually touch the meat and it felt like eating air. What's kind of nice is that there is an accompanying bowl of salad (to make you feel slightly more healthy?), which I think balances out the deep fried-ness of the sandwich. Would come back for the ramen, pass on the chicken sandwich. read more
7 years ago
This was really a 4.5 stars but closer to a 4 than a 5 so I had to do a 4. I ordered the biang biang noodles with chicken. The biang biang noodles itself is vegan and is actually pretty good. Good flavors and a moderate amount of spicy which gives it some good flavor. The chicken that was added on wasn't worth the extra 3 bucks. It just came with some chicken bits so I would just go for the noodles itself. Small space. very hip. menus on the board. great service. typical hipster food shop. It's actually kind of hard to find. nearby paid street parking read more
7 years ago
Wow. This is definitely one of my new favorite restaurants in Durham. The place is tiny, and it's popular, so there was a long wait even late on a weekday. The restaurant takes your number and calls when there a table is available, so we waited while tasting beers at Pour. The KFC wings are delicious, and what I've mainly been still thinking about since I went. They were perfectly juicy, flavorful, and just all around amazing. Just writing about them is giving me cravings. I enjoyed my Biang Biang noodles, but they did have a bit of a kick! My friend enjoyed the Ramen, but noted the broth is very pork forward. This is probably a plus to most people, but sharing for those it might not be. The service was friendly-enough but definitely focused on being efficient. read more
Best ramen I've had in North Carolina so far. We came right at 5PM tonight to avoid the line, which began around 5:30pm as people started to write their name down on the waitlist (you can wait in the M Sushi waiting area or outside). We had great service from John, our waiter for the night. The restaurant is pretty tiny; only about 8 tables or so and is tucked away in the corner of the building next to M Sushi. We had to use our phone's GPS to find it! Prepare to wait a little for your food (about 15 minutes or so), but it is so worth the wait. The menu is creatively written in chalk on the wall. Though the selection is limited, I wanted to try every single thing on the menu. The menu is a fusion of Japanese/Korean food...and then there's a tamale, too. We ordered a bowl of Ramen ($13) and Jiajiangmian ($12). The ramen came with char siu pork, soft boiled egg, bamboo, and wood ear mushroom. The broth was AMAZING. I loved how the broth flavor was rich/creamy and included shallots. The char siu pork was thinly sliced and tender and the fatty bits just melt in your mouth. The jiajiangmian was a close second and I like how the wood ear mushroom was chopped up along with raw julienned cucumber to balance out the sweet flavor of the sauce and onions. Overall a very delicious meal and the 2 dishes we tasted were well-portioned and so so tasty. Can't wait to come back to try the fried chicken sandwich, bahn mi, curry udon, and oyakadon rice bowl. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
I ordered take out from this restaurant and when I got home (I live about thirty minutes away) I pulled my ramen broth out and it was only half full. This is barely enough broth for any noodles and with tax and tip it was $20. I am honestly disgusted. For such a price you should be getting much much more food but alas, not here. Would not recommend takeout and I won't be getting again. EDIT: They also forgot the egg in the ramen. Zero chance I would go here or recommend this place. read more
This is probably one of the worst restaurants on yelp that has a 4.5 rating. First off, as a resturant that doesn't provide any reservation service, the wait could get up to an hour or above. There was one time that my friends and I went there as a group of 8. We arrived at 5 Pm, which was its beginning for the dinner section, and the reception kept on telling us we will get a table SOON. If we call 100 minutes of wait "soon", then I guess it wasn't that bad. Of course, since we were starving, we went for an other resturant after an hour of wait. So that was a horrible first impression to begin with, poor time management. But since it's known to be one of the best resturants within the area, I decided to give another chance. So this time around, we got there at 5:30 and we have got a table after 40 minutes of wait as we have a smaller group this time. The service was below average at best, there's only one waiter serving 10~12 tables and he did seem pretty impatient, not a good dinning experience for new comers. "Just look at what we have on the wall!" Fabulous! The food is... OK I might be a little picky over here as I have just returned to the States from Hong Kong and had some good ramens. This place indeed serve some of the better ramens in the area but its mediocre compared to what you could have in metropolitan or in great cities of Asia. I believe the ramen base(soup) has more of a Northern Japanese twist to it as it is heavier in taste and relatively oily. Nothing really inspiring but if you have time to kill and if you are in a good mood, this might be a fit for you. 1 star. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
This little, I do mean little place serves amazing Ramen! Will definitely be back again next time I'm here. read more
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M Kokko - korean - Updated May 2026
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