M Tempura is a wonderful place. We've come here multiple times and have gotten the Kaiseki, Traditional Omakase and Tsukumen (to go). The only bad experience we've ever had was on opening week. But they've fixed everything since and every meal we've had there since has been so special and delicious. The tempura batter is light and crispy. The crudo yuzu sauce is TO DIE FOR. I wish they would sell that sauce in a bottle. I wish they changed up their Keiseki menu more often. We were there 4 months ago but the keiseki menu hadn't changed. The soba and udon given at the end of the Traditional Omakase is just okay but everything else was absolutely delicious. Definitely count on a great experience and evening at M Tempura. read more

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BLUF: Come here to impress a date/guest. Come here to grab a delicious dinner. It has it all!! Order M Tempura's kaiseki dinner for two. It was a wonderful, WONDERFUL experience. We were seated (in my opinion) the best seats in the house, at the short side of the bar. This gave us a direct eyeline to the chefs' prep work and cooking. The kaiseki experience took just about two-hours for us, from seating to paying. Looking around at other diners and seeing their food, a revisit to M Tempura is an absolute must! read more

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5/5 food 5/5 ambiance 5/5 service etc. Came here initially for Offline, and have been twice since then. What I think is cool about this restaurant is that you can eat here for $10-20 per person or like $50-$100 per person. The servers are so knowledgeable about the cuisine, how it should be eaten, etc. The food - I personally did not do the chef's tasting experience, but I'm sure it's incredible. I've gone a la carte the 3 times I've come, and have not left disappointed. Some highlights - * The tempura - the best tempura breading I've had. It's so light. Also paired with some sort of dipping sauce that provides such nice umami flavor and a lemon squeezer for some acidity. If you've read Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, you'll know in the first bite that this appetizer combines these elements perfectly. My favorites (in order of preference) - maitake mushrooms, seabass, prawns, white shrimp, scallop. * The dry curry - so homey! it's like southern curry meeting Japanese and Indian flavors. I love the runny yolk on top. The spices are incredible. Enough for two people (if you order along with appetizers) * The miso soup - really good miso soup, the umami really cuts through. read more

M Tempura - Prawns, shrimp, sea bass - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Of all of the restaurants in M family, M Tempura is my favorite! I would have to say that of all my dining "experiences" this one was one of the best because it really did feel like an experience with a beginning, extended middle, and an end. I liked that the tempura came out a few pieces at a time so it was like a constant melange of tastes and flavors. Plus the service was top notch throughout. Like all of the M restaurants, M Tempura is small. You need to make reservations not only because of the size but also because the food comes out in waves (at least for dinner, this is not the case for lunch). There were three options at dinner ranging from the basic at $30, the medium (which we chose) at $45, and the fanciest at $80. To me, the $45 was more than enough food but gave you lots of variety-- although I couldn't help but be jealous seeing everything with the fancier menu. Everything was great-- I especially enjoyed the crudo and all of the vegetables. The noodles at the end were also good, but I was so full that I didn't need them. Also, I would skip on the alcohol to save on the price overall. I actually enjoyed the smell and didn't find it overpowering. We also enjoyed sitting at the bar and getting to watch the process of battering and frying (and the staff in the kitchen made great conversation). We will definitely be back (and if anyone has tried the $80 waygu beef lunch sandwich, please DM me and let me know if it was worth it-- thanks)! read more

My fiancé and I came on a Friday evening and had a reservation. We did have to wait for 10 minutes as the previous party in our table hadn't left yet. We got the traditional omakase. My fiancé chose the udon and I had the soba. Ambiance: 4/5 Similar to the intimate feel of the other M restaurants, it is a small restaurant though they created a measure of privacy with portable walls dividing the tables. There was one point when a dining party got especially loud and given the brick walls and small room, the whole restaurant got petty loud and distracting, but most of the evening was great. Service: 5/5 Food: 5/5 All the tempura were delicious and perfectly cooked. My favorites were the sea bass and soft shelled shrimp. My fiancé said it was the best shrimp she had ever had. Loved the rice, side dishes and tempura sauce that they gave. The palate cleanser cucumber sorbet they provided between courses was perfect. Furthermore the rice, both of us were pretty stuffed by the time we got to the second to last course of noodles. Price: 4.5/5 Like any Japanese restaurant, the price is on the higher end for the omakase but they also have some really affordable $10-$20 entrees. Overall, we will definitely be back. read more

M Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The server was lovely, presentation was great but to keep this establishment honest I'm leaving a 3 star review due to the bad rice quality when I visited. They really messed it up (and I can't stop thinking about it b/c I wanted to love the place). Ask any Asian American and they'll tell you badly cooked rice will ruin a meal. It's a shame and when I asked why the rice was so horrible, the wonderful server told me they were apparently experimenting with the rice to water ratio--a taboo if they want to serve any semblance of Japanese short grain rice and a rarity if you're using Zojirushi or any number of rice cookers that make it so easy to make... Obviously they're not going to serve Koshihikari but fucking up rice is so devastating to me. And this isn't hyperbole, I eat rice everyday. However they've assured me this was a one-off mistake by the chef. If I ever come back, I really hope they do not keep doing weird experiments with rice because it's honestly heartbreaking to see a restaurant serving Japanese food have inadequate rice. Also I hope they stock up on shrimp that they ran out for our meal. read more

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The food here is excellent! I ordered the pork and cheese katsu which was cooked just right, and came with a really tasty ginger salad. It also came with miso soup, which was standard miso soup but good nevertheless. The reason for four stars instead of five is that they have a real ventilation problem in this restaurant! You could literally see the grease in the air, it was so thick that my clothes smelled like fried food after I left the restaurant. I could expect this and maybe a fried chicken restaurant, but not some place that has meals that go up to $89 a person! read more

M Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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****Let me preface this review by saying that I visited M Tempura during their soft open, so I completely understand that my experience might not reflect any future experiences people may have. I am trying to be fair in my description and review, and that is why I'm picking a middle of the road star rating.**** We made reservations for a table at 8pm on Saturday night. We'd tried making reservations through open table but we received a phone call saying "open table was messing up" and so we had a little difficulty, but not a big deal. We arrived on time and waited only about ten more minutes before we were seated- the restaurant is small, so I understand that it's hard to predict when tables will turn over. I really like the décor. In the old Scratch location, the footprint is the same, but the tables are beautiful wood, the chairs are comfortable, and the lighting is nice and not too dim. I'd compare the décor to both m Kokko and M Sushi, but a step up from M Kokko and better light than M Sushi. We opened our menus and saw two options from which to pick. We chose the bento-box style ($29pp) option, which meant that all our food would come at once. The second option ($47pp) would be served multi-course style. Aside from the price and dessert, there didn't seem to be a huge difference in the two options, and the tempura seems to be all very much chef's choice. We places our orders around 8:15pm and didn't get our food until after 9pm. We asked our waiter for an update at one point, and he apologized and said the tempura is made one piece at a time. While I appreciate the attention to detail, this cannot possibly be sustainable for the business. I hope they work out this kink by getting more chefs or frying more than one piece at a time or something. There was a table next to us that arrived a solid 30 minutes after us who got their food at the same time as us. We got our food and everything was beautifully displayed. We had rice, pickled vegetables, a piece of honeydew melon, miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, sauce for the tempura and about 6 pieces of tempura (including shrimp, flounder, asparagus, eggplant and okra). I really liked the salad- the ginger dressing was perfect, and the seaweed salad on top was nice and made it a little more special. The pickled vegetables were also nice- daikon, scallion and eggplant, which I had never tried pickled before and really enjoyed. The other items, including the tempura, were a little bland. I'm sure my palate is used to over-salted American food, but I find the flavor combinations of M Kokko much more fun and special, just as an example (mmm I dream about those noodles with black bean sauce). All in all, I'm curious and eager to see what changes M Tempura will make from the soft opening. I understand they're going to be open for lunch so I have to imagine the daytime menu will have to be abbreviated and served quicker. I hope the menu expands a bit. read more

M Tempura - Ten Don Set (Bento box style meal). - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This was our first time trying any of the M restaurants and I'm sure glad we chose this one to try first. The experience was absolutely amazing! Meals are served Omakase style, and we went with the "M" omakase, which is the more expensive of the 2 options. Started out with some appetizers. The Tuna Tartare was probably one of my top 3 favorite items from the whole menu. Then we moved on the Chawanmushi which was a japanese egg custard. It absolutely was delicious! Then we moved onto to the assortment tempura items that were brought out in batches. It came with a dipping sauce, sea salt, lemon and different palate cleansers. The tempuras were fried with light batter and served hot. Every piece brought out was great! Then the Wagyu beef was next and it was definitely our favorite item on of menu. It was served with a soy cured egg yolk that was just a little too salty for our liking. It was served with a nice warm side of miso soup. Lastly the mango crepe cake was to die for!!!! Not too sweet, fluffy and just had an amazing taste. The little cloud of mango fluff it was served with just made it that much better. Overall, experience was 10/10 and we both left feeling perfectly full and satisfied. Our wait staff was great, food came out in a timely manner. Cant wait to come back again for another special occasion. read more

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Always a treat to dine at M Tempura. It's a small, intimate space with few tables and some seating at the bar where you can watch your food being prepared. Either of the omakase options is plenty of food, and the service is attentive but not overbearing. One thing to note: because the food is fried, your clothes will probably smell the rest of the day. read more

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I'm conflicted about my experience there. With the price we paid, it should be top notch dinning in the area, since we opt to the more expensive multi course menu. But a few things just didn't hit the spot. Service and ambiance is just not possible to get to a high end restaurant level due to the way this place is set up to be. The longer I was there the more uncomfortable I was sitting at the bar. The distant is close between patrons, there was no privacy. And being close to the chef's cooking (frying), meaning inevitably smelling the oil. There's no time in between each piece of tempura to really enjoy it. It has been the case for me for almost every bite, before I finished my last piece the new piece has been served, and I feel rushed to eat. I'm not a slow eater, eating at a very average/normal speed. There's no elevation of taste in the food served. Do I really need a wagyu beef to be fried to enjoy it? And the lobster? I really did not see how making them into tempura change or improved the taste in the ingredient. It was a different experience. Not something I thoroughly enjoyed, but worth a try. read more

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Proud to have M in durham. Tempura batter is thin crispy light sparkling. Each dish was so well prepared and cooked right to preserve flavor of each ingredient. read more

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Lunch here is fantastic. I am a bit surprised it was so empty but that may have been due to the weather. M tempura has the best katsu in this area. I got the cheese katsu and my husband ordered the curry katsu and both were extremely delicious. The katsus were breaded and fried to perfection. They were so crispy but yet moist inside. The pork was extremely moist and tender. The curry was very delicious as well. There was not one thing to criticize about the food. At first I was disappointed by how small my portion was compared to my husband's but by the end of lunch I was so full. We definitely are looking forward to making reservations for dinner. The only downside is that lunch is only served during the weekdays. But it's definitely worth a visit! read more

M Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My S/O surprised me by reserving a table here for our anniversary dinner. We had the traditional style omakase and it didn't seem like a lot of food at first glance at the menu but by the end of it we were very full and satisfied. We started off with pear cider and sake for our drinks and we had to make a note of the cider brand for future references because it was really good. The table setup was efficient with nice dishes and utensils. As for our meal--oh where would I start--everything was made to perfection! Can't really say which dish was my favorite--but the crudo was a party in my mouth, and all the tempura items were battered and fried perfectly. Shrimp and salmon were melt-in-your-mouth good. We got udon and soba noodles as fillers before our dessert--and those weren't bad either. Our honeydew sorbet palate cleanser and ginger ice cream dessert were nice ending notes for our dinner. Our server was fun and excellent too! PS: only downsides were the dining space is small and loud--and you will leave with your hair smelling really greasy from the kitchen! PPS: we'd love to try to Kaiseki dinner next time but it seems like a looot of food! read more

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Chef's food preparation was a fascinating show in this intimate setting. Food plating was beautiful and the food was delicious and interesting. Service was attentive in an excellent way. read more

We came here as a group of 6 on a Tuesday night as a farewell dinner for one of the friends. We made a reservation beforehand for 8pm. I had always wanted to try M series (M sushi, M Koko) but haven't got a chance yet so I was really hyped to be able to try M Tempura. However, I have to say my overall expectation was not met (maybe I had too high of an expectation). The service was fantastic. Very very friendly, attentive, accommodating. I also liked the ambience. One of us couldn't eat seafood and they substituted out seafood for veggies. 5 of 6 of us ordered the Traditional Style Omakase because after doing the math, we realized it was not really worth getting the Basic set (which does not contain udon noodle and has less pieces of tempura). I would say they tried to create a fine dining experience. But the portion was very very small. And the tempuras came as two pieces each time. I really liked the Crudo as an appetizer. The tempuras were decent but for the price I wasn't really blown away. Some friends joked about how they were still so hungry after the appetizers and all the tempuras and the udon noodle was what made them not hungry :D Really liked the sherbet as dessert. But, I might not come back. I think it's worth trying it for once. But I still look forward to trying other M series. read more

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Food and service is excellent here. We arrived on time for our reservation for dinner, but there weren't any tables or bar seats available. We only had to wait for 10 minutes or so, but the host immediately served us complimentary sake, which was a very generous gesture. For dinner, we decided to to go with the traditional omakase. I had never eaten at a tempura restaurant before, so I wasn't sure what to expect and admittedly, I wasn't sure if it would be a very filling meal. But the sequence of meat, fish, and vegetables were perfectly timed so that we could each savor the taste of each dish. We really enjoyed our meal and hope to come again for another special occasion. I also really wanted to try their pork katsu, which is only available during lunch. I was very impressed by the thickness of the cutlet, in addition to its juiciness and flavor. The curry was a little different than what I was used to - but still consisted of a hearty and delicious gravy. Even though I don't think it is traditional curry, it's still one of the best pork katsu I have ever had. It's also HUGE so it's a great deal for the price. read more

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Food was amazing service was boujee the atmosphere was relaxing but very small place.

Tried this spot the other week (thanks for the heads up Offline!) and we definitely will be going back! We got the basic experience and Wvery. Single. Part. Was amazing!! The first part was a small salad with a great ginger dressing followed by a delish plate of raw salmon in some sort of amazing orange sauce I wish I could have the recipe for! My favorite tempura piece was the sea bass by far and the staff was great! It was fun sitting at the bar and watching her make them! The plate of seasonings/dip that came with it was great also. Next was the udon noodle soup that was SO good and which I had to take home I was so full...super yummy the next day too! Finally was the dessert - a ginger ice cream I probably could've eaten a whole pint of even tho I was so full! Definitely will be coming back! Great for date night! read more

M Tempura - The AMAZING udon soup! - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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One of my favorite, most memorable meals ever. And I have eaten delicious food, both crazy inexpensive to ridiculously over-priced, all over the world. It's a gift to have this level of dining experience right here in the Triangle. Husband and I celebrated Valentines Day here. It's necessary to make a reservation as it's a tiny place. I had read that they had an Omakase service here, as I had just recently watched a documentary about Omakase and had looked online for a place offering that nearby. If youre not familiar, it's a Japanese meal that's prepared and served piece by piece, most of the pieces being tempura, but not all. Anyhow, after being seated at the bar (not drinks, think a sushi bar) right in front of the chef and her prep area (dinner AND a show!) we ordered out drinks are consulted the menu. I was insistent that we partake in the Omakase. Husband was concerned he'd be hungry (he's 6-6 but never underfed) so he assented on the grounds that we chose the larger/longer of the two services on offer. Note that if you choose the Omakase, you have to choose the same one. What followed was probably a 90 minute display of the finest Japanese cuisine and cooling technique. Each bite was incredible. Even the huge prawn with its head on. And the tempura brie with local honey was appreciated by my non-soft cheese-eating husband. (I could've eaten a whole round) The young woman chef was so impressively skilled and so fun to watch and chat with. Needless to say, neither of us were hungry for the next 24 hours. This was not an inexpensive venture by any stretch of the imagination, but if you are curious about Omakase and/or invest in dining experiences as one would a concert or a nice pair of shoes, then this is definitely your place. We will go back...but probably on a yearly schedule;). read more

M Tempura is just the third installment in the M - Restaurant Dining Experience! After having tried M Kokko and M Sushi multiple times, I was eager for a new experience that is common in Japanese culture - Tempura. Tempura is Japanese-Style lightly battered foods usually in the form of seafood and/or vegetables. Most common tempura options are the shrimp and butternut squash but can come in various different forms. The texture is usually extremely airy and crispy. Unfortunately, since I came in for lunch, I was unable to try out their Omakase Tempura set of either the $29 "Basic Set" or the $43 "Traditional Style" or the $79 "M". What I got to try out, however, was the lunch exclusive Curry Katsu which came with rice, salad, and Japanese pickled vegetables. The Curry Katsu: was good. The Katsu cooked well, with a nice layer of crisp to it from the panko crumbs. The set was presented in typical Japanese style dining manner. There was a generous amount of Japanese-style curry and rice. Sides were presented neatly. An assortment of pickled vegetables and a side of seaweed salad. Atmosphere: The restaurant allowed me to reminisce about my previous experience of going back to Japan. Everything was clean and orderly, a very common sight in restaurants in Japan and the waiter was kind and informative. Overall, I'm placing a 4/5 star rating for now as I have not had time to go back to try their Tempura sets, but their Curry Katsu and overall experience was exciting. It's nice to experience an experience similar to the one that you would have if you were to go to Japan. read more

M Tempura - Curry Katsu with pickled vegetables and seaweed salad - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Working the new restaurant kinks out. I'm giving a word of warning with my review that I did attend M. Tempura during their soft opening. Things were still being worked out, they were also kind of a mess. I'm not saying that in a disparaging way, but clearly this is a new place still trying to figure things out and maybe should have opened a week or two later. My experience is not that of the M. Tempura experience once it's up and fully running. That said I still spent time and money going here and my experience was my experience. From the reservation process to receiving our food things were just in a disarray. I've my eye on M.Tempura and had been waiting for it to open up and when I saw it was having a soft open the same week as my birthday I thought it would be a nice treat. I reserved a table online through open table but did not receive a confirmation. I had to call the restaurant when it opened to confirm that the reservation was received. This was kind of a pains since on Saturday it doesn't open till 5PM. When we got to the restaurant at 8PM for our reservations we had to wait close to 15 minutes to be seated since things were backed up and the place is very small and they hadn't planned ahead. Once we got seated and finally saw the menu (which is not listed anywhere online at this moment beyond photos from Yelpers) the menu is VERY limited. Essentially two options. The Don set $29 which includes: Assorted, Tempura, salad, rice, Miso Soup, pickled vegetables and condiments. There's another pricier option The Omakase $47 which includes more seafood and is served slowly versus the Don Set which is served all at once almost Bento Box style. We all went with the Don Set. I did make the addition of Scallops which ended up being one scallop, and not a cheap scallop. I understand there's a time and care put into tempura but it took over an hour to get our food. The couple that arrived 30 minutes after us received their food at the same time. So that's kind of annoying too. It appeared they just cooked everything up and served a good handful of tables together. The waiter was super nice and very attentive since there was nothing else to do. There's no bread or appetizers served so we just sat at our table for over an hour without anything to eat. I understand it's a soft open but that's not a great start no matter how you look at it. The layout of the place has an open kitchen format that by the end of the night left us smelling of food and smoke from the cooking was actually making my eyes water. Hopefully this gets fixed in the coming months. Dashi has a similar layout but you don't run into this issue. Once we got our food it was very good, but kind of bland. The tempura wasn't even warm. Everything was served very nicely in its layout and presentation. The assorted tempura was a piece of fish, two shrimp, okra, mushroom, eggplant and asparagus. The salad was good (and honestly the best part of the meal) the rice was good, the soup was... just OK. I understand everything is cut and battered in detailed manner with care, but if it's not warm or lacks flavor that time spent is self defeating for The most notable part is that the dipping sauce for the tempura lacked any real flavor. I like a little spice and there was none to be found here. And there were no additional sauces or condiments provided on the table. As someone that likes a little heat there was nothing to be found here in terms of spice. I was very happy and eager to try M. Tempura but very disappointed in my overall experience. I really love M.Koko and also like M. Sushi. I really wanted to give this place a better review, but the more I kept thinking about it while writing this review the more disappointed I was. From the overly long wait times to the lackluster food it just left me wanting more. Comparing M. Tempura to the experiences I've had at M.Koko which have been so delicious. I understand it's a different restaurant, but its still the same owner and should still strive for the same level of quality and customer satisfaction. I look forward to trying M. Tempura again once things have been ironed out. read more

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This place is delicious! Everything is well crafted and throughly thought out. The price might seem intimidating but it is worth it. We had the $80 course and we're incredibly satisfied. The flavors are unparalleled. We also ordered an extra side of Brie cheese because that might have been the best thing I ever had in my life. Eat here! read more

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The environment was great! It's located in downtown Durham. The food was alright. I was not a big fun of tempura so maybe I'm biased. I ordered pork Katasu stuffed with cheese and seabass tempura. I think the food was alright. The service was pretty good. One thing that really turned me off was I can smell the oil fry smell struck in my hair for a whole night until I washed my hair. I got home and my bf can exactly tell I got fried food for dinner. ‍ read more

M Tempura - Sea bass - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Loved our experience at M tempura. The food and service were amazing! Our server was super friendly and informative. We had the original omakase. Each tempura piece was delicious and by the end I had to unbutton my pants because I was full. 10/10 recommend for dinner read more

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I was skeptical that I could get a proper tempura meal in town but "M" really proved me wrong! We ordered the M omakase which seemed to really highlight their best dishes including the softshell shrimp and seabass (both fried and braised). The only miss was the octopus which was too tough. Overall a good meal and recommended read more

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Absolutely excuisite food. The service is impeccable and the amibiance is a absolute vibe.

Excellent food with brilliant service. My wife and I went tonight for our 6th anniversary, and had a great fun with scrumptious food and hot Sake! read more

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Completely different dining experience than anything else you will find in Durham. We went for the traditional omakase, which gives you a small salad, about twelve different pieces of tempura (mixed seafood and vegetable, served three at a time), a noodle bowl, and a small sherbet-ish dessert. I enjoyed the experience and left satisfied without feeling too stuffed, though I didn't finish the whole noodle bowl. I really enjoyed the concept and the tempura course used a very light batter and just added a nice crunch and bit of texture to the selections. They were all great, except the asparagus, which was very tough and fibrous. Service was right on top of everything. The space is fairly small, with some central bar seating and maybe eight tables along the window. It's a very similar set-up to M Sushi, just not as big. It's a pleasant, semi-industrial atmosphere with a good vibe. My only other quibble other than the asparagus is that there isn't a lot of variety in your dining options and the reservation times are limited and based on which of the menu directions you decide to go. (I'm sure this is based on the nature of preparing tempura, but it may mean this isn't a place you want to hit up over and over again.) read more

Opted for the $100 Kaiseki set meal. Excellent meal, worth the price. Service was fantastic and the food delicious. They even accommodated an item swap for us with no hassle at all. For the triangle this is definitely a 5 star experience. I have a few critiques of several dishes which I posted with in the image captions but this is far and away a better tasting menu experience than anything you can find in this area unless you go somewhere like the Fearrington house. Will be returning! read more

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Wonderful dinner! It's beautiful place. We got M Omakase and love very coures. Highly recommend. read more

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This was a great experience. At risk of repeating other reviewers, here's the drill: * One of four set menus ranging from $28 to $72 (we got the $43) * A few starters, followed by multiple rounds of single-piece tempura * Bowl of noodles and broth to finish, either soba or udon (we got one of each) * Eating at the bar means they serve you the tempura right off the fryer Other notes: * attentive service * One complaint: my $7 pour of pear cider was pretty skimpy * $135 for two with tax and tip all done read more

Traditional style omakase was delicious. I was worried I would still be hungry but it was plenty of food. Highly recommend trying this option if you go. read more

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If you've been to any of Michael Lee's restaurants you know that this man is a culinary and business genius. Midas F'ing touch. I tried this places because while at M Pocha, I will write that review separately, I ran into Chef Lee and I busted his chops about M Tempura not having tempura at lunch. He went on to explain to me that traditional tempura is served in courses not feasible at lunch. Didn't really buy it, but more on that later. So, the next weekend I reserved a table for 3 for the M Omakase, like 5 courses. All sitting at the table must have Omakase, but you don't need a reservation. I am saying you need to make a reservation at all of his places, they are hard to get into. Well let me sum it up, FREAKING AMAZING! From start to finish it is a 10 out of 10. The service is excellent as they describe in detail what is coming up next. All attention to the details have been checked and double checked. Please do not ruin your experience by showing up kind of hungry. I'm a big guy, had nothing to eat that day and could finish it all. Took the second to lay course home, the lay course was ice cream It's $80 a person, without tax and tip. However, when you consider the quality of the ingredients, the cooking technique, the service involved, this is the best $80 you will spend. PERIOD! Better value than a Cook Out Tray, didn't think that was possible. If there were geisha playing music, I would have imagined myself in Japan (which I have been), sans the sitting on the ground (thankfully). The pictures speak for themselves. It's a two hour+ extravaganza. We had no clue we had been in there that long. Finally, the only issue is you will leave smelling like fried food, so be warned. Not sure what they can do about that with the place being so small and an open kitchen, but still worth it. To Mr. Lee, you have outdone yourself once again. Can't wait until your other concepts come to fruition. I still say you need some tempura at lunch; maybe a few bento box options, also very traditional. We are so lucky to have you in Durham. Domo read more

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This place is well crafted and designed. It was true ultimate experience with unique techniques and high quality ingredients! The seafood is so fresh and I enjoyed watching as they prepared the food. I left feeling so satisfied and happy to have such a special evening in our hometown Durham. This place you must try, the staff is friendly, helpful and on point. A friend dropped her chopsticks and before she could reach down to pick them up she was greeted with a new pair. Chef Savannah has taken it up a notch, I had the pleasure to try her amazing turmeric chocolate chip ice cream! My pictures say it all, I always look forward to going back!! read more

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This was as good as I expected. We had the traditional omakase and a pot of green tea. All of our servers were informative and professional. The food was scrummy! We were first given a traditional salad with ginger miso dressing - and some finely shaved cauliflower. Next was a lot of tempura, beautifully cooked and decently spaced. My favorite was the lotus root, followed by the broccoli, scallop, asparagus, and shiitake mushroom ... and okra, and NC shrimp. Spouse enjoyed the tuna crudo, and we both loved the lime palate cleanser before the Udon soup course. The soup was exquisite... and then we added some hot chili oil. It was even richer and more flavorful; the oil was sesame and chili infused. The meal ended with a small scoop of perfect ginger ice cream, topped with the best candied ginger. We had to wait three weeks to get a Saturday evening reservation and it was worth it. read more

Let me start by saying the service is amazing. The food is beyond reproach. We came here to celebrate our wedding anniversary and a celebration is certainly what we got. Flavor and texture combinations were on point. But let's spend a moment talking about their forks. If I owned a Japanese restaurant and wanted to punish people for asking for forks, these are the forks I would invest in. They were awkward, imbalanced, downright heavy, and nearly unusable. Unfortunately, they were recommended (and a good idea over chopsticks) for one of the courses. So right when you actually wanted a fork, you had this abomination unto Nuggan. I ended up struggling to use the fork to cut my serving into chopstick manageable size pieces so I could ceremoniously discard the fork. Seriously. That trivial, nit picky comment was the closest thing I could come to a gripe. Come eat here. Come hungry. And don't pinch pennies. This is sustenance for the soul, not just the body. read more

Having been to M sushi and M Kokko, I had high expectation for M Tempura and I'm happy to say I was very pleased with my visit. We made a reservation for two, dinner. We both ordered the medium set (I think it's around $45). The place is small - you definitely need a reservation. What I really like is how they don't try to squeeze as many tables in as possible. It can get uncomfortable when the other party is sitting like 6 inches away from you, you know? The way it works is, they'll serve you first the "appetizers", then a tray with dipping and palate cleanser will be brought out for each person. The waiters will bring each tempura items out right after they're fried, so they're piping hot. Among all the tempura items we tried, I think the scallop and soft shell shrimp were my favorite. Then we were given a spoonful of honeydew sherbet with freshly grated lime zest to cleanse our palate before the bowl of soup. I chose soba - the soup was simple, no frills, but I do like how they put tempura scraps in to give it a little crunch. We ended our meal with ginger ice cream as desserts. I'm not at all a dessert person since they tend to be too sweet for my taste, but holy moly the ice cream and sherbet are so, so good. I told the waiter that they should consider opening an M Dessert, or maybe having the option of buying these to-go. WARNING: I advise against having M Tempura before a nice fancy concert, or show. You will smell like fried food, there's no way around it. You might also want to avoid wearing your fanciest silk blouse or wool coats if they're hard to laundry. Great experience, awesome food, would come back for the Grand omakase on a special occasion and totally would get a bar seat! read more

This was hands down the best meal I've had in 6 months, maybe longer. I was in town for a work trip and wanted to have dinner somewhere different. I had the 'M omakase' and every bite was out of this world. It was very much like a 14 course tasting menu. Everything is so well thought out and the certified A5 wagyu melted in my mouth. I was have paid double what they charged for the lovely meal. I will be back for sure. Will travel back to Durham NC just to eat here. read more

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We had dined here earlier this year on my birthday and enjoyed the omakase experience. I returned late in December with my daughter and her foodie boyfriend. He enjoys Japanese food so I thought I would treat them to a unique experience. To my knowledge, this is the only tempura restaurant in North Carolina, if not the entire Southeast. We only got the basic set this time, which comes with soup, rice, egg and some palate cleansers like pickled vegetables and shredded radish. The freshly fried items were delectable and we ended with a wonderful sorbet. Chef Savannah was very nice and even gave my daughter an extra piece of salmon after seeing her delighted response to the first piece. I see other reviews that mention the oil smell. Well, it is tempura. Manage your expectations on that ahead of time. The wait staff was friendly and service was prompt. Definitely a unique dining experience that foodies should try. read more

M Tempura - Accompaniments and shrimp tempura - Japanese Near Me - Durham, North Carolina