Ming Ga is an awkward locale on the edge of the Chapel Hill-Durham border serving up pleasant Korean cuisine (ignore the Japanese component) . The meals come with a dozen tiny Korean side dishes, all delicious. The staff is warm and friendly. Food quality and service....boom boom 4 stars. 5 Stars if you let me cook my own meat, and get rid of the sushi. Things I don't like a about Ming Ga 1.) Atmosphere- Hollow, bad acoustics 2.) Japanese food- No good 3.) Gigantic TV looming over the dining room- I can't concentrate on meaningful dinner conversation 4.) Large cumbersome menu- Not a fan of hulking sticky plastic menus. read more

Desolate; soundtracked by Katy Perry and Bruno Mars. We were the only ones there, save for the ghosts of the war. The food was fresh. The portions acceptable. It is like eating at the edge of the world, now that the world has been paved over. read more

Oh, MinGa. What a comforting spot. What a gem. I've come here on many occasions, and every time I leave happy and satisfied. When you walk inside, at any time of day, you will be greeted by a cheerful woman. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for her to see you, but don't worry! Once she does, she'll quickly take you to an open table. I love the service here. They are timely and just so sweet. I always feel so welcome. Now on to the food. I've had the kimchi fried rice, chicken stonepot bibimbap lunch special, and the chicken bulgogi combo box. The fried rice is sour with the kimchi and spicy. When I've had it here, the rice is always cooked well, and the egg on top is a nice addition. During lunch time, this dish is $11.95, but the regular price is $14.95. Woof, is $15 expensive! The chicken stonepot bibimbap lunch special is $12.95. I think this is pricey, but there is another non-stonepot version for $10.95; I haven't had that one yet. I don't think I am a fan of bibimbap. It's a bland dish, and even with some spicy sauce, there just isn't enough flavor throughout the dish. The chicken has also seen better days in this dish - I wasn't a fan of how it was cut up and some pieces were hard to take. My favorite dish is the chicken bulgogi combo box. At $22 during non-lunch hours ($17 at lunch), this meal is expensive but is a FEAST. I once got it for take away, and the packing was great. Each part of the meal was in the main box with sections, so nothing overlapped or got soggy. The chicken was indeed well-spiced, and the portion was huge enough for me to have some for a snack later. The fried vegetarian dumplings were really delicious. The Korean rolls are not the same as what's listed as an appetizer. The appetizer has beef, and when I called to clarify, I was told the box's rolls have no beef and are vegetarian. Unfortunately, though, they aren't purely vegetarian - There was imitation crab in them. The rolls are pretty clean and bland, but they were a much-needed palate cleanser given the spicy chicken. The ginger salad was also good! It added a note of freshness to an otherwise heavy meal. In traditional Korean style, entrees are served with banchan. Little side dishes, these items may include kimchi, sliced cucumbers, potato, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to see each of these dishes in my take-out meal bag! Each one was packed separately, and they again added a note of freshness to the meal, as they do to any Korean meal. Bottom line: The service is great here, and even though the food is somewhat expensive, it is mostly tasty and comforting. read more

My family's go-to place for Korean food. I love the bibimbap here - they make it so well. Also love the amuse-bouches they serve prior to the meal (the potato one is the best). Their Korean pancakes are also amazing - can't go wrong with either the seafood one or the kimchi one. read more

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Korean food hits Chapel Hill in the old Sushi-Yoshi. Big menu. Nice decor. Pleasant young waiter. Some service hiccups that were quickly ironed out--I'm sure much of this can be chalked up to its being a new establishment. I'm not crazy about Korean food, so I can't speak to the spectacularity of their renditions. I had a seafood bibimbap, which was perfectly fine and appeared properly executed. Requisite egg, sizzling clay pot, etc. Good portions. Also had an appetizer that was essentially a monster sushi roll stuffed with everything under the sun, minus wasabi and soy sauce. Also fine. Not sure why they are bothering with Japanese offerings, and I wish they played music inside, as it was a little awkwardly quiet. What say you, Korean food fanatics? read more

Good Korean food with hit or miss service. The food at Min Ga is pricey - so judged by that standard it's not worth the value. However in terms of Korean food it is pretty decent- Bibimbap is good- complete with the rice crust in the bottom. Bulgogi selection is varied- and the boxes they offer plus the side dishes (banchan) - which on a good day is excellent- but can look half-assed when off. The service is friendly .. But erratic. read more

So disappointed in how my experience turned out here. I moved recently to Chapel Hill and my family and I wanted to find a decent Korean restaurant to eat at. I mean, the food, although not terrible was not spectacular. The portions were not outstanding either, nor was the pricing. It was expensive for the amount they gave. But that's not the part that really disappointed us. It was the fact that we were a party of five and they automatically stuck a gratuity fee on it. I mean I'd overlook the waiter not being attentive to our table, while we were desperate to flag someone, absolutely anyone to fill our glasses, but gratuity for a party of five? That's just ridiculous. I'd rather drive all the way to Cary to get my Korean food fix than go here. read more

Yummy! I am not an adventurous eater but it was a fun place to explore new food with coworkers at lunch! Don't pass on dessert!

I've been to Min Ga many times and although it's a tad expensive, I don't really mind all too much, given it's one of the few Korean options in the area. The location is a bit awkward and the service is definitely erratic. It's not outstanding service, but it's fine. Nothing to complain about. Sometimes your servers are college kids working their part time and sometimes its older Korean ladies who don't speak much English, it really varies based on that. I find their food to be pretty tasty and will hit my Korean craving. You get about 6 different sides to go with your food that are unlimited, and have always tasted fresh to me. Some of my favorites are the ramen japchae, the hotpots, and the boxes off of the lunch menu (kalbi or bulgogi), either is great. Meat is juicy and tender. Overall: pretty yummy. read more

Hand down the best Korean restaurant in town!! Please ask for their kimchi pancake (ask them NOT to add the seafood onto the pancake). This is our classic favorite. The rest of the menu is worth exploring. read more

Pretty good food, AWFUL service I went out with my wife to eat here on Saturday, 2/11/2012. We waited about 25 minutes or so to be seated, which was fine. Saturday nights are busy, no problem. However, when we were being seated the first time, we were given a table that seats six just for the two of us. The server wanted to sit us on the same side of the table (as opposed to sitting across from each other, as is normal) because the table next to us was occupied by a large family with a baby and they didn't want to ask the family to move child just for a moment so we could squeeze in. There was a table empty behind us and we asked if we could have that, but were told it was reserved. So, we sat back down at the waiting area for another table. While we were waiting again, the manager (a younger guy who seems to relish wearing flashy clothes and flirting with the wait staff) started to ask us and the other people waiting how long they had been waiting (why is he not aware of this information). He offered us the baby table (again) and we declined. He did seat another group that said they had been waiting 30 minutes at the allegedly reserved table. Why couldn't we have that one in the first place? Did he even know it was reserved? We were seated eventually, and were brought out several small dishes of different types food. All were either very or good or pretty good, with some that were just OK. However, we were not given any empty plates to portion out food and eat off of, so it was awkward to reach over all the plates every time I wanted a bite. Very strange. I ordered the chicken bulgoki and my wife ordered sushi. Her sushi came out in a reasonable amount of time, but my bulkogi came out about 15 minutes after her food, so she was mostly done after mine finally arrived. I even asked the waitress were my food was, and she explained that the bulkogi takes longer to make than the sushi. Gee, thanks for explaining to me that different food takes different amounts of time to prepare. After I asked her about the status of my food, she came back and said my meal was being plated. About five to six minutes after that, my food came out, SIZZLING hot, obviously just made. I was apparent to me they had forgotten about my meal and the waitress lied when she said it was being plated. If it had been plated five or six minutes prior to when they brought it out, it would not have still been that hot. My bulkogi was very good and was served with nice sticky rice on the side. My wife's sushi was fine, nothing special. One of the rolls was stuffed with fake crab meat salad, and was not very good (seriously, who likes that fake crab meat crud?) and did not finish it. I mentioned to two different waitresses (it was never clear who are waitress was as different ones kept showing up) about how my meal came out 15 minutes after my wife's. The second waitress I brought it up to should be nominated for a Razzie award for worst performance because she couldn't have cared less. All she said was "Sorry" then cleared the table. Also as we were finishing up, I noticed one customer had to go up to the reception area to get their check and another had to go track down silverware. Also, one waitress began to clean a table, but didn't finish and just left a bus tray full of dirty dishes sitting on top of a table surrounded by eating customers. The service in this place is an absolute joke and feels like a bunch of kids just playing restaurant instead of taking it seriously. Also, the menu is insanely overpriced and the ambiance of the restaurant has not changed much from the previous place. Take a pass on Min Ga. read more

My boyfriend and I happened upon MinGa when we were visiting Chapel Hill for a couple of days. Both he and I lived in bigger cities like San Francisco and New York, where there was no shortage of good Korean food, so we kept an open mind going into MinGa. The food wasn't great, but it was good enough for a quick lunch before heading to the airport. The Not So Good: - Miso soup that comes with the Bibimbap was not good and was pushed aside after a few tastes. It didn't help that we had eaten at Sushi Nikko just the day before, where the miso soup was absolutely delicious. - The side dishes were bland and not memorable. I love visiting Korean restaurants where the side dishes are delicious additions to the meal. At MinGa, I only remember one dish being rather tasty - it looked and tasted like strips of kimchi pancake. - On a hot day, I love slurping down some Korean cold noodles (Naengmyun). MinGa gives you a generous bowl of noodles, but it wasn't as good as many other places I've tried. It wasn't bad, but I ended up only eating half the bowl. My boyfriend who rarely eats cold, vinegary noodles, thought it wasn't bad...so maybe it might be alright for folks who haven't tried naengmyun dishes at other locations. The Good: - The Bibimbap was really flavorful! - Decent service. Verdict: Would go to grab a quick meal, but not a place I would take out-of-town visitors for good Korean food. read more

Simply the best Korean restaurant in this part of the state. If you have spent time in Korea and have been disappointed with Korean food in this area, this place will solve the problem. read more

Before Min Ga, I was not really a fan of Korean food. I'm probably still not a fan of Korean food, maybe just Min Ga food. The portion sizes here are generous, and I recommend the seafood pancake - it's delicious, and it's huge! Plus, every time we've been here, there's never a wait. There're actually only a small number of people ever sitting in here, it looks like most people do take out or delivery (although the restaurant itself looks pretty new). Taking away one star because during one of our visits the waitress came by and asked us something along the lines of "what are you guys doing?" - i.e., you've been sitting here for a while, when are you leaving so I can have my lunch break? read more

Pricey, but pretty good! Came here twice with friends, and was happy to see a wide selection of authentic Korean dishes in the many paged menu. As others have said their version of the savory seafood pancake is delicious! Lighter and puffier than other versions I've had, but still very tasty. If you don't like seafood, you can get the kimchi pancake, which I imagine would be similarly good. For appetizers, I've also tried the pork mandu (dumplings) which were just OK to me, the squid with spicy sauce which was very tasty, and one of the favorites which I hadn't had in years, the Duk Bok Ki (rice cakes stir fried with vegetables & spicy sauce) which was AWESOME. For main dishes I've had the cold buckwheat noodle soup with spicy broth (Bibim Naeng Myun) which was really nice on a hot summer day, as well as the famous dolsot bibimbap (fried rice in a stone bowl) which was great with properly crispy rice on the bottom and fried egg on top, and kalbi (bbq short ribs) which was sweet and tasty but not the best I've had. The service is slow and not the most attentive, but I've found that to be typical for Korean and other Asian restaurants, so I have lowered expectations in this area. The decor is pretty and tasteful. I'm so glad to see that more Korean food options have been popping up around the Triangle, and that restaurants such as this one offer a broad selection of different Korean dishes (other than typical BBQ, fried chicken, and bibimbap). if you want an education about Korean food classics, you can find it here. read more

So in my recent move to Durham, I drive Min Ga almost everyday. Every time I drove by, I kept saying to myself how I need to try this place out. It wasn't until I came on yelp and read some reviews that I realized Min Ga was a Korean restaurant; I came in the very next day. I really like the atmosphere and the decor. So I ordered the kim chi pancake, and a salmon hand roll. Much like any traditional Korean restaurant, they brought out the small plates, which included dry seaweed, potatoes, kim chi, cucumbers, and miso soup. All were delicious. They brought out my sushi very quickly afterwards, and I gobbled it down in about 4.2 seconds. It was really good. They brought me out the seafood pancake instead, which was totally cool, because it had squid, mussels, clams, octopus, and kim chi :) I also added some of my kim chi side on top of my slices. Everything about this place was awesome. The prices were maybe a bit high, it was about $20 for my pancake and handroll, but the deliciousness makes up for it. I will definitely coming back here very soon, seeing as how good authentic Korean food is sparse in these parts. I also saw hot pot noodles and many other things I need to have. Unfortunately, they do not have a take out menu or a menu online, which just means I will spend more time there deciding what I want, instead of planning it out from home. Anyway, if you like Korean food, get over here immediately. Cheers. read more

MinGa - Seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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This was our second time visiting. Place was clean, server friendly... Only complaint there is NO MUSIC WAS PLAYING. We could hear every word of the (annoying) conversation next to us. We ordered the fried dumplings and steamed tofu apps and they were both delicious and ample portions. Especially liked the soy dipping sauce. My husband ordered the Hot Stone Bipbimbap (and loved it) and I ordered the Kimchi Seafood Tang. My tang was excellent, just the right mix of savory broth and spicy heat that I wanted on a cold night. My only complaints are that my dish contained only 1 small shrimp (1!) and the only other type of seafood in it was squid. Didn't seem like enough variety to be called a seafood dish. I am a squid lover, but mine was pretty tough or maybe I wouldn't have cared. On a not-food-related note, we looked up the closing time online (which was 10pm) and arrived at 8:45 pm thinking we would have plenty of time without feeling rushed. They closed at 9:20 and the manager/owner (?) was walking around scowling. We ended up feeling guilty and took the rest to go. Overall, we love the place and will def go back. read more

MinGa - Fried dumpling app and steamed tofu app...both delicious - Korean Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Excellent food! Lots of tasty appetizers that come with your meal, I especially enjoyed the soup and fried roll. Service was sweet and to the point, left lots of room to enjoy the food and conversation with my date! I'm definitely coming back for more read more

Oh I really wanted to like the food here. And so I gave it a shot because I always see people in the restaurant. And the food here was... it was okay to say the least. The udon noodle soup had really bland broth and the food in the soup looked like it got poured out of a can into the bowl. I really hoped the food would be good but sadly it just wasnt meant to be. Also the cost of the dishes are quite expensive which also acts like a double whammy. read more

This place is one of the best Korean restaurant in Triangle. Especially, I like their Soon-Dae Guk and Kimbob the best. Interior looks great and everything is very clean. read more

It's a good place for Korean food. I was very pleased with seafood Bibimpab. The service was ok. The atmosphere itself was not impressive too. The other dish with octopus was overcooked. This place has a nice location, authentic food, potential to be excellent. But still we prefer Inter Korea when it comes to Asian food. read more

Came here with a party of 7 on Saturday night, and we left feeling incredibly full and happy. One note is, this restaurant is not grill-your-own-meat. I personally prefer not grilling it at the table -- it means less work for me, and I don't smell like meat-infused-smoke when we leave. We ordered the perfect amount of food and ended up spending about $17 each. * Kimchi pancake -- Perhaps the biggest, fattest seafood-and-kimchi-stuffed pancake I've ever seen. Very generous with the seafood chunks (squid, mussels, ??) and super fluffy and delicious. Now if only I could figure out how to make it like this at home... * Fried dumplings -- Great texture, filled with meat and veggies. * Kalbi -- Our favorite meat dish of the night, really flavorful and tender. I heart kalbi. * Beef bulgogi -- Authentic bulgogi, but a tad dry. * Sam gyeop sal -- Pork belly was yum, not too fatty, and extra yum when paired with the accompanying bean sauce. * Japchae -- Authentic noodle dish, perfectly cooked and generously filled with veggies and beef. * and all the little side dishes (banchan). And for dessert, we shared a bowl of shaved ice with red beans, fruit, mochi, and unidentified morsels of goodness. A perfect ending to a great meal! read more

I went to this place based on reviews I read on here on YELP earlier tonight. I was really looking for an ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BBQ where you grill yourself like ones I am used to in Los Angeles, this IS NOT ONE OF THOSE. But this is a good alternative for a small town like Chapel Hill. I brought my wife and her roommate (her birthday too), both of whom were studying for a mid-term tomorrow, and their criteria was peace and quiet and good food. Where this place had all of the above plus good wine/saki and amazing service. We enjoyed the Seafood Pancake as an appetizer, which was massive, and ended up bringing some home. Also both the Pork and Beef Bulgoki and we also shared the Kimchi Seafood Tang Casserole. They gave us unlimited sides and we had 2 glasses of wine and two large hot saki's. The bill came out to about $90.00, but seemed quite fare compared to all the food we got. We were pleased, and if I had a craving for Korean again while here in CH, I would definitely return. Lastly, the place was quiet, so the girls could work while I caught up on my emails on my notebook (free and fast open internet connection). The food came out pretty quick though which limited our study time, but hell, we were hungry and pleased. Again, I would rush back for the service, just amazing. read more

The food is ok, but the bbq is too expensive compared to all the Korean bbq I ate before.

I love this place! Every time I have been here I have had excellent service. The staff is very attentive and nice. They have so many items on their menu, it is so hard to pick at times that I end up ordering more than I can eat. (But I take the left overs home and stuff myself later anyways.) read more

I was feeling a bit sick so decided to come here for some spicy soon tofu on Friday night around 10pm. The restaurant was really nicely decorated and not too crowded. I was seated quickly and ordered the Beef Soontofu Jige. They brought out a good number of banchan which are traditional korean side dishes like spicy pickles, kimchi, and potato stew, these were all pretty good, but some were a little salty. The soontofu came out boiling hot and was the perfect level of spiciness. The dish was full of tofu, beef, and mushrooms, though I wish they gave you an egg to crack in it as a lot of other tofu houses do. The food was pretty good and they have a pretty big variety of different korean dishes like dukkboki and bibimbap so I'll definitely be back to try those! All in all I really enjoyed the meal and atmosphere and would definitely recommend this place to anyone craving korean soon tofu! read more

Great food but expect slow service as only one server available. Choices on menu is similar to most Korean restaurants with the key national dishes all available. Tried the Korean roll - Awesome. And our favourite bulgogi, spicy tofu soup and spicy cold buckwheat noodle. This is my best meal. Will come again! read more

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Just the best- go here!! The staff and service was amazing and the food is impeccable! Very tasty, great for groups. A little on the expensive side, but is definitely worth it! read more

Disappointing! We ordered the bibimnaengmyon and kimchi jiggae to-go. Both did not taste like it had the Korean flavor profile. The gochujang sauce for the bibimnaengmyon was bitter and not well-balanced with spicy and sweet. The kimchi jiggae tasted like someone put too much sugar in it. As if the entrees were not disappointing enough, some of the banchan (side dishes) that came with our meal tasted sour/spoiled, particularly the broccoli, which I gave to my 2 year old who usually loves it. She spit it back out. Sure enough, when I tasted it, it was spoiled. The food is overpriced for the quality. We had better luck eating at the H-Mart food court in Cary, that means anything to you. I don't think we'll eat or order from Min Ga again. read more

Seafood HotPot! - Minga's Durham, NC Minga's is one of the few places in Durham where you can get your favorite Korean dishes. Although a little pricey (common for most Korean places), it does a good job of presentation and service along with great food. Everytime I go to a Korean restaurant, I must say I have to try their Kailbi (or Korean Short Ribs) and I have to say this place has some of the juiciest I've ever tried! Great ribs and some of the best fish cake side dishes I've had yet! A good choice for those in Durham and a worthy 7/10! http://windoweating.tumblr.com/post/45099639564/2-28-korean-hotpot-night-mingas-durham-nc read more

Had this the other day with a friend I had not seen in a few years. It's a half way point between where she lives in graham and where I live in Raleigh. Location is easy off of I40, even if a little hidden. Interior decor was lovely. Music was top 40. Would have been nice to have some soft Korean or Japanese music playing in the background to feel a little more authentic. Service was quick... Almost rushed. Would have been just right if not catching up with an old friend. It took us forever to even look at the menu then couldn't really decide. I stuck with a simple breaded fish dinner. We got some veggie dumplings to start. Both were tasty. I don't know enough about typical authentic Korean food to say whether our food items were the norm, but the portions were large (we both took half home). The mochi and green tea ice cream we ordered after were yummy and just the right size. Little pricey for everything, but for all the food we got, that seemed ok. Would likely return in the future to try again. read more

Finally an awesome Korean restaurant in Chapel Hill! The broth in the soups is great and the service is quick and friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Delicious ramen, dumplings, and Korean BBQ. Highly recommend the fish broth soy soup, spicy ramen, and bulogi dumplings. Great service, prices, and atmosphere. Definitely returning. read more

Can someone explain to me why Korean restaurants are so expensive relative to the poor quality of food and the bad service? The restaurant has a cute home like feeling in the inside. However, just like most Korean restaurants, service sucks. Ordered the soon du bu and there were pieces of kimchi in it. I'm korean and this is not normal. Side dishes were blah. The servers were college aged students who were very inexperienced in serving. If you are really craving korean food, go get a korean recipe book and then hit up your local asian grocery store and cook it yourself. There are really no good korean restaurants in the triangle area. read more

The quality of food is not bad though I've had better. It's definitely really expensive but the amount you get is reasonable. The special here for me is barbecue (bulgogi) items. Pancake batter is too think for me and the taste is not consistent sometimes but overall it's good. read more

Pretty nice Korean food. I really love the side dishes. I ordered the F2, just normal Korean food. Flavor is also nice. Environment okay, service okay. We need to ask tem to refill the side dishes, not so good. Overall, nice. read more

MinGa - Korean Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Best Korean food in the Triangle! On par with Korean restaurants in major US cities. Bibimbap is amazing. Tastes fresh and healthy. Great service & music. Don't listen to anyone with low ratings... go taste for yourself! You will be happy. read more

We lived in Chapel Hill almost a year before visiting MinGa because I was put off by the mediocre reviews on here, but now I'm sad we did! This place is great! I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about ... maybe they're just not used to legit Korean food? Anyway, the japchae, bibim nengmyen, bibimbap, dumplings, and bulgogi are all delicious. The service is fast, friendly, and attentive and the portions are generous. read more

Probably one of the best Korean joints I've been to in a long time while stateside. I was really impressed by how fresh the food was. My wife (Korean) had the Bibimbab, and I tried the Pork Cutlat (donkastsu). I can always tell if we have had decent Korean when she wont be quiet about it... She's still talking about it... Price was decent too. I wish I didn't have to pay $15 for Makoli when it's only a couple dollars in Korea, but I understand markups and import taxes so I won't complain too much. read more

MinGa - They even grow their own veggies (sesame leafs, zucchini, tomatoes) - Korean Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I've really tried to love Min Ga but at this point, I can't. I've come to this restaurant for years, even had one of my birthday dinners here with a large group of friends, but every time I eat here, there is some disappointment. The service: I can get past the prices but the service bothers me. Even on my birthday, after we got our food, we waited for the server to bring us for silverware for a while, and then I ended up having to get up from the table to go find someone. On a more recent visit, our waiter never brought out our waters, even after we got our food and asked her again for water, she went to the back but did not bring them out. It was not until the end of the meal that she finally did. I don't understand why the service can be this bad when there were no other customers. The food: I've tried a wide variety of the foods on the menu. Some are close to being good but usually turn out to be somewhat bland. More specifically: the jampong is not very spicy, the nengmyun is watered down, the jajangmyeon doesn't have much taste and didn't have much vegetables or meat in it. If you want to know what you should get, I'd recommend: the seafood pancake, ddukbokgi or jampong. The seafood pancake and ddukbokgi are good choices if you want to share with your friends, which is always fun! The banchan are pretty good as well. Summary: If you're really craving Korean food and just gotta get your fix, try it! It's definitely hit or miss. Maybe you will like it! Unfortunately, I think I've given Min Ga one too many chances and will have to get my Korean food fix elsewhere... read more