KoKyu is a new favorite for me! The restaurant interior was full when we arrived on a Saturday night and we had to wait ~10 minutes to be seated, but they had plenty of seating outside on the patio. The interior is very ecclectic and unique, which I feel is authentic to the feel of the restaurant. The food, however, is worth the wait. There are plenty of filling and flavorful vegan options: We ordered the Ko Faux Bahn and the Tofu and Crispy Rice Lettuce Wrap. Both dishes were delicious but I loved the crispy rice on the lettuce wraps a little extra. I felt the perfect amount of full from splitting both dishes. I will definitely be returning soon to enjoy some of the other dishes! read more

See all

first of all, I love the atmosphere, the outside patio seating area is very large and inviting! The flavors of the food are superb, and everyone is so wonderful and nice here! definitely a hidden gem! Took a star away as The kids option was a bit goofy....mostly fries and two small pieces of fish served in a brown paper bag.... sadly my daughter was still hungry and I ended up having to buy an extra kids meal option doubling the cost to the same as an adult option. Somewhat minor, but when paying $20 for a burger, a side of fries would have been nice Family of 4 all in for $106 read more

KoKyu - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

It's been years since I was last here. Shame on me because they have some of the Bahn Mi I've ever tasted. It's still a nice cool atmosphere. They even have a bigger outdoor patio now, got rid of the beer wall. Oh well still have lots of good craft beers. And an expanded indoor seating area. Basically, pick your seats and order with your phone and then they bring the food to you. I went with the Calabria chicken sandwich, and it was very tasty. Sandwiches come with a side, I got the chickpea and quinoa side, which was also very good. I'll have to put this back on my regular rotation. read more

See all

The food here was awesome. Portion sizes left us all full and happy. LOVE the fusion of it all. Honestly can't go wrong with anything on the menu it seems! There's indoor and outdoor seating, you scan a QR code and order that way and then they'll bring it out to you. It's nice to go with a group bc you can split the order payment super easily. They also come and bring water over. Trendy kinda place, just super unique read more

KoKyu - Pork belly taco and steak taco - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Found this gem and have already been back a few times. The sandwiches are incredible n the crispy shrimp tacos are amazing.Great indoor and outdoor seating. Highly recommend visiting dis place read more

KoKyu - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Okay, so Yelp states this restaurant is dog friendly. That isn't the case. The restaurant and patio do not allow any dogs, so they send you about 2 football fields away to a pine area and picnic table. They will bring your drinks and food to you, but on our occasion, we had to go pick up our food. The food is great, but don't come here expecting it to be dog friendly. I'll update the restaurant to dogs not allowed as technically, they aren't. Great food though. read more

KoKyu - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Such unique menu items, I'll always recommend this place! Baht Mi was very good, and so were the Karikari Brussel Sprouts. I just wish there was more crunchy rice and way less ounces of oil. read more

KoKyu - Baht Mi and Karikari Brussel Sprouts - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place is a gem. Menu is outstanding and truly unusual and good. The deck is gorgeous and the staff is thoughtful and professional. I can't wait to be back in Durham to eat there again. The burnt tips nachos were awesome. The calamari tacos were awesome as well. Others in my party loved everything they ordered. read more

Super cute patio! We ended up having to move inside because of rain, but the patio was nice and big and a really cute spot. All of the staff were incredibly kind. They greeted us right away and checked on us often. The burnt end pork nachos were amazing. The meat was so tender. The large was enough for two people. The queso has a little bit of a kick to it. read more

KoKyu - Pork bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

This was an unusual place, with a very casual vibe, no table service and ordering by phone, but some interesting food and a ton of beverage options. I eschewed the beverages but greatly enjoyed the option to get some peanut-crusted tofu with fresh vegetables for my lettuce wraps. Ordering fries turned out not to be the greatest decision; the oil seemed to have a bit of an off taste and the seaweed-heavy coating didn't work for me. Overall, they had some interesting vegetarian options in a vaguely Korean fusion vein. The person a table over was having a long dialogue about gluten-free options so I assume this place is used to special dietary needs. read more

KoKyu - Fries - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Came here wanting to enjoy some outdoor seating. This place has a really nice outdoor patio nestled against the woods, with nice ambient lighting it really sets the mood for a relaxing time. The ordering is virtually all done thru their online ordering process. The food itself was outstanding. The bowls are a decent size and you leave feeling full. If you can take 'heat' their house sauce will take your dish up a notch, but mind you the sauce is hot. This place is a keeper, we'll be back. read more

See all

I feel that fusion food is hard to get right, but Kokyu does it justice. You do have to be a bit careful with what you order, because not all the dishes deliver to the same degree. We ordered the Brussels sprouts, which were a tad sweet, but still glorious. The beer-battered fries were a total winner. The pork belly tacos were pretty average. They used to be only a takeout place, but now they've expanded with indoor and patio seating. I absolutely adore their range of drinks -- non-alcoholic, and alcoholic -- with some interesting local and international choices. Service is fast, and they come around multiple times to check in on you. The vibe is low-key and casual. read more

KoKyu - Beer battered steak fries - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

KoKyu is a cute Asian fusion restaurant hidden behind Southpoint Mall. I enjoyed their bulgogi banh mi and pork bowl last week. For the banh mi: I thought the beef was excellent and the toppings fresh. I especially enjoyed the large amount of cilantro and the side of daikon. The flavors were well balanced and the bread crispy. For the pork bowl: I thought that although each ingredient tasted fresh, they didn't pair well together. For example, the rice and spinach were hot and flavorful but the pickled bean sprouts and kimchi were cold and sour. The contrasts between each ingredient were stark. I thought that the pork was well marinated as well but the flavors as a whole could have meshed better together. Overall, I liked the location, ambiance, and service. I'll probably be back for another fusion banh mi. read more

See all

Found this place on a Reddit feed for best of Durham. It did not disappoint. Outdoor seating was nice. Friendly service. Delicious food. Even the water was good. read more

KoKyu - Karaage bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

KoKyu has been on my list to try for a while, and I finally got the chance to do so! They're known for their sandwiches so I got the Baht Mi. It was packed full with tender and flavorful short rib + so many refreshing veggies and was absolutely delicious. My friends and I also got fries to share, but this was pretty disappointing: it was a terrible portion size (seen in the photo) for $8. Ambiance is really nice with both indoor and outdoor seating. Service is fast, you order via QR code. Lots of free parking in the lot up front. 7.5/10 would recommend overall, 10/10 just for the sandwich! read more

KoKyu - Baht mi, fries - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Pretty solid sandwich, only comes with a bag of chips though. Little disappointing for a $17 sandwich. Super friendly staff. read more

KoKyu - Shwarma Bahn mi - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I've heard great things about Kokyu and have wanted to try it for a while, so I was very excited when my friend suggested we meet here for lunch. We went on a Thursday afternoon and had no trouble finding a table. The service in general was great - the food came out quick, the waiters were attentive but not imposing, and every staff member we interacted with was kind, friendly, and welcoming. It was hard to decide what to order since there were so many unique options, but I ended up ordering a chicken banh mi. It was my very first Bahn mi ever and I loved it!! I will have to come back to try their other menu items sometime! read more

A real disappointment. I remember liking this place, but can't for the life of me remember why - it must've been 2 iterations ago. Service - robotic. Using your phone to order from a menu and then having someone drop your food in front of you feels more like ordering toilet paper from Amazon than a restaurant experience. Food - poor. I should've remembered my rule of thumb to never eat at an Asian-ish cuisine place that has zero Asian customers. Second rule of thumb is to leave when they advertise the brand of rice used in the dishes as if it's some exotic thing (Tamanishiki is a normal rice, available on Amazon, grown in California). I had Ko'Jangles Fries and a Galbi Beef Short Rib Bowl. The order of fries was more seasoning than fry - enough so that even after shaking each individual fry off I was forced to have a mouthful of water between each. The inclusion of honey mustard with this spice blend is actually insane - the flavor matches with literally nothing else on the menu, including the fries they come with. The Galbi Bowl was about half as good and half as much as something you'd get at the HMart food court, for twice the price; the volume of food was something less than halfway up the bowl, leading to an impression of being shortchanged. In the end, never again. Maybe the sandwiches are worth another shot but the feeling of standing in the parking lot asking oneself "Did I just get got?" isn't a good one. read more

This is for take-out. This is a very casual counter service resturant. Ordering is easily done at a kiosk. They seem to have a big selection of IPAs in can but drinking and driving is frowned upon so I went straight to food. I got the Pork belly Baht Mi. This was delicious but definitely not traditional. The bread was spot on... crispy, crunchy, and hot. The veggies had the right amount of pickle. The pork belly was delicious but only 3 slices on an 8" sandwich. There was no pate and lacking in any condiments. I held the chilis because I am a wus and no cilantro because .... eeew, soap. The price for a single sandwich was high at $18. I liked the sandwich but would not go out of my way to come here. American Vietnamese fusion with a dash of mexican thrown in. read more

Sat outdoors and loved the ambience. Customer service is good and my kids were happy when they handed them few Pokémon cards and that kept them busy. Loved their Shrimp tacos with Basil in it and will be going if we are near to place. read more

Nice asian fusion food with good service but a little pricey in my opinion, also they have the entire front row blocked off for curbside pickup which is a little weird but wont dock a point for it read more

The food at KoKyu is really wonderful!! Super flavorful and excellent vegetarian and vegan options. Loved the tofu bulgogi and seasoned fries with honey mustard. However I am giving a 3 star review because it makes me sad that, 1) Ordering is done via QR code, which necessitates that patrons take out their phones to begin their dining experience, 2) food is given in take out containers even when dining in, and 3) no fountain drinks, so no free refills! These are major restaurant pet peeves for me, detracting from the experience of dining at this otherwise delicious Durham restaurant. I feel that for a $35 meal (impossible burger, fries, and tip) the ambience should match the high quality of the food. Please consider making these changes KoKyu, as I would come back again and again if these aspects were changed! read more

best place we have tried in durham so far!! the service was so quick and the staff was EXTREMELY kind and helped us out a lot. the portions are great- we got the pork bulgogi rice bowl to split and it was plenty of food. we were even given a free shake sample. they have DELICIOUS kimchi that's made in-house!!!!! so so so good we will be visiting often!!! read more

I absolutely loved this place. Been meaning to come here and try the food for seven years, but it's a little far from my house. For some reason, it reminds me of a more casual juju. The flavors are outstanding, the quality of the food is out of this world, they make pretty much everything in the house and you can really taste it. The brussels sprouts were some of the best vegetables I've ever had, and I also got the crispy peanut chicken rice bowl. It's so hard to make a decision on what to order because everything looks good. So I can't wait to make my way through the menu. read more

KoKyu - Crispy chicken rice bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

This place is 10/10! Hospitality 10/10, food 10/10, ambiance 10/10, cleanliness 10/10. We went there on a Thursday evening and the weather was nice so we got to enjoy the patio seating and it was beautiful . We got a couple of bibamp bowls and they were bursting with flavor! We'll be back to try every item on their menu read more

See all

Was in town for the day and wanted to find something new that we don't often get to see in smaller towns. And let's say this place did not disappoint. I had the short rib Bahn mi and we had the burnt end nachos along with the fish tacos. All of them were absolutely delicious and the service was great. The vibes were laid back but also trendy which made the whole experience a good time. Definitely try this place if you're in town! read more

The burnt end nachos are out of this world good. Holy cow. Everything here is great but that's without a doubt my favorite. The pork belly tacos are also incredible and have amazing flavoring. Right now they're just doing take out you can't sit in but that'll change in a few months read more

KoKyu - Burn end nacho - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Belly Banh Mi was alright but nothing to write home about. For the price ($17 with tip), I was expecting a lot more. I liked the amount of veggies they put inside and the side options (seaweed salad, chips, etc.). The pork belly was not flavorful but also not bad. If you're looking for banh mi, there's better places for half the price. KoKyu does have a lot of other options which I may try another time. Many of their items are on the pricier side which does not seem worth what you're getting imo. read more

KoKyu - Belly Banh - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Wonderful experience for a first time visitor! Food was great and the staff was very welcoming and efficient!

Burnt end nachos were delicious! The patio had a very nice vibe. My wife got this shrimp tacos. She enjoyed her meal as well. Lots of good flavors throughout. read more

Visited 2x during the holidays, and loved the food. Baht mi was tasty, filling and spicy. The fish tacos were delicious too. I tried all h the fry options but the furikake fries and the dip that goes with them are chef's kiss. Will be back next time I'm in Durham! read more

Went there today for lunch and everything we ordered was amazing. 10/10 would highly recommend (we drove from Pittsboro and will do it again). read more

KoKyu - Great vegetarian options! - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Went this weekend with husband and daughter. It was probably my fourth visit and the first time sitting on the patio. The outdoor patio is a great spot with lots of tables and trees. I have to say that every visit the staff is super friendly and welcoming. We've had the banh mi, chicken, and veggie bowls. Everything was excellent. The fries are a standout as well. Nice beer and cider selection too. read more

Their food is delicious and their service is great. We enjoyed different dishes we have had so far.

This is a great place. Food was fresh and yummy!!! Another yelp find for the win. They are had fast and friendly service.

Delicious food. Very filling! The interior is ok. Music is too loud. QR code ordering but there's weak service which makes ordering frustrating. People were nice. Food is good. read more

One of our local favorites. Great and creative food, thoughtful service, and the ambiance in the new seating area is cool. We will be back again and again. read more

KoKyu - Steak bowl with tako sauce - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Best restaurant in Durham with the best patio, but I was just told to leave because they cannot allow dogs on said new patio because they are connected to a medical building?! Okay well that is an unfortunate new development. Buster move y'all ain't it! Won't be coming back which mostly sucks for me as a very long time customer (since the food truck days!) Lame sauce on the side. Edit: Owner, Flip, reached out with a very flippant response, so the 1 star review stays here forever and I will not be coming back. Reactionary, yes maybe, but I do not give a flying flip about some BS "out of your control" policy enough to buy any more over priced (albeit delicious) sandwiches from your establishment again. Good luck and good riddance! read more

This may be my new favorite spot!! First time I ordered one of their bowls... I believe it was the short rib kalbi which was delicious. My second visit I tried out the Apple Milkshake and Sorghum Chili Chicken Banh Mi with a side of sweet potato salad and kimchi daikon. Another hit! There are so many interesting dishes on the menu and I can't wait to go back. Just as an FYI, no indoor seating, but you can go inside to grab some water or go to the restroom! read more

See all

Picked up dinner here on a Monday evening! You can order online or outside using the QR code. There is no inside seating. The worker outside was friendly and explained the process to me when I arrived. The menu has an arrange of different bowls and sandwiches that all sound good. I ordered the karaage bowl. It was good! But I just wish it had a little bit more vegetables and sauce. It was a little bit more than I would have liked ~$20 for the meal after tax and a small tip. Glad to try this place out! read more

KoKyu - Karaage bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina