Y’all, while I adore Raleigh and its food scene, Durham is equally magical and powerful in the Triangle. Chef Michael Lee has established quite the eMpire of restaurants in the Bull City, currently with 4 delicious concepts and 4 more on the way. I appreciate that his menus are small and intentional, and the spaces the restaurants occupy model this quaint feeling. Today, I wanted to share my various dining experiences at his 4 restaurants in Durham: M Sushi, M Kokko M Pocha, and M Tempura. I highly recommend trying all of them for stunning experiences, all while feeling like you’re in the comfort of a friend’s home. Check out the various M Restaurants in Durham below.
M Restaurants in Durham Review
M Sushi
M Sushi is located in the alley beside the Durham Hotel and offers the freshest sushi. I met my friend, Amy, here for lunch and we split the bun, with salmon skin, bbq eel, hoison, and pickles. We also ordered special roll combo and got the rainbow roll with the salmon avocado roll. Add it to your Durham restaurants list immediately if you haven’t been yet! P.S. They take reservations through OpenTable and I highly recommend making reservations unless you’re going right when they open… but even then I’d still make a reservation.
M Kokko
M Kokko shares the same space as M Sushi and is an intimate, cozy spot featuring casual dishes with Korean and Japanese influences. The menu is written on a chalkboard and is subject to change. Get there early to grab a table and I wouldn’t recommend trying to get a party larger than 4 in here without a decent wait. Order the pork buns and split the chicken sandwich.
M Pocha
I absolutely adored my experience at M Pocha, mainly because I love tapas style dishes to be able to sample as much as possible. I met Stacey here for supper one night to catch up and we sat at bar overlooking the street, which was so fun for people watching. We sampled the shrimp burger, fried rice, mango salad, and the Benton’s bacon butter Brussels sprouts. Wowowow, order exactly that. This restaurant doesn’t take reservations either, but grab a drink and enjoy the scenery while waiting for your table!
M Tempura
Go ahead and clear your night for the experience that is M Tempura (also, plan to wash your hair when you get home). I went here to celebrate a friend and it was absolutely amazing. It is such a unique dining experience and makes you feel like you’re somewhere other than Durham. We all opted for the Traditional Style Omakase, and just when you think your meal is done, they bring out another round. I cannot recommend this space enough for a special occasion, or if you’re just feeling a little wanderlust and need to change up your routine for a bit. They do take reservations, so as with M Sushi, I would definitely recommend that.
Interested in more Durham favorites? Check out our Durham date night itinerary and the best things to do in Durham during the summer.
Which of these M Restaurants in Durham are you most interested in trying? Let me know in a comment below!
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