Corner Yaki — Restaurant in Durham

During my visit to Durham, NC, I had the opportunity to stop by Durham Food Hall. I had heard great things about the venue, so I was eager to check it out. First impressions were definitely positive—the space is absolutely beautiful, clean, and well-organized. The layout is modern yet welcoming, and the variety of food options available makes it a great destination for anyone looking to try something new or for groups with different tastes. The atmosphere was lively, and the hall felt like a perfect place for a casual meal with friends or family.

After exploring the different food vendors, I decided to try the ramen at Yaki to. I was excited to see pork belly ramen on the menu since it’s one of my favorite dishes. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The ramen lacked flavor overall, with the dominant taste being the grease and the pork belly itself. The broth didn’t have the depth or richness I was hoping for, and the dish overall felt one-dimensional. Another disappointment was the temperature—the ramen wasn’t served hot but just warm, which made the experience less enjoyable.

I also ordered a pork belly bun to give the menu another chance. While it was better than the ramen, it was still underwhelming. The flavors weren’t particularly memorable, and it didn’t stand out compared to similar dishes I’ve had elsewhere.

While I appreciated the cleanliness, ambiance, and variety offered by Durham Food Hall, the quality of my meal at Yaki to left a lot to be desired. For a place with such a great reputation and an amazing space, I was hoping for a better culinary experience. Overall, based on this visit, I’d rate yaki 3 stars. I might return to try a different vendor in the future, but I wouldn’t recommend the ramen at Yaki to unless...

UPDATE: I came back and tried the "Mall" Chicken Bowl. It was disappointing. Someone forgot to wash the rice and it wasn't fully cooked so the rice pasty and crunch (inedible!). The chicken and string beans were OK, nothing outstanding about it. For $17, the food is not worth it. Sad to say but I won't be back.

I should preface by saying this is not authentic Japanese food BUT it is an ode to Japanese food with NC ingredients. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. New menu items are presented on the counter where you order (the are not on the online menu) with PICTURES!

For my lunch, I ordered the short rib dumplings and Karaage Bowl.

The dumplings are well seasoned and the skin is chewy (none of the skin broke so +1) but the sauce is a tad too thick and probably didn't help that it was served in a paper plate where it immediately started to absorb any moisture present.

The Karaage Bowl was delicious but I'm not a fan of raw cabbage (slaw?) in my rice bowl. The Karaage was marinated well crispiness. The rice on the bottom was the star. Every grain is cooked to perfection.

All in all, I enjoyed my meal and look forward to trying...

I never write reviews for food or restaurants, as I work in the industry and understand what reviews can do. However, after calling to talk to someone about our order and basically being told “I’ll let my boss know.”. I just have to post this. The galbi meats were completely inedible, overcooked, dry and disgusting. There was hardly any meat and mostly bones. The rest of the bowls were just rice and a flavorless cucumber. We love cucumber salad and ordered an extra. It had tons of sauce and looked good, but tasted like nothing. Zero flavor. The fried chicken bowl looked nothing like the picture and was so dry and overcooked. This is not fried chicken (See picture attached of what we received.) $70 worth of food and not eating any of it. No offer to refund or make it right on the phone. Sad to say, we will...