KoKyu — Restaurant in Durham

Kokyu oh how I love you. The food here is so good, that I sometimes forget how expensive it is. Sometimes…. I have eaten most things on the menu, and they are all good. The Thai Chop is delicious! The bowls are great here but realize that the whole bottom is going to be rice. The flavors are fantastic but their bowls could use more veggies. That said still worth it. The sauces and the spice! The myriad of different flavors and textures.

Every time I have had a shake there it was WAY better than most places. The flavor profiles and combinations they come up with are executed perfectly. When you arrive you are met quickly by the most chill and yet most on point servers. They check in, without being intrusive. I have eaten here so many times and the staff are never grumpy or short. It must be a good place to work. If I got to eat here I might pull some shifts too!

Their beer selection while small is basically filled up with great choices. Their sides are great. Their slaw is quite good; it’s not a mayo mess! Let’s be real though, the chicken sandwich makes other chicken sandwiches feel bad about themselves. It makes chick fil a cry to its therapist. Which chicken sandwich you may ask? All of them, that’s which one.

Also on a personal note I went here a few times while my dog was really sick. He was in the car with me. I could tell things were coming to an end. I didn’t have the energy to cook, and the staff here were so kind. They saw something in my eyes and they just knew. They were so good to us on those days. He and I ate chicken all the way home.

I would come back just because of their kindness, but the food is wonderful. Other than Ideals, you won’t catch me getting a sandwich anywhere else.

The reason it doesn’t get a five for atmosphere is because it’s outside seating only. A small number of tables. Word on the street though is that they are...

Think of KoKyu as a neighborhood joint that you frequent regularly because it’s convenient, serves consistently good food, and the vibe is chill. We visited KoKyu during our visit to Durham and weren’t disappointed at all.

For food, we got:

KO.F.C Sandwich: Korean fried chicken slathered with gochujang mayo and kimchi slaw with a drizzle of sweet chili—the actual sandwich itself is as delicious as its recipe. We loved it!

Viet Satay Sandwich: Rooster Mayo with Crispy Chicken with chilies and peanut sauce—it is sure enough to tingle your taste buds as it did ours! Highly recommended!

Caramelized Kimchi Nachos: A bold and inventive fusion of Korean and Mexican flavors, this dish layers crispy corn tortilla chips with sweet and tangy caramelized kimchi, drizzled with fiery sriracha and topped with vibrant kimchi’d radish, fresh scallions, and a generous dollop of sour cream. Served with a side of ghost pepper cheese sauce for those seeking an extra kick, it’s a visually striking plate that brings heat, crunch, and creativity to the table—though the flavor balance might not be for everyone. We found the flavor to be wanting.

For drinks, we got:

Local Peaches and Cream Shake: Quite delectable, it’s a wonderful sweet treat, all the more so if you’re into peaches!

Local Cantaloupe Lemonade: Cantaloupe blended into lemonade was quite fresh, and made for a wonderful refreshing drink.

The seating is available both inside and outside. The funky art on the walls adds to the vibe. We loved the art inside. Seating is available both inside and outside.

It was decently busy on the Saturday afternoon that we visited. Sufficient parking is available outside. Service was prompt and polite.

The way to order is to take a seat at a table, and order from your table and they bring the food to your table.

Overall it’s a 5/5 experience that I...

Frustrating food ordering. You cannot place your order with a person. We did not want to order on our phones using QR code at the table because the ordering platform wasn’t loading, but the kiosk people can use to order didn’t have nachos listed that my colleague wanted. So we ordered on our phones. Couldn’t close our tab at the end of the meal, so had to get a server to close on a handheld terminal. Then he “couldn’t” print a receipt.

Was a bit frustrating to have to guess what many of their sauces and seasonings were given that there often weren’t descriptions on the ordering platform and you can’t place an order with a person.

Food was unspectacular. Got an apparently premade, soupy milkshake…can’t remember the last time I left a milkshake or any other ice cream unconsumed. Brussels were decent. Wagyu Kim Cheeseburger was disappointing. I love kimchi—and portmanteaus—and gave this place the benefit of the doubt that the toppings would tie together nicely given the 4.8 rating across 1,700+ reviewers, but the toppings didn’t compliment the burger or each other to me. Burnt end nachos had a very little bit of very tasty burnt ends and a whole lot of chips and iceberg lettuce. I’d take Bojangle’s seasoned fries over their Ko’Jangles any day—even if the seasoned fries cost $8 like theirs.

Staff was friendly. Space was loud at 6:30 on a Monday to the point of my colleague and me having lean in and raise our voices to have conversation. Glad this place hits for a lot of people but, wow, was I disappointed to choose such a highly rated spot and have this level of...