Durham Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

May 18, 2020 by Ron Wen

News: Durham Food Hall at Liberty Warehouse Opens Up in May!

Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC - nctriangledining.com — Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC – nctriangledining.com

Exciting to see the new Durham Food Hall begin opening up after a long wait! I popped in to grab some provisions and the space is very light, airy and sunny, a more upscale approach to food halls in the area. There’s plenty of space and seating in this food hall along with a second floor bar and lounge named the Riggs Lounge!

Signage at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC - nctriangledining.com — Signage at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC – nctriangledining.com

While the Durham Food Hall will slowly bring vendors online, you can hit up the Durham Food Hall website to get your orders in. If you have multiple orders, they recommend setting them up to be picked up at the same time, there will be tables set up front while we work through this Covid-19 situation. Get excited Durham! By the end of May, you’ll have a great new food option to nosh at…

Entry area at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC - nctriangledining.com — Entry area at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC – nctriangledining.com

Dining area at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC - nctriangledining.com — Dining area at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC – nctriangledining.com

Bar at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC - nctriangledining.com — Bar at Durham Food Hall in Durham, NC – nctriangledining.com

2nd floor bar, Riggs Lounge at Durham Food Hall - nctriangledining.com — 2nd floor bar, Riggs Lounge at Durham Food Hall – nctriangledining.com

Here’s a list of Durham Food Hall Vendors and Opening Dates:

Afters Dessert Bar on May 26
Cookie cakes and dessert flights, giving you delicious small tastes of multiple desserts – you can try them all!

Bowerbird Botanical Bar on May 27

Seasonal blooms thoughtfully sourced and artfully arranged to bring the outdoors in – treat yourself or someone else!

Everything Bagels on May 22
Gourmet bagels made in house to create avant-garde bagel sandwiches and bagel-burgers.

Ex-Voto Cocina Nixtamal on May 29
Heirloom corn and nixtamalization to produce items like tacos, tamales, and tostadas that celebrate both Mexican and regional agriculture.

Liturgy Beverage on May 19
Creative tea and coffee beverages inspired by both the growers and producers who provide the ingredients, and the people who enjoy drinking them.

Locals Seafood Market & Oyster Bar on May 29
Seasonal North Carolina seafood, fresh daily from the coast. Everything from oyster plates and simple ceviche to market fish you can take home and prepare yourself.

Lula & Sadie’s on May 29
A seasonal, Southern eatery highlighting the cultural roots and bounty of produce our region produces, from scalloped potatoes and hot cakes, to tomato salad, chicken potpie and eggnog-pecan French toast.

Napoli Pizza and Gelato on May 28
Neapolitan style wood fired pizza with naturally risen dough, and sweet gelatos and sorbets made from scratch.

Old North Meats and Provisions on June 3
House-smoked meats, sausages and charcuterie for deli sandwiches or sliced. They will also have a selection of local cheeses – to enjoy at the Hall or to make your own charcuterie and cheese board at home.

Durham Food Hall

530 Foster Street

Durham, NC 27701

Location on Google maps

March 8, 2020 by Ron Wen

KoKyu Southpoint, Durham: A Fun Eatery for Casual Asian-Fusion Fare Loaded with Flavor

Front of KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Front of KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Way, way back in the day when the food scene was just ramping up in the Triangle, the big foodie novelty at the time (maybe 10 years ago) was food trucks! Offering up some unusual eats that you usually wouldn’t find in sit-down restaurants, food trucks blazed the trail for a lot of the more eclectic food offerings in the Triangle. The one food truck that stood out way back then was KoKyu.

The original KoKyu food truck in Durham - nctriangledining.com — The original KoKyu food truck in Durham – nctriangledining.com

A mash-up of Mexican and Asian flavors, KoKyu would be a great option after a day of drinking at popular breweries like Big Boss and Fullsteam. And like many successful food trucks, KoKyu made the move to bricks and mortar but with a twist. Kokyu’s first storefront KoKyu Na’mean, focused on Asian-style sandwiches (banh mi) and there was little menu overlap with the food truck menu. Wut?! The food was still good but there was a bit of a hole given it was missing some of my favorite, food truck items. Fast forward another 4 years and guess what? KoKyu is opening up its second bricks and mortar restaurant and it’s going back to its roots with the newer KoKyu Southpoint!

Order counter at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Order counter at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Dining space at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Dining space at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Inside KoKyu Southpoint you’ll find a bright blue and cheery space with a modern, funky feel. Polished concrete floors, spherical paper and tin washtub lamps overhead, along with a very interesting, blue triangular table in the corner. One wall has some graffiti on it in homage to their original food truck origins and design. Given their quick-serve origins as a food truck, all of the KoKyu restaurants are counter-service to keep things moving along. There are a couple of LED panels overhead with a very simple menu consisting of wings, quesadillas, tacos, bowls, salads and sliders, maybe 20 or so items including their customer favorite: duck fat tots. Once you order you’re given a playing card on a stand as your number and the food is brought to your table. KoKyu Southpoint also has a self-serve beer wall (you’ll need a wristband to use it) along with a small refrigerated case of beers to enjoy with your meal. Don’t miss checking out their restroom which has a beautiful and colorful floral stencil on the walls!

Menu and prices at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Menu and prices at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Short-rib sliders at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Short-rib sliders at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Over the course of a couple of visits I’ve had a chance to work through the KoKyu Southpoint menu and enjoy some of my long-time favorites. The short rib sliders and duck fat tots combination is still irresistible. The sliders are served on sweet buns and loaded with braised beef, topped with quick pickles (for acid), strips of red onion and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It’s a very Asian take on braised beef and delicious. The classic KoKyu duck fat tots are super crisp, sprinkled with herbs (rosemary) and served up with a sriracha-aioli type dip for your pleasure!

Duck fat tots at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Duck fat tots at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Short-rib quesadilla at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Short-rib quesadilla at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Another long-time favorite is the KoKyu short-rib quesadilla stuffed with more short-rib beef and gorgonzola cheese, a melty delight! Dabbed with some spicy sauce and topped with cilantro, the quesadilla is packed with flavor and filling. The bulkogi tacos are also wonderful, served on larger 6″ tortillas and loaded with fresh lettuce, tender beef, spicy cheese sauce and thin shards of red pepper. A nice Latin-American spin on a Korean-flavored classic, dee-lish! The quality of ingredients and produce used by KoKyu is always top-notch and appreciated.

Bulkogi tacos at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Bulkogi tacos at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Beer wall at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Beer wall at KoKyu Southpoint in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Overall as a long-time fan of KoKyu it’s been fun to see them evolve and expand over the years. They’ve stayed true to the eclectic flavors of Mexican-Asian eats and it’s really nice to have their classic dishes in a more comfortable and stylish setting. We’re talking street eats with heat and air conditioning, woo-hoo! There’s even a vintage boom box up by the counter, in homage to their food truck origins when music would be blaring out the back of their truck. So a round of applause for a Durham classic, KoKyu. Keep on keeping it on and dishing out those great casual eats for the S. Durham crowds!

KoKyu Southpoint

245 E, NC-54 Ste 105

Durham, NC 27713

919.251.9017

Location on Google maps

February 12, 2020 by Ron Wen

Thai at Main Street in Durham: A Fun Take on Flavorful Thai Cuisine

Thai @ Main Street in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Thai @ Main Street in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Over the past decade as the restaurant scene boomed in downtown Durham, it’s an area known for great farm to table Southern eats, beer and burgers. But what was conspicuously missing was really good ethnic food. Over the past two years or so, that gap has slowly been filled by restaurants such as Viceroy (Indian) and Goorsha (Ethiopian) on Main Street. And now you can add one more to the mix, Thai at Main Street! Located in the old Dames Chicken and Waffles space, Thai at Main Street opened in 2018 and I’ve been able to stop in for two dinner visits. So how are they doing so far? Not bad, with some room for improvement, read on for the details!

Dining room at Thai @ Main Street in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Dining room at Thai @ Main Street in Durham – nctriangledining.com

From out on Main Street, you’ll clearly see their sign hanging overhead, Inside the old Dame’s space has been opened up and there’s a slightly tropical feel to everything. Dark wood planked floors, thin wooden chairs along with some bright yellow and aquamarine on the walls as accents. If feels simple and humble which is reflected in Thai at Main Street’s menu and pricing. Thai at Main Street’s menu covers the typical array of Thai cuisine such as larb, curries and noodles along with some house specialty dishes. Pretty much everything on the menu is under $20 and primarily in the under $15 range which is really reasonable for this convenient location in downtown Durham. And while I’m a pretty good home cook, Thai dishes always seem a bit complicated for me in terms of ingredients so I love going out and eating their flavor-packed offerings!

Pork larb at Thai @ Main Street in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Pork larb at Thai @ Main Street in Durham – nctriangledining.com

For starters, the larb is a great choice. Full of spicy and flavor, Thai at Main Street pairs minced pork with thin slices of red onion, peppers and I usually see this dish using chicken so this version is a bit different that what I’d usually get. But given pork is a white meat, it pairs pretty well with the flavors and spice of this dish. Like much of Thai cuisine, you get a mix of sweet, sour (squeeze of lime) and spicy along with a lot of color. Thumbs up here!

Another fun starter at Thai at Main Street is their street meat balls! Served on skewers, I believe Thai at Main Street is serving up the standard beef meat balls that you find in Asian cuisine and soups. The meat is spiced up with some sweet sauce and cucumber onion garnish which makes for a tasty bite. A bit of a surprise for me, I haven’t seen this on many other Thai menus over the years.

Massaman curry at Thai @ Main Street in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Massaman curry at Thai @ Main Street in Durham – nctriangledining.com

For the mains, the Massaman curry is a tasty treat. This mild curry uses a coconut-based broth, Massaman is an easy way to try the unique flavor profile of Thai cuisine which usually mixes in savory, sweet and sour. Love the cashews served up with the chicken slices, there’s a lot of flavor going on here. But do note, that Thai at Main Street does slightly smaller portions which is reflected in their lower prices for lunch. I would describe the portion sizes as Thai-style vs. American-style.

Chicken pad thai at Thai @ Main Street in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Chicken pad thai at Thai @ Main Street in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Their chicken pad thai which is really a foundation dish for me in Thai cuisine was solid. Served with thin rice noodles, seared white chicken slices and a bit of egg, scallion and peanut garnish, it’s a tasty dish but not a stand-out for me. It seemed to be missing some of the tang and complexity that you usually get with tamarind in this dish. I also tried out a fried catfish with chili sauce which was a generous portion of firm, white fish in a crispy coating and topped with a slightly tangy, red sauce. The broccoli on the side was nicely steamed and the Thai basil on top is a nice touch!

Fried catfish with chili sauce at Thai @ Main Street in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Fried catfish with chili sauce at Thai @ Main Street in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Service at Thai at Main Street is solid and friendly, they will get you in and out quickly. They also run some regular drink specials so along with their decent menu prices, it’s a good meal in downtown Durham for a decent price. But the flavors and execution could be better so I’d put Thai at Main Street right down the middle for me in terms of Thai cuisine. But to be honest with you, there seems to be a dearth of good Thai restaurants in the Triangle so Thai at Main Street does a good job but could use some tweaks and improvements to be great.

Thai at Main Street

317 W. Main Street

Durham, NC 27701

984.219.7444

Location on Google maps

January 7, 2020 by Ron Wen

Chicken Bee, Durham – Offering Amazing Korean Fried Chicken on 9th Street

Chicken Bee in Durham - nctriangledining.com

One of the more exciting food trends we’ve seen over the past several years is the emergence of Korean food and in particular, Korean fried chicken. This delicious, double-fried poultry was brought to the area first by Soo Cafe out in Raleigh. And over time, Korean fried chicken has slowly been added to many menus of restaurants that serve Korean food. But I admit that I was excited to see what Chicken Bee could do since it specialized in Korean fried chicken. So it was time to head off to Durham’s 9th Street to see what Chicken Bee is all about!

Dining room at Chicken Bee in Durham - nctriangledining.com

While Chicken Bee is conveniently located on 9th Street, it sits at the very northern end of the street in the newer section past Hillsborough and Markham Avenue. Given the newness of the building, Chicken Bee is pretty light and bright inside with a basic but modern cafe decor. Primarily smaller 2-tops and 4-tops throughout the dining room. In the back sits a small bar with a couple of TVs for entertainment. The usual crowd here is mostly Duke students looking to get their chicken on or take-out orders for workers heading home. Chicken Bee has a classic Korean fried chicken menu similar to Bonchon (a chain) offering up KFC but also a handful of Korean dishes and even some Japanese ramen. Everything’s pretty much $7 to $15 on the menu so it’s affordable eats here. Along with the food, Chicken Bee offers a handful of beers-wine along with some Korean soft drinks.

Mandu appetizer at Chicken Bee in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Seafood pancake at Chicken Bee in Durham - nctriangledining.com

For appetizers, I definitely recommend the mandu (Korean dumplings) glazed with some soy-garlic sauce. While they are vegetarian, the mandu here are perfectly fried (similar to gyoza) and wonderfully delicious. With 8 to an order, you should definitely be sharing these with friends! The Korean food seafood pancake doesn’t fare quite as well, a bit greasy without a ton of taste so I’d probably pass here and save my stomach for more important things. But given that it usually takes at least 30 minutes to get fresh Korean fried chicken, an appetizer or beer helps immensely with your wait.

Half and half Korean fried chicken at Chicken Bee in Durham - nctriangledining.com

And more important things at Chicken Bee is of course, their signature Korean fried chicken. Offered as soy-garlic or spicy garlic in 6, 10 or 20 pieces, I’d go the half and half route to taste a bit of both. The Korean fried chicken is served with your choice of two sides, choose from cole slaw, white rice, pickled radish, soda, or kimchi ($3 extra). While you may wait a bit for you fresh KFC, it’s totally worth it! When they drop that plate in front of you, it’s hard not to jump right in but be careful it’s probably just out of the fryer. And Chicken Bee was nice enough to provide these plastic finger covers to neatly eat your KFC, first time I’ve seen them. But once you dive into the chicken, it’s really hard to stop eating! Plump flats and drums lacquered with delicious soy-garlic or spicy garlic sauce are equally wonderful. The wings here are meaty and perfectly cooked, the skin is crispy and pulls off the meat a bit. Really wonderful bar eats but yeah, probably not the healthiest thing you’ll eat this week.

And service? There have been some complaints, the restaurant is still pretty new along with the staff. And I know there has been some stress in getting patrons to understand the KFC cooking/frying process which just takes some time. But if you’re patient, dinner here is well worth the wait for this chicken deliciousness. I’m in Durham often for dinner and other than Hutchins Garage and M Pocha, Chicken Bee is a craving that I get whenever I visit. So despite its faults around service, you’re going to get great Korean fried chicken at a very reasonable price here at Chicken Bee. And that’s plenty good enough for me when I’m choosing a place to eat in the Bull City.

Chicken Bee

810 9th Street #129

Durham, NC 27705

984.888.5561

Location on Google maps

June 23, 2019 by Ron Wen

Media: M Pocha Offers Up Some Culinary Magic for Durham

Front of M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Front of M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to chefs in the Triangle, I’ve always enjoyed what comes out of the kitchens from Chef Mike Lee. Since his days as owner-chef of Sono in Raleigh to competition cooking events, I’ve watched him grow in the Triangle as he’s built his group of M Restaurants in Durham to much acclaim. And now the Bull City has M restaurant #4, M Pocha (short for pojangmacha – street food). Sitting on a corner of Five Points, M Pocha will be bringing some foodie magic in the form of Asian small plates! I was lucky enough to get an invite to M Pocha’s friends and family preview dinner before they soft-opened. Here’s what to expect!

Cocktail menu at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Cocktail menu at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Mezcal cocktail at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Mezcal cocktail at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Heading on over to M Pocha, it’s a bit inconspicuous from the outside with shaded, plate glass windows (it’s a sunny spot) and a slightly, narrow triangular feel to the space. If you had been in the old Cupcake Bar space before, you won’t recognize it anymore. Inside, M Pocha has a minimalist, darker decor focused on metals and woods. A bit different then the other M Restaurants which usually have featured a lot of exposed brick. The seating is also different here with bar seating at the front and side along with one large communal table down the middle. M Pocha’s space is probably best suited for 2 to 4 people along with solo diners given the seating setup. M Pocha offers up a short selection of beers, wines and cocktails to get your meal started!

Hungry diners at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Hungry diners at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Chef Mike is in back, busily working the kitchen while about sixteen of us sat at the communal table, eagerly awaiting what was to come. The meal opens up with a spicy kimchi soup filled with napa cabbage, smoky sausage and tender fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. The soup has got some great depth and texture, it reminds me of a classic Chinese soup and is gobbled up by the table. While I think kimchi can get really strong and pungent, the presentation of that fermented flavor is balanced well in this soup!

Nasi goreng at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Nasi goreng at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Seared brussels sprouts at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Seared brussels sprouts at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

The table moves on to nasi goreng, an Indonesian fried rice served up with some fried shrimp. The fried rice is moist and tasty with a bit of soy sauce, garlic and more. It’s a very comforting dish for me, something that mom might put on the table. Served up with some nicely pan-friend brussels sprouts makes for a great starter for the meal.

Grilled short rib at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Grilled short rib at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

The highlight for me is next, the seared short-rib served up yakitori-style (barbeque) on a ceramic grill. Thick, succulent pieces of short-rib showing off great char and beefy chew. Mike is serving them boneless which makes for easier eating. A follow-up dish of spicy pork belly served with greens, pickled veggies and steamed buns offers up a great mix of textures and colors for the palate. A fun take on the traditional bao with some acid and greens to brighten the dish up.

Spicy pork belly bao at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Spicy pork belly bao at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

And finally the closing small plate, perfectly fried pork dumplings (gyoza)! The skin on these dumplings were thicker but still tender and as you can see by the picture, very nicely pan-fried to a deep brown. The crunchy bottoms make for a nice contrast to the soft tops of the dumplings, dee-licious!

Pan-fried gyoza dumplings at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Pan-fried bacon gyoza dumplings at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Chef Mike at M Pocha in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Chef Mike at M Pocha in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Over the course of the dinner, Chef Mike comes out several times explaining the origins and ingredients of each dish, along with his career and path as a chef. Like many chefs, he started out formally trained to do one thing and pivoted when he discovered his love of the culinary arts and food. I’ve always appreciated his menus and cuisine from Sono to M Sushi, M Kokko and more. His dishes stay true to the authenticity of Asian cuisine while taking some light liberties with ingredients and preparation. I wouldn’t call it Asian fusion, more like Asian uplifted, similar to Brewery Bhavana. But always delicious and balanced for flavor!

And I think he will have some fun with the broader menu options here at M Pocha, offering up small plates of his favorite Asian cuisines across the region. So here’s to more and better at M Pocha and from Chef Mike. We’ll know more of what to expect from the restaurant in upcoming months as they get into a groove after their soft-opening, cheers!

News: Durham Food Hall at Liberty Warehouse Opens Up in May!

Here’s a list of Durham Food Hall Vendors and Opening Dates: