kō än.

This place is top tier. The ambiance is amazing and beautiful. The theme is modern Asian and there is a mixture of all of the Asian countries' decor. The ceilings are high, and the lighting is strategic and sets a relaxing and romantic mood. There are private room for large parties but the main dining room is huge. The food is the best that I have ever tasted. I had the lobster claw Japanese curry on the winter menu for an app. For my main dish I had a sushi roll. It was divine. The dessert was the star. I cannot explain that the textures were beautiful and the flavors were balanced. No sugar high, and so much flavor. I had a sorbet with my dessert and my boyfriend had ice cream with his dessert. When he tasted my sorbet, he preferred it to the ice cream which was also amazing. This is pricey so this would probably be a dare or celebration meal or if you're like me, go on a random Tuesday.

Suburb dining experience! The duck wings were the best wings I’ve ever had, the seasoning and texture were perfect. Steamed buns were perfect, Sake roll (unpictured) was perfect, so on and so forth. Desserts (I can’t remember which picture is which) were both incredible. Service was wonderful and very quick; our server was great with recommendations. Cannot wait to go again!

My husband and I come here all the time and love it! The ambiance is awesome, we love the ample space in the restaurant and how clean everything is. The bar makes great drinks, and if you don’t like anything on the drink menu; they will make whatever you would like. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The lobster buns are a MUST! They are AMAZING! We love everything on the menu- we love to order a bunch of things and eating it all! I highly recommend this restaurant.

Everything tasted delicious - out of this world at Ko An! We got the lobster buns as an appetizer which are very tastey. The bibimbap was made very well and the Thai red curry has a very good sauce. The desserts were exquisite! The restaurant is so pretty - the high ceilings, tables, and even bathroom, are absolutely gorgeous. They also have fantastic outdoor dining. I am really impressed with this restaurant. Can't wait to go back!

This place is too much.....in a great way! It's deceiving from the outside, the restaurant is very large inside with several indoor and outdoor areas. The separation of these areas makes dinner feel intimate while allowing the restaurant to seat many guests. This is farm to table with a seasonal menu. The drinks were fabulous!!!! We tried every one of the speciality drinks, Rickety Ginny was our favorite, the dragon fruit makes it a bright purple color. Super fun. We enjoyed several small plates including himachi crudo, cauliflower, lobster buns, bao, poke and tuna truffle roll. Every one of the small plates was unique, carefully prepared with small details in seasoning and garnish and tasted FABULOUS! The chef has perfected southeast Asian with a fusion of unique flavors that play on your palate. For dinner we had the Thai red curry which is an explosion of fresh seafood and the Korean BBQ which is perfectly marinated hanger steak in a bowl with lots of fun ingredients to mix in. For dessert, we had PX dessert wine which perfectly paired with freshly baked cookies and the best carrot cake I've ever eaten. I'm not sure what the chef did with the sweet brine for the beets that garnished the cake, but those were next level unique and tasty. We will definitely be returning soon!

Overall the restaurant has a nice ambiance. My main course was the Indonesian duck. It was a bit underwhelming. The meat was dry. I started with the lobster steamed bun. Nice restaurant they just need to perfect the flavors in the cocktails and dishes.

Decided to celebrate my cousins birthday at this place by chance when looking at locations. I wish I got our server's name because he was the best thing about this place, we were on a time crunch because we had another event and he made sure to communicate it with the kitchen such that we got all our food in a timely manner and still made sure to present my cousin with a complimentary dessert. The food itself was delicious, the cauliflower small plate is to die for and the duck large plate was very good. Would highly recommend this place.

If we had gotten a variety of small plates to share we may have had a better experience. I had planned on getting Bibimbop (Koren BBQ) until they said it didn’t come in a hot stone bowl (which is a key component so the rice gets crispy) so I went with the ribeye- which I wouldn’t normally get unless I was at a steakhouse, but it looked great in the pictures. And it was good. It’s mildly seasoned, but the butter on top and the spicy sauce on the side adds a nice flavor. The fingerling potatoes were good, but they were on a bed of puréed sweet potatoes (that tastes like baby food) and didn’t have much flavor and certainly didn’t add to the dish (potatoes on potatoes?!?) the salad was just taking up room and the dried radish (?) added nothing to the dish. My dining companions udon noodles were too spicy to eat (and she likes spice)- and there was no warning on the menu. The dessert bites were delish - a little burst or flavor that reminded of a Michelin course. Both deserts (liquid chocolate and s’mores) were good. If you are looking for something fruity and a little lighter, I’d go with the liquid chocolate. But the chocolate squares in the s’mores was divine.

Went for lunch today and it was great. I knew it existed and was in the same space An used to occupy but I had totally forgotten Ko An existed. The space is exactly the same as An which is to say it is spacious and classy -- very sleek and a huge space (though it does look like a weird night club from the outside). Service was prompt and diligent (which wasn't too hard considering we were one of only three tables). Prices were definitely pretty high but the quality was definitely really high As to the food: 1. Lobster salad buns -- delicious and a good portion of lobster; 2. Fried cauliflower-- super crispy but with a touch too much sauce; 3. Salad with shrimp -- very tasty but kind of pricey for only having six shrimp And 4. Pork katsu sandwich with crispy potatoes -- fried perfectly and very tasty Would definitely return and look forward to trying some sushi

This place is surprisingly huge on the inside, with plenty of space for groups including very private feeling booths. Me and my bf walked in at 8pm on a Saturday night and got sat on a high top by the bar. We ordered some cocktails. The El Buho tastes mostly of tequila and water. The Rickety Ginny was pleasant, but also a little bland. Neither were memorable. I was a bit disappointed by the small menu, especially for such a large restaurant. Usually when a restaurant offers pan-asian cuisine it means it does none of the individual cuisines that well. I thought I'd be wrong this time; I wasn't lol. The vietnamese fried shrimp wasn't bad. It came out hot and crispy, but the shrimp inside was a tad overcooked and tough. The tuna truffle roll had low quality, slightly mushy tuna and zero truffle flavor. Maybe there was artificial truffle oil in the aioli, but even that didn't really come through. The rest of the flavors fell flat. The lobster roll was my favorite appetizer, light and generously portioned (so hard to believe, my boyfriend wondered if it was even real lobster). The steamed bun could have been fresher and the lobster salad could have had more flavor (yuzu where?) but overall enjoyable. The mains less so. They did have a good amount of spice, I'll give them that. Both were just on the edge of enjoyable/tolerable. The miso udon was pretty unique. Very acidic, no miso or umami flavor. Not bad, but unbalanced and I wouldn't order it as a standalone dish. The chicken rendang had a lightly sweet curry and yummy coconut rice, but the chicken was so terribly dry and overcooked. I didn't even know you could do that to a thigh, those are usually pretty forgiving. Parts of it were hard and unchewable. The chicken by itself is also totally underseasoned. We ate barely half of the entrees and didn't want take the leftovers. Tl;dr: The food is mid and doesn't match the quality the restaurant is trying to exude. Our servers were nice though. Wouldn't recommend really recommend this place to a friend.

We went here for a couples date night. Overall ambience is amazing. High ceilings and plenty of space. Service was a little disappointing because dishes did not all arrive at the same time and some of our friends had to wait a long time. Especially one dish that our server did admit he forgot to put it in the system so it was forgotten. However we appreciate he admitted and said the dish was on the house. Coming to the items my husband and I ordered. - Sake Nigori: a pretty watered down tasting but not bad either. He shared it with a friend. - a lemon bitters cocktail: honestly all I could taste was bitter. I could not drink this and handed it to my husband who couldn't drink it either. - a whiskey dessert cocktail at the end: husband said this was good. Drinks were a disappointment overall. Coming onto food. - mushroom katsu buns: this was such a yummy dish. The crisp mushroom with sauces infused in other flavors/veggies. Really yummy and highly recommend - Thai red curry: pretty ok dish, not great but not bad either - udon noodles: very disappointing dish. It was big in portion which is nice but the taste was so tangy. All I could taste was sour and tamarind taste. I couldn't enjoy the dish and left most of it. We ordered the following for dessert: - strawberry: this was nice but the sorbet was so tangy and sour. I didn't find that appealing - passion fruit crème brûlée: honestly all I could taste was a bitter taste. I don't recommend this dessert at all. Overall, I would go back for the small plates as they were better tasting than the large plates.

I was definitely surprised coming in here! My friend invited me and I didn't know what to expect. One thing you can expect is ridiculously delicious food. We ordered a little bit of everything, and every single course was superb. The staff did a great job explaining menu items to us and recommended drinks that we loved. It's gorgeous on the inside and really is a lovely place to go for a nice dinner.

Love the restaurant building & design. Great atmosphere. Small plate cauliflower was really good. That got devoured before remembering to take a photo. Don't have a photo of their edamame either, good but pretty standard boiled edamame with salt/pepper seasoning. Japanese duck curry: duck was fatty if you're into that (not crispy). Curry was creamy and well made. Thai cooler cocktail had a kick. It did have habanero in the description so was expecting a kick but it had more flavor than I was expecting. Dark chocolate dessert: absolutely amazing. Bao, by comparison, was the only average item we ordered.

I am absolutely at a lost as to how Ko An has such high reviews. Their sushi was decent - but for the price, you can get way better quality at a place like M sushi. The best thing we ate in this entire night was the Bo Tai Chanh, which was packed full of flavor. It still had the authentic Vietnamese Bo Tai Chanh flavor, but there was something added to it that made it so special. The addition of the crispy lotus root was the cherry on top. I think everyone should experience this dish at least once in their life. However, everything else in the menu was just a sad experience. The sushi roll tasted a bit weird and was not harmonious. The worst part of the meal was the pho - or something they dare call pho. The broth tasted burnt, was super sweet, and had a strong and distinctive soy sauce flavor. There is no region in Vietnam that makes pho like this. Also, the meat, especially the ox tail, was burnt, and the noodles were completely over cooked. The broth also smelled super funky. Taste: 2/5 Presentation: 3/5 Recommend to a friend?: Absolutely NOT. Consistent: Was our 1st and last time. Cost: $$$ Parking: Plenty of parking

kō*än gets a solid four stars out of me. Ko An has had the best sushi we've tried in the Triangle to date. It was terrific. Ko An opened exactly one year ago today on November 1, 2019. It opened in the old ãn building (https://bit.ly/2GTJvF6) just off I-40 exit 287 in Cary. Ko An's sister restaurant is so*ca (https://bit.ly/3dpWElb) and Ko An's executive chef used to work at the now-closed bu*ku (https://bit.ly/3dq52RV), both in Raleigh. All three restaurants - Ko An, So Ca, and Bu Ku - serve (or served) Asian food with a modern, refined spin. The restaurant's menu changes daily. During our visit, there were three dine-in food menus: (1) One menu consisted of 11 small plates and nine large plates, spanning Asian cuisine from Chinese to Korean. The plates were priced at $12-16 each for most small plates and $22-36 each for large plates. (2) There was a sushi menu consisting of nigiri, sashimi, and nigiri/sashimi platters (mostly chef's choice) plus rolls. We primarily ordered from the nigiri/sashimi menu -- you can get a better feel for that below. A selection of eight specialty rolls cost $14-18 each and eight simpler "house" rolls mostly cost $6-9 each. (3) The dessert menu featured five desserts priced at $11-12 each. For drinks, Ko An had a skillfully-constructed drink menu that included craft cocktails, sake, local and imported beers (three from Raleigh), and Scotch. I discovered Ko An on Yelp. I was looking for a restaurant that served sushi and had a covered patio. I booked reservations using my OpenTable account. Book your reservation for free using OpenTable and earn dining points you can use for discounts at other OpenTable restaurants, to redeem an Amazon gift card, or more. I suggest making a reservation because this place is popular. By the time we left on a Saturday night, every table, inside and out, was taken and there were multiple parties waiting at the bar. This is a nice restaurant. It's contemporary and leans upscale, but the atmosphere still feels casual. The bar area, dining rooms (they have several), patio, and even the restroom, are beautiful and elegant. This is a great spot for a date, special occasion, or group night out. The patio has a fireplace, heat lamps, and ceiling fans. I liked that Ko An's sushi menu offered more than your run-of-the-mill options. That's when you know a restaurant takes its sushi seriously. Here's what we got: Small plate * Harker's Island Oysters ($12) - momiji oroshi, scallion, ponzu, kizami wasabi Nigiri sushi (two pieces each) * Uni ($9) - sea urchin * Kaibashira ($7) - chopped scallop heel (adductor muscle) * Masu ($7) - ocean trout * Hotate ($6.50) - sea scallop * Ikura ($6) - salmon roe / red caviar * Sheepshead ($7) * Kurodai ($7) - blackhead sea bream Platter * Chirashi Sushi ($40) - 20 pieces of sashimi over rice (pieces described below) Drinks * The Passport ($12) - light rum, nigori sake, citrus, cachaca, campari, guava * Asahi Super Dry ($6) Everything was delicious except for one piece of uni. One of the uni was excellent (buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, delectable). The other, unfortunately, was bad (fishy, repulsive, yuck). I'm not sure what happened there, but I'd order the uni again. In general, the nigiri was fresh, high quality, and put together the right way. "Authentic," like the kind of sushi you'd find at a "real" Japanese restaurant; not strip mall sushi or the cheap, Americanized kind you'd find at other restaurants. It was classic, pure, and gratifying. If you want to order a single entree that shows off a good sampling of what Ko An's sushi bar has to offer, I highly recommend the chirashi. Chirashi is basically assorted sashimi (chef's choice) over sushi rice. Ko An's chirashi is one of the more expensive chirashi I've come across, but chirashi can vary quite a bit between restaurants. The version we got from Ko An brought both the quantity *and* quality. The portion size was generous and the fish, like the pieces in the nigiri, were fresh and high quality. The pieces of fish the chef gave us in our chirashi were ocean trout, maguro (tuna), masunosake (king salmon or chinook salmon), hata (grouper), botan ebi (pandalid shrimp), tamago (Japanese omelette), blackhead sea bream, and shima aji (white trevally or striped jack). The ratio of fish to rice was heavy on the fish, but again, every restaurant interpretation is different. Ko An added a dry seasoning to their rice and also included some kizami wasabi which is fresh wasabi that has been chopped and marinated. If you like oysters, definitely try the Harker's Island Oysters. These oysters come from the North Carolina coast. Momiji oroshi is spicy grated daikon. The oysters were very fresh, sweet, and succulent. Dish presentation was outstanding, overall. Service was fantastic, from our server Quyen to general manager Brandy who promptly contacted me after our visit to clear up a billing discrepancy (they mistakenly overcharged me for the uni and chirashi).

Wasn't sure about the place because of the location near a mall, but it was amazing!! The staff was friendly and attentive. I loved the high ceilings, and the food was great, especially the swordfish. Apparently that had been a new addition to the menu a day ago when I visited and it was amazing. I felt like the potatoes was too much of a filler on the tuna dish.

This was my first time at the restaurant as I was here for work but definitely will be returning on my next work place! My friends and I shared several appetizers and got entrees as well. All the food I tried was incredible! They were also able to accommodate my allergies.

This place was amazing. We started off with a round of beverages, the scorpion and the frog and a beer. We also tried the rye smash and they were all great. We ordered an appetizer next and the cauliflower is definitely a must order. For our meals I ordered the Thai red curry and my husband ordered the NC pork chop, both were fantastic selections. Kō Än is definitely a must visit. I do want to note that there is a 10% sustainable hospitality charge that is added to the check. This helps pay their staff a decent wage and to fund sick time which is fantastic. The restaurant is huge so we felt safe dining outside during covid but if you are hesitant curbside pickup is available.

Without question the best place to eat Asian food in Cary. We sat at the bar, and Tolson did a fantastic job servicing us. We had a few small plates the Cauliflower, Snow Crab Claws, Fried Shrimp, and Hamachi Crudo. All were fantastic. However, the Crudo was exceptional I had to ask for a spoon to make sure I got all the sauce! I really want to lick the plate! At this point we were full so we split a Korean BBQ and again it was a great meal. I would highly recommend this restaurant! Everything we ate was great and we can't way to come back!

I had an absolutely amazing experience at Ko An. From the moment my party stepped in, the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, making me feel right at home. The Lobster Bao Rolls were to die for - each bite was packed with flavor and had the perfect lobster mix. The Lamb Pho was also a standout dish, with tender pieces of lamb and a broth that was dark, rich and aromatic. That was the best pho I've ever had. To top it all off, the vietnamese chocolate bar was simply divine - rich, decadent, and the perfect end to a fantastic meal. It's clear that they have an unbeatable in-house pastry chef. We were even given a small dessert before the dessert we ordered came out. I can't recommend Ko An enough, and can't wait to come back and try more of their delicious offerings.

Kon An grocery pick up = amazing! I placed my order for all sorts of essentials for the week and ordered a delicious dinner all in one go. It's super easy to order online and you literally just pull up and they load all the groceries in your trunk. They do also offer delivery, but I was a bit outside their radius. I got eggs, milk, fruit, veggies, steak, ground beef, Michael's English muffins, the most delicious chocolate chip cookie dough, and a few other items. No worrying they would be out of stock, no dealing with a large crowd, and no waiting on a delivery time days later. More importantly I was able to support a local small biz vs the big name grocery stores. I highly recommend grocery shopping for what you can this way!!! For dinner we ordered the short ribs, lobster gyoza, and cauliflower. We ended up getting pork belly buns instead of cauliflower but all in all not the worst swap. Everything was delicious and I'd go back just to order those gyoza again. They are also offering family meal kids where they give you all the ingredients with instructions on how to prepare. Perfect if you are looking to feed your household since the individual dishes can add up.

So this place specializes in southeast Asian cuisine and was an interesting experience. My friend had the Malaysian curry chicken dish and loved it. The duck bao appetizer was more like a Himalayan momo but was very tasty. My ribeye steak was cooked just as I ordered it and when I tried it with the butter, it melted in my mouth. The sushi here is a bit weird though. As an Asian, I love sushi but this place only offers pre-fixed sushi rolls. You can't just order some tuna sashimi. You can only order the rolls on the menu. While the roll we had was tasty, I don't think sushi is their forte. I read that their menu changes seasonally so I'll try them out next season. The ambience is what you are paying for here. The dining area is wide open with high ceilings and dim lighting so it's definitely a good date night destination. They also seem extremely good for large parties. Service was on point and our waitress was very helpful with all our questions and packing up our leftovers as well.

We finally got a chance to check out Kō Än. They have a lot of room both inside and out, which is great during the pandemic as the tables were nicely spaced out. We got the steamed Pork Belly buns which came out as a make-your-own bun platter. This is the first time I've seen it. Usually restaurants bring out two buns. I loved the concept since you can add the toppings as you please and the portion size was great. It came with 4 buns. For the entree, we got the Singapore Curry Noodles that has local NC shrimp and porky belly in it. The curry was flavor was just right and wasn't overpowering. The Shrimp was cooked perfectly and had the same curry flavor infused. I was a little disappointed with the portion size of the entree considering the price. Overall it was a good experience!

Really enjoyed our dinner at Ko An! If I go back, I'd get sushi and the cauliflower, both were incredible! The Korean BBQ was pretty good but maybe not worth the price. All in all, it was delicious.

We enjoyed KoAn after our flight to RDU. It was busy on a Friday eve but we were welcomed warmly and had a table near the open kitchen amd sushi bar. The food is well prepared, spiced and plated. We had fresh fried NC shrimp along with an Asian salad that included several veggies and seaweed. It really hit the spot the textures and colors made the dish. We shared the duck breast in a light Japanese style curry. The duck was prepared perfectly and the curry sauce was a good as any I've had in Japan. Once again, the vegetables were cooked well and had color, flavor and taste. It's located just south of RDU in Cary so it's easy to get to.

Post covid- we went to celebrate an anniversary with our parents and Nick was our host. Can you imagine a world where we order ALL their dessert in one meal? And so many many small plates, cocktails. Heck the kids too got the custom drinks. What a perfect celebration and thanks to Ko-An for delivering more than perfection on a special day. Masks are optional for vaccinated folks (yay us!) but we still wore ours until we got to our table. Nick helped us navigate my shellfish allergies (yeah- worst guest nightmare at a sushi place allergic to seafood) but guess what! We got an array of many many foods and all were allergy free and most were vegetarian!! Love this amazing part about KoAn that has inclusivity of a level unsurpassed in Cary. How I live to be able to eat sushi- but I can't anywhere. Ko-an makes that happen for me! The desserts are outstanding. We ordered them all. I mean really, it's not like we're monsters but how can I possibly leave not knowing how the rhubarb tasted and looked after trying the chocolate, carrot, cookies and strawberry? Followed up the next week by attending the Triangle Restaurant week and ate everything on that many too!

Attended a large private event here and was beyond impressed with the atmosphere, the service, and most importantly the food. The space is beautiful and the way they set up the buffet and sushi bar were well thought out and easily accessible. We started with drinks, ordering from their menu of signature cocktails and mocktails. I had the blackberry lime soda that was delicious, and there were several options that sounded (and looked) really good. Food options were served buffet style, with a full sushi bar to start. I'm the first to say I am not a huge sushi person, but the veggie rolls were delicious and I even went back for seconds. My favorite dish was a spicy cauliflower dish that was so good. Our group all agreed that the cauliflower was a surprise hit.

I had lunch at kō*än on a slow day. I'm not sure if lunch time is usually empty. The decor is beautiful with the high ceiling and all the details. I ordered the Korean BBQ as I saw that dish was raved upon in other reviews. The dish is a piece of art on the plate with everything just so. The beef portion was larger than I expected. The egg was cooked perfectly to mix the yoke with the rice. The flavors came together really well. I also had the blood orange for dessert which was a creation of the restaurant's pastry chef. It had ginger pomegranate sorbet; white chocolate covering the blood orange curd along with chocolate crumbs. Service was great as well.

This place is one of the best in Cary . The ambiance is nice but the food is amazing. The drinks were delicious. Second time there and I love the lobster buns this is a must as appetizer . The salmon roll was delicious . The only thing I didn't like was the cake , tasted like was in the refrigerator for days , couldn't taste the pear or olive oil . Our server was great too .

Nothing stays the same... Ko An used to be our go to spot for sushi. They recently changed the menu and if I'm being honest it kind of sucks. If you plan on going there or already there reading this stick with these options Edamame Cauliflower Stem Buns (Lobster) Cookies with vanilla ice for dessert The service is always top notch x the atmosphere is Great! I just wish they had better food. Everything seems to be Raw or Stemmed now. My wife and I used to go here once a month but, I'm not sure if we will go back again.

Such a great ambiance, great use of space and I love they have private rooms for gatherings. Came in during the week, party of 15 and we were sat in a private space. The staff was attentive and we happened to visit during Triangle Restaurant Week- definitely a great time to try their food. I decided to order off the small plate menu. I ordered gyoza and sushi- so good. Everyone enjoyed their meals, the food was perfectly plated and tasty. I will definitely be back to try more menu items.

Solid dining experience. But, I did find the menu limiting. Cauliflower was delicious and actually reminded me of Korean fried chicken, both flavor and texture wise and I would get it again. Tuna was good but not great. Hamachi had nice flavor profile but was missing some acid...at least to me. Oyster Mushroom buns were delicious and I would get those again. Mandu were just ok...as a Korean a little offended they call those mandu since they lacked flavor. Drinks were good...don't remember the names. We got a pre-dessert/palette cleanser that was very good and made us look forward to the actual desserts. Carrot cake was very good and the mint sorbet that accompanied was probably the best thing I had all night. The strawberry something (can't remember the name) was good. Made me wonder how they made it. The ginger sorbet was also delicious. You all should think about just doing a sorbet sampler dessert cause I would do that every single time. Service was good but wish the server knew more about the dishes. All the questions we had he didn't know the answer. Place is very clean and big. You can see at one point they had a sushi bar...wish they would bring that back to expand the menu.

I really enjoyed everything about this dining experience! The atmosphere was beautiful. We sat outside on the patio. We had a reservation at 7:00pm and we were seated right away. Our server, Michelle was decent. I tired steamed buns for the first time and wow!!! The bun, the lobster, the sauce, were absolutely out of this world!! I gave their drink of the day a try-it was pretty good, it was called the Raspberry. I ordered two sushi rolls for myself for dinner, but had a chance to try one that had lobster in it, and that one was by far my favorite!! The Ebi roll was flavorful but the other one that I ordered had tuna in it, but it was pretty boring when it came to flavor. I also ordered a second drink called the Passport which was pretty good. I sampled the Dan Dan noodles as someone else at the table ordered them and they had a spicy kick to them.

Friday was my first visit. My wife and I booked a table and arrived at 7:30pm. It was busy, but there were still tables open. The décor was really nice. Great theming throughout and it felt good being there. Since it was our first visit we had a few questions for the server, which he answered perfectly. He was very nice and was extremely patient with us as we were making our decisions. He never rushed us, and that was perfect. We decided to order two small plates: the Cauliflower and the Steamed Buns. The cauliflower was crispy and the flavors were amazing. The ginger aioli was so flavorful! We both love it. The Buns were also on point. The lobster was cooked perfectly and the buns were so fluffy! For our Large Plates - I ordered the Wagyu Coulotte Steak and my wife ordered the Korean Bibimbap. The short rib she ordered just melted away as you put it in your mouth. I've never had such delicious beef in my life. The flavor was incredible. The veggies that come with the dish are also cooked to perfection, but be warned - the Kimchi is spicy! If you aren't sure about it, just ask for it on the side. My steak was also great, but not as tender as my wife's short rib order. I'd still get it again! The sweet potato mash that came with mine was super good and the soy glaze that was drizzled over the dish was perfect. Since we were pretty full from the small and large plates, we did not order a desert. Maybe next time. We'll be back for more. This was incredible.

High, elegant spaces, agreeable service and well-executed, interesting Asian fusion dishes. Prices a bit on the high side, but worth it. Very convenient location just off I-40 if some diners are coming from Raleigh and others from Durham/Chapel Hill.

The waiter was very friendly and recommended many great options starting with the cauliflower appetizer (pictured). The cauliflower had a very nice crunch to it and the taste was phenomenal. For my large plate I had the NC flounder with curry. I'm not usually a curry person, but this was different. It wasn't overpowering and was perfect in flavor. I will definitely come back! I was too full to have dessert but according to our waiter they are known for their desserts.

I took my high school daughter to celebrate winning an art contest. She absolutely loved the ambiance and the three course set menu (especially, the salmon appetizer). She ordered cookies for dessert and the warm, gooey, yet crispy chocolate chip cookie knocked the socks off. She said it is far better than Crumbl cookies. She wishes to eat here every day. Great job, Ko An.

---Food: Overall 2 out of 5--- - Baos: This was a decent bao, a 4 out of 5. - Lobster Buns: Basically a lobster roll but using buns, so it wasn't anything spectacular, 3 out of 5. - Cauliflower: Overly salted, felt like they were trying to kill me with sodium, 1 out of 5 - Tuna: It was close to $18 for 4 extremely small & thin slices of regular tuna - wasn't even fatty tuna. You can order better quality nigiri a la carte at a nicer Japanese restaurant for the same price. 1 out of 5. - Yellow Chicken Curry: Everything was good till we ate the arugula, they overly salted the arugula as well. 2 out of 5 ---Service: 1 out of 5--- So we booked through open table, and I mentioned it was for my wife's birthday, and requested a small birthday dessert with a candle at the end. We got to the restaurant, the front host asked what the occasion was for - I said for my wife's birthday. After we sat down, one of the waitresses pouring us water asked what the occasion was for again, and I repeated it was for my wife's birthday. Then our primary waiter came, and asked what the occasion was for... again. And I said it was for my wife's birthday (I kept a very happy attitude still). At the end after we were done, no desserts came, just the dessert menu. I asked the waiter if there's any complimentary small birthday desserts we can have for my wife's birthday, and this was his response word-for-word: "Yes we have small truffles that we can give her, but that usually comes on the side when you order a dessert." Now I've been to a LOT of nice restaurants with prices similar to Kō An's, and I'm always a pretty generous tipper so this isn't me trying to be stingy. Every birthday meal I've taken my wife too, the restaurant has always provided her with a complimentary small birthday dessert. This was legitimately the first time a restaurant refuse a birthday dessert by saying "I'm not giving it to you unless you order another dessert on the side". We felt this was extremely unprofessional.

We had the best experience dining here! The interior is moody, but not pretentious. The food was amazing- we had Bao, sushi, and the Green Apple dessert. All 10/10. Our server, Mark, was very helpful and attentive, but was not too much. Highly recommend for a date night!

After a recent girl's night at Kō Än, I can easily say this is one of my new favorite spots in the Triangle. On arrival we were greeted by the (masked) owner, who was very friendly and accommodating. I had underestimated the massive size of the restaurant, so if you're looking for a place to properly socially distance, inside or out, this is definitely it. All staff also wore masks throughout our meal and everything was extremely clean. I cannot say enough good things about our waitress - she was patient, very educated on every part of the menu, and all-around top notch. After an adorable watermelon amuse, we started with the cauliflower and Nam Khao (lettuce wraps). The cauliflower is lightly fried and topped with a really delicious sauce - it was a huge hit at our table. The lettuce wraps were spicier than I was expecting but still really tasty. We also all ordered seaweed salads which were pretty huge and just what you'd expect. For dinner I decided on the Omakase roll (chef's choice) because I figured how can you go wrong? The answer is, you can't. Of course the fish was fresh, the colors bright and the flavors vibrant. Even the mango habanero (I think) on the side, something I would never normally go for, added a really interesting depth that I loved. To round out our perfect meal, we were treated with chocolate truffles that were literally an explosion of flavor in your mouth. My friend is dairy free at the moment and ordered the Apple dessert which was so creative and special. The espresso martinis should also not be missed! I can't wait to return here for a date night or really any occasion!

This review is long overdue. I first ate here in the fall of 2019 and it quickly became the place I took business clients to as well as enjoyed as a special spot for date night. I'm a huge fan of the Pho. I can eat my fill and have enough leftover for another meal at home. And let's be honest, it is an awesome hangover cure. The food, no matter what I've ordered, is always stellar. At the start of 2020 I had to start the fodmap diet which made ordering out almost impossible. As we went into stay at home I found I could trust Ko An to check my food intolerance requests and offer good substitutes on our order. Their Ko Mart allowed us to find food easily when supplies at local stores were sparse. I'm forever thankful for that. Looking back we've enjoyed the Thai Cooler and Ume Spritz cocktails, steamed buns, cauliflower (that's a must get), lobster gyoza, Korean BBQ, Vietnamese meatballs, octopus, Korean fried chicken, ribeye and more.

Kō Än has been doing an incredible job by innovating how they operate during COVID. Not only does this place pay a living wage to their employees, they also promote other local businesses through their ko*munnity hub that was started as a pop-up to help other local businesses during the pandemic. I am so glad I chose this place to dine-out a few weeks ago. Felt extremely comfortable and safe dining here. The outdoor dining is gorgeous and the tables are actually spread apart. They are also very strict about the number of people they allow (only 50% occupancy). All the items I tried were great, my all time favorite being their crispy cauliflower. They also do take out, so you can enjoy their offerings from the comfort of your home. Do not miss trying one of their desserts. If you have special dietary needs, this place sure has a lot of options for you as well. I love all the vegetarian and vegan options this place has to offer.

Beautiful interior that helps with being able to hear those at your table with high ceilings, beautiful dim but not dark lighting from the ceiling, and a modern bookish/floral vibe to the place. Bathrooms are elegantly hid behind a bookshelf panel. Service- our server was Mark- was excellent and he was very attentive to a food allergy we had at the table. Service was seamless with water glasses filling like magic and plates cleared for food to arrive. Finally the food presentation and taste was all delicious and fresh. Our favorites were the snow crab claws, mushroom katsu buns, and poke small plates. Also, as a table our favorite desserts were the cookies : delightfully warm and gooey but very chocolate-y; and the creme brûlée plate which had a nice lightness with the passion fruit flavor, lychee sorbet and fruit. The meal, service, and atmosphere evening was a delight from start to finish. For us, it was a great place to go for a celebration. Prices reflected that but it was worth it.

By some accident, we reserved this place for Valentine's (we had horrible food a year ago and I rated this place 2/5 stars). This get-go, their food was surprisingly good. The fried cauliflower with sweet soy and ginger aioli was a revelation. Lemongrass shrimp and grits were really good (more shrimps than we thought). Korean bibimbap, although not very authentic (it seems like they have to add their flare in all their food here), was good as well; my only complaint was that it came with super crispy fried rice (as an Asian, this is like a mortal sin). Overall this was a better experience than the last time. This should be testament that you should never brush aside any restaurant on the first try.

This is the first restaurant we chose to dine in since COVID started because the Yelp reviews looked promising, and boy were they! First of all, the restaurant is gorgeous. The space is huge and made up of all different rooms each with their own vibe. It made us feel safe knowing the social distance rules in place currently. Our waiter was friendly and gave the best recommendations! We ordered steak tartare and snapper small plates and opted for sushi for the main course. We got an assortment of nigiri and the crabby boi roll. Lastly we indulged in the plum dessert, which was absolute heaven! Not to mention the cocktails were amazing, highly recommend the rye smash and scorpion and the frog. It was worth the price tag, they did a terrific job with this restaurant and something Cary absolutely needed!

I had an excellent dining experience here as part of a party of six. Service and food were impeccable. The restaurant is well decorated.

Really nice to see this place deliver amazing flavors with consistency! Aligned with nice wines and amazing desserts---this is a welcomed addition to my favorites since opening day!

Kō Än offers an amazing assortment of Southeast Asian inspired dishes and great customer service. They are offering outdoor seating and curbside pickup during COVID-19. Since their entrees are on the pricey side, for our first visit, we opted for curbside pickup with their Xpress menu (12 choices, each under $12!). We got two orders of chicken wings - one with larb seasoning and one with Korean seasoning. We also got the Slammin' Salmon roll (pickled burdock, jalapeno, spicy salmon, avocado, pineapple chili sauce, lime). I had pretty high expectations for the food, so maybe that's why it was a bit of a let-down. The wings were good, but the larb seasoned ones were on the dry side and some pieces didn't have any seasoning at all. The sushi was fresh, but the pickled burdock inside it is definitely an acquired taste that wasn't my favorite. Overall, the food was a 4/5 for me, but I'm still excited to return and try some other dishes!

Exquisite! We loved the lobster bao buns, shrimp roll with tropical flavors, duck breast, and bibimbap. The Thai soda is a refreshing cocktail that goes down a little too easy. Will definitely be back.

I have been wanting to try this place for quite some. It is impressive how management is striving hard to pay minimum living wage to each employee. Restaurants like these need to be appreciated and supported more than ever! I am a Vegetarian and I love the variety of options I as offered! There are so many dishes that can be made vegetarian. YAY. Their cauliflower is amazing. It was my #1 dish for the evening. We also tried the veggie roll. Singapore noodles were made veg for us by substituting tofu for meat. It was my birthday Eve and they surprised me with warm, goey cookies that made by day. Their outdoor patio seating has great vibes. It's perfect for fall. I'm going back very soon

Finally got around to trying Ko An. We had eaten at An many times and also were fans of Buku so I figured we would enjoy this mash-up. Staff was attentive without being right in your face. We had the bento box and the Vietnamese meatballs sandwich and a chef selected roll. The roll and the meatballs sandwich were delicious. The bento box dishes were all a bit too salty for me personally, but delicious. The cookie that comes with the bento box was absolutely delicious. We had a couple of their signature cocktails and they were perfect. All and all I'm glad that the restaurant is here. Perfect location between Raleigh/ Cary & Durham/Chapel Hill.

Updated for review on dinner. We had the pork belly ramen and steamed buns. The broth and flavoring in the ramen was outstanding. The flavoring in the steamed buns was perfect, nice and sweet with a great texture. Our waitress was amazing! She instantly split the ramen for my husband and I and brought out an extra bowl. Don't skip out on dessert. I got there chocolate dessert with had this passionfruit sauce drizzled over it with a ginger ice cream. Soooo good.

The best I can describe my visit is inconsistent and a bit of a letdown. Made reservations for my wife's bday and was pretty excited about eating here. I'd been following the move from Raleigh closely and was extra intrigued when they shifted to Ko-an (I'm not looking for all those accent marks) and promised "dishes that told stories" of the chef's travels around the world. I knew what the prices and portion sizes were (high and small respectively), so was expecting to be wowed with uniquely paired and exotic flavors that riffed off each other, creating the dish's story. What we got was kinda, sorta, but not really? Arriving, there's a valet. I could've parked but figured the kid could use a tip as it wasn't very busy and they just opened. We went in and were immediately sat and greeted by a very pleasant and prompt waiter. The place is absolutely gorgeous inside so you are paying for some atmosphere - nice sound system with chill music and overall a relaxed but slightly business casual or special occasion vibe. The menu is limited and was promoted as "meant for sharing." Went with the Lobster Gyoza, Ribeye Tataki, Cauliflower and Steamed Buns for starters. To my disappointment there was no real story told on the menu, by the waiter, or by the dish. In fact, most of the Small Plates we had tasted like stuff we could get cheaper from other local spots. I remember thinking I didn't have to travel around the world for this, just around Cary. The steamed buns were on par with H-Mart, the cauliflower dish (minus the fresh garlic aoili and pickled mushrooms take) is available from a few Indo-Chinese spots (best is Swagat) and aside from the tasty chili sauce, the Gyoza could've been from a number of local spots - I couldn't even tell it was filled with lobster. That's not to say any were bad (the steamed bun was a little dry) but for the price, size and buildup, I was let down...except by the Ribeye Tataki. This was the star and delivered on everything I expected - unique combinations of big flavors and well-thought out textures that sing when put together into one bite. For the large plates we wanted to try a soup but asked and was told it comes in one bowl (there goes the sharing concept!) So we ordered a Pho, a Ramen and the Korean BBQ. Here's where Ko-an really sets themselves apart from every other place in the area. The broths were rich and bold with generous amounts of fresh, high-quality ingredients. Absolutely delicious. But the most tastebuds-exploding-in-orgasmic-release dish was the Korean BBQ. There are a few delicious takes on accoutrements on the slate (kimchi, pickles, pickled carrots, etc.) but the perfectly-cooked egg split open to soak through the perfectly-cooked rice was outstanding. And to top that off was one of the most tender and expertly cooked and seasoned pieces of meat I've ever had. For real, this dish is the only reason you need to visit - but there are many others. So here we are ending dinner on a high note. Our waiter advises us our dessert is comped for the bday and he brings out an awesome plate with Happy Birthday written in chocolate. Here's the service that warrants some of the upcharge! Nice. I asked the waiter to break a $50 so I could tip the valet and then we paid and walked out. Oddly enough, my vehicle was right there where I left it (it was probably parked, but another vehicle was in the same exact spot as when I entered as well - odd). No valet to be seen. I figured maybe he pulled my vehicle up, as they timed it perfectly with our exit, and he was parking something else...so we waited. And waited. My wife went in to look for the valet and I started and opened my vehicle with my app. And I waited. And she came back out. And we waited. About 10 minutes later I went back inside and asked where the valet was - he was having drinks in the bar area. Then he said the most ridiculous thing I heard all day: "I was looking for you." Um, well I sure wasn't at the bar or in the bottom of your glass. I get it - opening is exciting and a relief, but I'm here paying now. Anyways, got my keys and left on a major down note. So, that's that. I can't in good faith tell people to rush out here knowing you're going to drop a couple of hundred and possibly get the ups and downs we got. But the place is very nice, the staff is super-friendly and the food is above par for the most part, with some brilliant standouts that are going to reach local levels of fame. All in all, I probably would've enjoyed it a lot more if my expectations weren't so high, if the "stories" aspect the website and interviews promised was actually fleshed out, or if I parked my own car instead of going out of my way to tip a guy I wound up not even tipping because he left me outside keyless while he drank. Would be 3, but 4th star is for that Korean BBQ and Ribeye Tataki. With the kinks worked out and a fuller experience that delivers on their advertised brand message, 5 stars easy.

This place has amazing food! I'm so happy we gave it a try. We have been to their sister restaurant So ca a couple of times and really enjoyed it so our expectations for Ko an were pretty high. The food and service were fantastic. We had the cauliflower (my favorite dish), the duck larb, the Korean bbq, and the ginger salad. The short rib was so tender and flavorful and the duck larb was fresh and delicious and spicy. But the cauliflower I could probably eat a hundred times and not get sick of it. I'm going to be seeing it in my dreams. The restaurant itself is very beautiful, it's pretty fancy for Cary standards so I hope that people give it a try and maybe add this into their rotation for a lovely date night.

All I can say is "WOW" this place was delicious. I dinned here during triangle restaurant week and enjoyed selections from their prix fixe menu including the hamachi sashimi, steak with broccolini and sweet potato and the homemade chocolate macadamia nut cookies. The service was perfect, the food was timed properly and plated beautifully and the drinks were strong. We will definitely be back.

I was excited to try this place with the raving reviews, however when I showed up at 6:15pm on a Friday they are closed. BUMMER!!!! FYI may be closed if you venture to this establishment..

This is the best meal I've had since moving to Raleigh a year ago. My wife and I came here for my birthday, and we decided to go with the Larb Duck Wing appetizer special, followed by the Hamachi something-or-other entree special, and the Thai Red Curry. Every part of our meal was delicious and the flavors were varied for each dish; we were happy that it wasn't just the same ginger-garlic-sweet-spicy-soy taste for each item. We stayed for dessert and had the Red Plum Semifredo. The pre-dessert treat, the macarons they gave us since it was my birthday, and the main dessert were all excellent. The restaurant has a pastry chef on their staff, and everything was executed beautifully. The desserts weren't too sweet, with the semifredo having an interesting sesame seed cream gel layer that tasted like an elevated halva. We will be coming back.