M Pocha

New favorite in Durham! Everything we ordered was excellent, including the drinks/wine. Service was very attentive and friendly. Everything made to order. Keep in mind it is a very small space, but nice atmosphere. 100% will be back!

Their food has bold flavors and is very yummy. It's a tight venue and if you have a shell fish allergy I don't recommend it. The spicy pork buns are soooo good and the rice with the shrimp (I forget what it's called).

M Pocha is amazing. Every dish was super creative and flawlessly executed. We just kept ordering more and more small plates because everything we got was better than the last dish. They even made me a birthday plate! I recommend booking a reservation for the counter. The Main Street people watching is fun while drinking sake and knocking out small plates with friends.

My wife's new favorite Restaurant in Durham. The quality of the food is outstanding and the service is wonderful. Its a cute small place perfect for couples as it's mainly counter seating (but one long table that groups can dine together). Definitely need reservations - but well worth it. Been there twice and didn't disappoint either time. Perfect for dinner before a DPAC show.

Dropped to a 4 Came by for the fried chicken and it wasnt as good as last time Review from a year ago 4.5 really. food was quite tasty, I recommend the octopus karaage place is tight, recommend a reservation negative 0.5 since some of our food took a while to come, and cause it was so loud in there it was hard to hear each other. parking is street parking no private lot.

We LOVE the M restaurants. This is up there with M Tempura for us. The dishes were phenomenal. I loved how we sat traditional style like in Korea and were on stools looking out the window and people watching at we ate. Excellent service. Highly recommend and will definitely return.

The drinks and food were great! Spice level and seasoning was perfect for us. Wish there was more tofu in the drunken noodles but the flavor was great! They were able to accommodate for a nut allergy. They had enough vegetarian options but one more veg entree would be nice for variety! We will def be coming back and are excited to try other m restaurants.

Had the most wonderful experience at m pocha. Went in and they had no tables available (graduation weekend) . Had my kids and parents party of 7. We went across the street to think where we would go. Ben the waiter came to us and said his manager, Theresa, had let him know they could accommodate us at that time, catching us completely by surprise in the best way possible! We sat down for a wonderful meal filled with surprises at every corner. Each item was completely different and absolutely delicious. Our waiter, Ben, also made sure we were well tended to throughout our meal. We appreciated everything about our experience, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to dine at M Pocha! Make sure to give it a try if you can :)

The special cocktail of tropical aperol spritz was incredible. All the food was delicious. Portions are small do need to order several. It is extremely pricey.

The kimbap here is absolutely delicious. The rice is seasoned perfectly, and the fillings are fresh and flavorful. I tried the tuna kimbap, and the combination of crisp veggies and creamy tuna was just right. It is a great light meal or snack, and I will definitely be back for more.

M Pocha was a fun, tasty experience. The space is quite quaint. There is a long, central, picnic style table in the middle, then the windows are lined with bar like seating, and, I believe, there is some outdoor seating. It's not too loud, but it is a cozy fit. The food was such a delight. I came with a party of 5 and tried: 1. Brussel Sprouts 2. Gai Lan (chinese broccoli) 3. Chicken Karaage 4. Spicy Por Buns 5. Nasi Goreng 6. Budae Jigae Don't sleep on the Gai Lan. All the food was scrumptious; but the Gai Lan stole the show. It had no business being that good! Tip: After you finish the broccoli, order a side of rice and mix it in with the left over sauce. It becomes a dish on its own. The service was great!

It's been my goal to visit all the M restaurants in the area and M Pocha was next on my list! I came here with a friend for an early dinner on Saturday night and luckily they had an open spot for us outside without a reservation. The restaurant is pretty small so I can see why reservations are encouraged. They have a few tables outside on the sidewalk to accommodate more guests. My friend and I ordered the spicy pork buns which were really good! They were DIY style so they came deconstructed and we assembled them. I ordered the budae jjigae (army stew) and it was pretty good! It came with a side of rice, dried seaweed and kimchi. It was decently spicy and had lots of sausage in it. I also ordered the squid ink cocktail with mezcal because it sounded unique. My meal overall was pretty decent, I enjoyed all of it. I would definitely order the spicy pork buns again, but probably not the budae jjigae because I'm not a huge fan of beans in my jjigae but that's just personal preference. I'd want to try the ramen next time!

We had a great dinner at M Pocha in downtown Durham. Our well-traveled friend from Nashville, who ate with us here, said it was the best meal he's had in a year. He told me I could quote him in my Yelp review. In barbecue circles, he's known as Speedy of the Barbecue Bros: https://bit.ly/3KlTpgd I personally wouldn't go as far to say this was the best meal I've had in a year, but it was certainly very good. I give M Pocha a solid four stars. If you're not familiar with the "M Restaurants" of Durham, they're among the best Asian restaurants in the Triangle. Their most popular restaurant, M Sushi ( https://bit.ly/3QnVQTo ), has the best sushi in the Triangle, in my opinion. M Restaurants set the bar high. The "M" stands for Michael, Michael Lee, chef-owner of the M Restaurants. M Pocha is named after Korean street tents/stalls called pojangmacha. While Michael is Korean and this restaurant was inspired by pojangmacha or "pocha," the menu spans a variety of Asian cuisines, from Chinese to Thai. Like many restaurants in this part of Durham, M Pocha doesn't have a dedicated parking lot. My friends got lucky and found a spot in the nearby free lot off Morris St (same block). Otherwise, it's metered street and surface lot parking. If you don't want to park on the street, I suggest parking in the municipal lot at 111 W Chapel Hill St. You can walk through a brick alley and across Five Points to get to M Pocha. Parking is enforced Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm, except for city holidays. This is a small restaurant. If I recall correctly, the max occupancy I saw on the wall was 49 people. Reservations are recommended. Like all the M Restaurants, except for M Kokko, M Pocha is on OpenTable. Book your reservation using OpenTable and earn dining points which can be used to redeem restaurant discounts, Amazon gift cards, and hotel stays. Here's we, four adults and two kids, shared: Cocktails * Cocktail of the Day ($16) - some sort of whiskey sour cocktail with egg white (I don't remember the exact description) * House of the Rising Sun ($20) - Hibiki Whisky, Bekseju (Korean herb wine), charred lemon, miso caramel Small Plates * Lobster "Mac" & Cheese ($26) - crispy rice cakes, Mornay sauce, herb breadcrumbs, chili poached lobster * Shrimp Toast ($17) - Japanese milk bread, white shrimp, wasabi sweet chili sauce Dumplings * Meat Mandu ($12) x2 - traditional Korean dumpling: ground pork, mushrooms, chili crisp, kimchi, buchu chives; handmade fresh daily * Crab Shumai ($16) - crab meat, shrimp, kani, cabbage, scallions, yuzu and truffle ponzu sauce Meat * Chicken Karaage ($14) - marinated fried chicken, special spicy dipping sauce * Spicy Pork Buns ($17) - DIY steamed buns, spicy Korean BBQ pork, pickled cucumbers, ssam * Meat Plate ($48) - grilled galbi marinated Korean short rib, dry rub Iberico pork chop, duck fat pickled oyster mushrooms, seasonal kimchi, grilled onions, choice of rice or side salad (we chose rice) Rice * Chashu Don ($19) - braised pork belly, gravy, spicy cucumber salad, six-minute egg, scallions Noodles/Soup * Xiao Mian (Chongqing Fire Noodles) ($19) - alkaline noodles, ground pork, gai lan, pickled mustard greens, housemade chili oil, sesame sauce, peanuts, cilantro * Drunken Noodle ($16) - stir-fried rice noodles, tofu, broccoli, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, beech mushrooms, Thai chilis, spicy chili sauce, peanuts, Thai basil Sides * Chili Crisp Garlic Fries with Kimchi Aioli ($6) * Kimchi (regularly $5, but we got this for free; I think it came with a dish or maybe we got it because we ordered a lot) In general, everything was very good to excellent. I think the group favorite dishes were the Lobster "Mac" & Cheese, Shrimp Toast, Spicy Pork Buns, and Xiao Mian. My favorites were the latter two. The buns were freshly steamed and the pork was succulent. I enjoyed the Sichuan hot and numbing spice of the Xiao Mian. Every dish contained high-quality ingredients and was presented beautifully. I also really liked and recommend the Chicken Karaage for a simple, comforting fried chicken dish. The Drunken Noodles were tasty and are worth getting as well. M Pocha's Drunken Noodles can stand up to the best Drunken Noodles I've had in the Triangle. The noodle texture was terrific. What kept me from giving M Pocha five stars was the Meat Plate and Chashu Don. While tender and good quality, the pork chop on the Meat Plate lacked flavor. The Chashu Don pork had fantastic slices of pork belly and a perfectly-cooked egg, but there was too much rice and it was just soaked in sauce (didn't taste the best). We and the table next to us got complimentary dessert. It was like a sweet version of Crab Rangoon. The cocktails were well-made, refreshing, and delicious. Service was great. Our server was Ben and he did an amazing job. The dishes were paced as they were ready. Due to the limited table space, Ben was quick and creative in making more room for us as new dishes arrived. M Pocha opened in June 2019.

M Pocha is another cool "M" restaurant located in Durham. A small store, similar in size to M Kokko (maybe slightly bigger?). Had to put down a reservation in order to get seated, so come prepared! A lot of interesting items on the menu but landed on the Nasi Goreng, Xiao Mian, and Chili Fries. The chili crisp fries were great, my favorite out of the three that we ordered. The way that it paired with the kimchi aioli was fantastic, a great flavor twist on normal fries. The nasi goreng was sweet and had a strong spicy kick to it. I think the sweet was a little over done on this dish, but that is a personal preference, you might like it a lot! The xiao main killed me, there were heaps of chili oil in the dish, so much so that I couldn't really taste anything else other than spicy and noodles. My stomach didn't recover until a couple of days later, not sure if I got a bad batch but there was just way too much chili oil in that dish to be justifiable. My experience was pretty hit or miss with the dishes I ordered, but I'm sure that there are more menu items that are great.

First time trying M pocha and it was pretty good! Highly recommend making a reservation bc the inside is pretty small. We came on a Tuesday night and the restaurant was full. We ordered baby octopus karaage, shrimp toast, fried kimchi onigiri, and a side of chili crisp garlic fries with kimchi aioli. We ordered the Army stew as our main. The octopus karaage was our absolute favorite and the chili crisp garlic fries were 10/10. The fries were all perfectly crispy and were so delicious with or without the kimchi aioli. The army stew was also delicious and we had leftovers. I was disappointed though that there weren't any rice cakes in mine even though it said on the menu it had it in there. Otherwise it was packed with lots of veggies, beans, and meat. Come with a side of rice, kimchi and seaweed. The only small complaint we had was the service was slow with getting the food out. They brought out each individual order of food and it took about 15-20minutes in between for each dish to come out. Otherwise the staff were great!

A fantastic place to celebrate something or someone special! Food wise, I like how the menu rotates but sometimes they bring back fan favorites on their specials menu. I think having a small menu helps them focus on making those dishes really good. We got the Nagasaki champon and Nasi goreng as our mains, the shrimp burger (a throwback item) as an app and the Pocha Vesper as the drink. The price is right for the entrees and are packed with flavor. The nasi goreng is the best I've had in a while, it is a TRUE fried rice. I also love how the shrimps are fried with a sweet and sour sauce drizzled on top. The Nagasaki champon is very rich, spicy and light at the same time. I enjoyed the shrimp burger too, but it was a bit smaller considering it was the same price as the mains - but love the homemade tartar sauce! The Pocha vesper was very strong, if you like tart soju then this is your drink but it has a beautiful lavender color. Next time I will probably get their asian pear juice though! Customer service wise, the waitress was attentive and when I realized they forgot mussels on the champon, the chef hand delivered the mussels to us in broth which was nice. We also ordered another nasi goreng to go, it's just that good.

I really really enjoyed my first visit to this restaurant. I went with two friends on a Tuesday night and enjoyed some noodles, some dumplings and the Pocha vesper. I enjoyed it so much that I went back on Friday to celebrate a birthday with a friend of mine. Katie and Julia are extraordinary, weight staff, and they are quite knowledgeable. The restaurant is busy and busy lots of movement, friendly ambience, and I love the gold and silver teapots sitting around for decoration.

My boyfriend and I came by M Pocha tonight with high expectations. On our quest to try all of the M franchises in Durham, we've checked out both M Sushi (amazing) and M Kokko (solid). Unfortunately, M Pocha did not hit the spot. The ambience was a little cramped on a Thursday night, but service was friendly and prompt. We tried a wide variety of dishes (3 small plates and 2 entrees, with lots left over to take home). The papaya mango salad had an odd aftertaste, and the pork mandu was oily to the point of being soggy. The highlight of the dining experience was probably the nasi goreng- specifically, the juicy and flavorful shrimp on top. While we wouldn't come back to M Pocha, we'll still round out our tour by visiting M Tempura sometime.

The Korean bar snacks at this little spot are beautiful. According to their website - Pocha is short for Pojanmacha in Korea, meaning "Tented Cart on Wheels," which serves street food with drinks. This restaurant serves food that is made to eat while drinking. That is just about my favorite combo. The drinks were sadly not great. Mine was overly sweet and unbalanced. The Chashu Don - pork belly, gravy, spicy cucumber salad, poached egg - was incredibly good. We sat outside on a warm Saturday night and it was lovely. Service was quick and very friendly.

Had an amazing meal! Honestly I can't wait to go back. It's a small but well managed space. There's one large table which e think would be great to try all things on the menu. We sat at the window counter, had fun chatting with others seated there as well. Do make reservations.

My sister wanted to take the family here when we were in town so we had a reservation for 7pm on a Saturday night. Thankfully the streets weren't too busy but parking did take a while. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant was pretty dark honestly but it was very good and our waiter was very nice and attentive. We ordered the vegan tofu stir fry ($15), spicy pork buns ($15), nasi goreng ($17), chashu don ($17), and meat plate ($23). We started off with the stir fry and pork buns and they were honestly reeeeaally good. Started off dinner on a super good note. I don't like tofu but the other veggies and that sauce were just so good I kept going back for more. The pork buns were a build your own type of deal which was fine with me but the flavors were just so good together. Next came the nasi goreng, chashu don, and meat plate. While I wasn't as amazed with these, the vegan stir fry and pork buns definitely set the bar high for the rest of the meal. The nasi goreng was on the spicy side and I did not expect that many mushrooms in there. The chashu don seemed a little too on the soft side on my opinion as in everything was just soft. I usually like some kind of texture difference in my meals (think tempura flakes on sushi and not just all sashimi and rice) so that was just okay. Last was the meat plate which says short ribs on the menu however it just looked like a regular steak. I didn't get a pic of it but the portion size was meh for the price. At $23 I expected more than a small steak cut up into slices, 5 slices of grilled onion, and an okay salad of just lettuce and dressing. Overall I would come here again if I were in town or even try one of the other M restaurants as some of those flavors were just absolutely amazing. I highly recommend this place and trying a variety of their dishes!

Another foodie joint of the M group, this time tapas cum izakaya style Korean fusion -inspired dishes. Loved the fries with kimchi dipping sauce, mandu and shumai, pork buns, drunken noodles and xiao mien, and chicken karagge. Definitely enough for sharing. Cocktails pretty good too. Warm small space, and super casual.

Sat at the window bar, which we enjoyed, it was fun to watch the foot/vehicle traffic passing by. Food was good, if not transcendent. The service was attentive and friendly. This is a good restaurant, well worth trying. It pales in comparison to M Sushi, but is good in its own right. This one is good, but there are better options in Durham, so it gets 4 stars. Nothing bad, but not deserving of the highest rating.

Some dishes were very good and others were just good. Small dining area. Fortunately it was off hours so there wasn't a crowd crammed into the small area. The whiskey sour was very good.

Gem of downtown Durham. They were able to seat us within 20 mins without reservations on a Friday evening. Everything we ordered was amazing! Best drunken noodle I've ever had!

Another great M experience! We came here on a whim and knew we had nothing to fear because we have yet to be let down by any of the M restaurants so far! Our waiter was super friendly and helpful with the menu since it was our first time. The food was delicious. I had a hard time choosing because everything sounded so good!

With my visit to M Pocha, I have finally completed the Holy Quaterny of the M Restaurants, just under a year after moving here. With the exception of M Sushi, I find this group of restaurants to be over-reliant on heavy-hitting, umami-bomb ingredients to carry their dishes (M Sushi is exempt probably because they're forced to restrain themselves with nigiri). There is no subtlety going on in most M restaurant dishes, but there's often a lot of truffle oil or roe or sesame oil or vinegar or pork fat (or all of them at once). Which is fine, of course, but when your whole menu is like this, nothing ever tastes as good as the first bite. You get the 'wow' factor but you don't get the longevity of appreciation that you'd get if you tried to understand the interplay of subtler flavors. I did this rant for M Tempura, so I won't repeat it here any further. How was Pocha, taken on its own? I'll always appreciate it for making me realize I liked makgeoli, and I was impressed by their commitment to fermentation in the black bean sauce of their shiitake jjajang (for the first 3 bites before my mouth got salt-coated). I was delighted by the creativity of finding tteokbokki standing in for macaroni in their lobster 'mac' and cheese dish (that is, before I drowned in too-sweet cream sauce). The kimchi soup was great, sour and bubbly, and I wish I could have found more broth and delicious, tender kurobuta sausage under the avalanche of tough slabs of pork shoulder.

Another impressive Michael Lee venture. M Sushi may be my favorite restaurant in all of Durham, and his M Tempura was such a neat experience, though maybe not something you would want to do regularly. Here at Pocha, I enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching the staff of chefs putting dishes together with amazing speed and skill. The spicy pork bao were amazing (and definitely didn't skimp on the spice). It's definitely a busy and smaller space, so don't expect a quiet experience here. This is about the excitement of Korean cuisine and the ambience reflects the business of the street food atmosphere the menu is based on.

For Durham, this spot stands out as being a good option for a nice dinner out. On Saturday evening, we had made a reservation about a week ago. The restaurant is small, so it makes sense why reservations are necessary here. We ordered four dishes, per the recommendation of the bartender, who ended up being our waiter too. He was very nice. We probably could have done with three dishes between the two of us, because we had almost 3/4 of two dishes left over for dinner the next day. We got the Chongqing spicy dry noodles, the ramen dish, the fried rice dish, and an order of fries. We loved the variety in this meal. Every dish had a unique flavor and we enjoyed it all. Overall, the rice and dry noodles dishes had a lot of oil used to cook it, so just know that. But having soup noodles to balance it out was nice. The broth was full, deep, and flavorful. Fries came in a great portion with a nice aioli. Would come again for date night. Might not suggest for a large party due to the size of tables. Definitely recommend making a reservation if you can.

If I had to pick only one restaurant from Durham to eat at forever, M Pocha might just be the one. The restaurant serves an eclectic mix of Asian-inspired comfort food dishes, from chashu don to fried rice and spicy pork buns. Their cocktails are also unique and delicious. I'd recommend enjoying M Pocha is with a small group of friends in order to share the different dishes, tapas-style. As to which dishes to order... I haven't been disappointed yet by any of their dishes or cocktails! I do always get the spicy pork buns, but everything else is delicious as well. Prices are reasonable. They are a small restaurant, so I would recommend a reservation if possible. They have both window-counter seating and table seating. Regardless of where you sit, just be prepared to dine is close quarters as the restaurant is small. They have clear plastic dividers that they place between different dining parties.

We didn't have a reservation so we sat outside on the street which was fine by us! The interior is small and so cute! Our waiter had all the recommendations we could ask for from drinks and food. This is kind of a "tapas"-style restaurant, so you order a few different things and share! Highly recommend the pork buns(not pictured)! Everything is delicious!

My first time here and oh boy such fantastic food. Portions are smaller, but that means you just order more and it's worth it. Food tried: Gai Lan: Super delicious. The gai lan stem seemed very thin. I don't know if this a different species or just trimmed or what, but it was spinach-like. Fantastic sauce that I ordered a bowl of rice to pour onto to finish it. Green Papaya/mango salad: Very delicious. The papaya was the perfect ripeness. I also like how the papaya was cut. Seems too perfect to be human and that's okay. The chicharrones could be cracked smaller or maybe I'm not supposed to eat both at the same time. Vegan mandu: Good lord. Perfectly tender on one side and crisp on another. That sauce is so ridiculous. Very clean. Shitake Jjanjiang: Amazing sauce. I really think noodles should be cut short if they are meant to be shared because transferring from one bowl to another is kinda awkward, but maybe just order 2 servings. What a sexy dish! Drinks: Smokey Mirage - this drink is amazing. Takes your mouth to so many experiences. Smoky, spicy, refreshing, fruity...mmmmmm. Blue Lavender Old Fashioned - it was okay. It doesn't stray too far from an old fashioned, so old fashioned fans would love it. ********************* Server: Our wonderful server was Bridgette. She was amazing and had psychic powers. The plates: The plates were so nice. It really presented the food well and really harmonized with it. The dark plates really made some of the dishes pop. Even the eyes eat well at this restaurant. The counter seating: This is a great idea, especially because of the corner location of the restaurant provides so many great views. It's kind of an experience unto itself. When I ate there there was like a bicycle rally or something going on. Reserving with a credit card: I think this is a great idea that they can charge you for not showing up for a reservation. It wastes the restaurant's and other customer's time if people can't commit. Final conclusion: As Borat once said, "Very spice!" or something like that.

SO...this was probably the most disappointing venture while in Durham. This is a hipster Korean restaurant/gastropub that specializes in fancy street food, and I've been meaning to check this place out for a long time. In fact, I heard that this restaurant not only puts out great street food, but with flair! Well...Sadly, from the get-go, it was a no-go. Not sure what I was expecting, but something bigger, for starters?? The place was TINY...basically as small as a ramen bar. It was a good thing that they were practicing Covid safety measures...Temp checks at the door, masks, screens between tables, the whole works. Plus, I arrived super-late, so hardly anyone there. So, I decided to stay regardless of its uncomfortable setting. Then the biggest fiasco. I went because I primarily wanted to try this cute Malaysian Fried Rice w/ Shrimp. Well, when my bowl arrived, I thought they sent me a wrong order...it wasn't what I was expecting at all. It was basically a Fried Rice Bowl...with no Shrimp whatsoever! The Fried Rice tasted Okay, but nothing special. The waitress told me that they changed the content of this dish recently. ?!? SUCH a disappointment. Then the Pork Buns...another surprising disappointment. The pork had this super-wet, near greasy texture...so much so that I thought it was rare! Somewhat disgusted me. I'm just not a fan of soggy food...and this is certainly no exception. Obviously, the foods were a total disappointment...and even the lack of flair in presentation. Guess I was just expecting more...better?? At least they were nice enough to comp me by taking 20% off my bill (for my apparent disappointment...I'm not good at masking lol). Honestly I felt bad, given that my waitress relayed my discontent to the Chef...within my hearing and viewing distance. Again, the restaurant was WAY too small for comfort... Totally Awkward! Hipster or what, not my kind of scene. Unless the food is AMAZING-GOOD, I try to avoid tiny, claustrophobic joints like this. Guess that means I'll probably pass on returning anytime soon.

Casual atmosphere like its sibling M Kokko, but with a full bar. I can imagine this place turning into a nightclub randomly. The music mixed Ed Sheeran EDM and Britney Spears. Great dishes we had: shrimp toast and nasi goreng. The Meat platter was so heavily brined that I gave up.

Atmosphere: M Pocha has a dark, intimate interior with very limited seating. We sat at bar top seating by the window on a rainy evening, which gave the meal a very cozy feel to it. Service: From what we've heard, it is tough to get a table without a reservation. However, since we had a reservation, we were seated quite promptly. Our dishes came out one at a time as they were prepared by the kitchen. Food: We ordered the Nasi Goreng, Nagasaki Champon, Meat Plate, and Chashu Don. The Nasi Goreng was a unique take on fried rice and reminded us of Mi Goreng instant noodles (in the best way possible). The shrimp was also delicious, and the fried egg was a perfect addition to the dish. The Nagasaki Champon was not exactly what we were expecting. Unlike typical Korean-Chinese Jjamppong, the Nagasaki Champon had a meatier, non-spicy broth and looked like a Japanese-style ramen. The soup had a strong seafood flavor and plenty of seafood inside as well. Though it was good, we probably would still prefer the classic Korean-style Jjamppong. The Meat Plate was simple and flavorful. The short ribs had a nice marinade on them and went well with the Korean-style side salad. For the price however, the dish was quite small. Lastly, the Chashu Don was probably our least favorite of the night. The pork was fatty (maybe a little too fatty), and the dish was rather salty. Especially for $17, we hoped that the dish would have been a bit more interesting or had more flavor to it. Overall: It may be tough to get a table at M Pocha, but if you get the chance we would recommend trying their food. Their food was unique and there is something for everyone depending on if you are in the mood for more of a rice dish, meat dish, or a soup-based dish. The price is a little steep but in the end, the nice location and good quality food makes the cost worth it.

Still one of my fave restaurants in Durham. DELICIOUS food. I've had more than half the menu at this point - faves are Nasi Goreng or Vegan Fried Rice (may no longer be on menu), Champon (rich and creamy and a little spicy and full of meat/seafood), spicy pork buns, Fire Noodles, Gai Lan, Brussels, Army Stew / Kimchi Soup - okay, yes I've listed half the menu but it's all amazing! They say to share / small plates style but really 3 dishes is enough for 2 people. Good prices for the portions! Great cocktails too! Random but when I was pregnant I got the pear juice and that was surprisingly good! My only complaint / request - PLEASE BRING BACK THE SHRIMP BURGER PLEASE!!!

Cute little hole in the wall. Delicious flavors, romantic ambience, nice bar. Located in the heart of downtown Durham and walking distance from all the bars. A bit pricey and parking can be difficult to find. Not much indoor seating so if you have a big party definitely make a reservation early. I was very impressed and will be back.

The fried chicken was horrible. Almost entirely fat. The spicy pork puns are good and the lobster Mac and cheese is WOW! Overall, good meal.

It was okay other than the BURNT dumplings. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would. However, service was decent so thought they should get a higher score. The interior is small and there's one bathroom. Food is relatively spicy.!

Amazing experience, food, and service! My wife and I stopped by for dinner before the game and we're blown away. Everything is cooked fresh, great presentation and flavorful. They have a nice bar selection with beer, wine, and bourbon.

The "M" chain of restaurants is easily one of my favorites in the city of Durham. The food is always good and service never disappoints. I tried their ramen which came with a slew of seafood but my favorite part was easily the broth. I could drink it in a cup with nothing else. We also ordered the meat plate (the description mentioned pepper and onions but it only had 2 small onion rings which was disappointing), The shrimp toast which I'm a huge fan of (this time they had too much filling which made the dish a little overwhelming, but I'd still recommend). I'd recommend making a reservation if you are going to come here because the seating is limited. Overall You won't be disappointed. This place has bold flavor combinations and friendly staff.

Swung by to grab an early dinner on a weekday. It's in a great location in the heart of downtown Durham, on an intersection next to Pizzeria Toro. Because of its location, there's street parking available. However, it is possible to miss the place while driving by because there isn't a big sign that is visible on the street. I came at around 5:30 on a weekday and there was plenty of space. But half an hour later, it started getting packed. It's a smaller place but slightly bigger than M Kokko- it can probably fit about 30 people. They have a simple menu- classic M style. I ordered the Malaysian Nasi Goreng (fried rice). Ambiance: 5/5 There's a neat modern ambiance to the place. It has perfect views of the street. It's predominately window bar style seating though there are two massive wooden picnic tables in the middle for groups. I would probably recommend that if you come in a group, it be no more than 4. Any bigger might be harder to find seating together. Service 4.8/5: The food came out pretty quickly. While my main waitress was really friendly, throughout my dining experience, various individuals would fill my water cup, bring the food, take away my dishes when I was done. Sometimes, some of them seemed to abruptly serve without the same level of cheerful attitude as my waitress. But apart from those exceptions, the service was great! Food: The fried rice came beautifully presented in a neat wooden container. The crispy shrimp tempura with a sweet chili sauce was perfectly cooked and flavorful. They de-shelled the tail of the shrimp- which I loved since it made it easier to eat. The fried rice was amazing- tasted a lot like the fried rice I've had in Southeast Asia- Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia! The fried rice had the perfect amount of spice. It's definitely one of my favorite fried rices in Durham! Price 5/5: Without tax, the fried rice was around $12. A pretty decent price considering its location in downtown Durham. Overall, I really enjoyed this place! I had been looking forward to visiting since I'm a big fan of M Kokko. M Pocha didn't disappoint! I will definitely be back and recommend it to my friends!

When it comes to Asian eats, I'm a huge fan of Chef Mike Lee and his respect for sushi, tempura, Korean fried chicken and much more. I had a chance to visit M Pocha during their soft opening and it was impressive. From a spicy kimchi soup to seared short rib and pork belly bao, M Pocha will be offering up some interesting Asian plates from across the region. Decor is minimalist and clean with seating around the front of the restaurant, by the bar along with one community table in the middle. It's a small space best suited for smaller groups, four and under. But given it's premium location and history for M Restaurants, I expect that M Pocha will do quite well in the Bull City.

I visited for the first time a while back on a Saturday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. We had reservations for a party of ten, which is rather large for the restaurant size, but they managed to accommodate us, albeit in a rather small and cramped space outside. There's both indoor and outdoor seating for the restaurant, but both were pretty full at around 7pm on a weekend, so reservations are definitely the way to go. It's encouraged to dine family style and to get a bite of every dish, so I ordered the Shiitake Jjajiang, Chashu Don and Shrimp Toast to share with the table. The rest of the party of 9 ordered various dishes to share as well, and the food came out in cycles. Some of the dishes did take a noticeably longer time to arrive. The dishes that I ordered were super flavorful and had really great ingredients in each that complimented the other flavors in the dish super well. I particularly loved the Shittake Jjajiang because the mushroom with Jjajiang noodles was something new/creative to my palette, and I loved the salty and earthy flavor of the dish. The prices definitely lean on the higher side for the dishes given the portions, but the dishes are super well crafted and clearly have a lot of thought put into them, so it definitely justifies the price. The service was great as well. The waiters were consistent with checking up on us, walking us through the menu and refilling water for us. Overall, the dinner was delicious, and I would recommend the restaurant for the well-crafted menu alone, though I definitely would be mindful of the limited space.

Another delicious M restaurant. The space is small but it's really cool to be able to watch the kitchen churn out food. They have some deliciously spicy food available. Some they were able to tone down the spice (like the Nasi Garang, shrimp fried rice). We typically order 4-5 dishes to share between 2 people. Our favorites are the Gai Lan, Nasi Garang, Shrimp Toast and Kimchi Soup

All dishes were extremely well prepared. The cocktail were also far above average. The service was impeccable. It's a no frills atmosphere

If you have been to M Sushi, you will be very disappointed with M Pocha. Once you taste the food at this restaurant, you can tell that the reason why this restaurant exists is to just take advantage of drunk people. The karaage was incredibly bland and when I asked for togarashi to compliment the chicken, the restaurant did not have anyone. This is strange because the M Restaurant group is supposedly known for their Japanese cuisine. My biggest gripe about this place is that they have incredibly small portions for steep prices. I understand they are pursuing a "small plate" concept, however, the chicken karaage and birria tacos were not under the "small plate" sections of the menu (so you would think that the portions are enough to make you full). They gave me only 3 tbsp of consommé with the tacos I ordered. If you go to any other restaurant for birria, they will give you at least a cup of consommé and larger tacos that taste better. If you are looking for a late night snack, just go to Taco Bell for better tacos and Popeyes for better fried chicken. I blame whoever came up with the recipes and the small portion sizes at this restaurant.

We've been to M Sushi and M Tempura and loved both so we decided to give M Pocha a try. Our server, Ben, made things easy for us with recommendations. It is definitely a sharing type menu and we're glad we did. Loved all seven dishes and just had a tiny bit of rice left. Make a reservation if you want a table as it is tiny but really interesting to sit and watch. You can face the kitchen or the sidewalk passers by...both are fascinating. Excellent service, food and atmosphere. Again, it is tiny and there's a lot going on but I loved the vibe.

Very delicious Southeast Asian fusion place. I think their top dishes are the Thai fried rice, Chasiu rice, and the drunken noodles while everything else is okay (kimchi stew is sour and very mid). Those 3 dishes are amazing! Top 3 Thai fried rice (the shrimp inside is okay), and the chasiu rice was super juicy with a well balanced sweet soy sauce dressing. Affordable options and they even have a late night discount! Need reservation.

This place is awesome! Another M restaurant that I will be returning to. We came on a Thursday evening, a party of 4. We were thinking the wait would be a little shorter on a weeknight, and we were right. We waited maybe 20 minutes. Like M Kokko, this place is small, so seating is limited. They have a bar facing the windows, but we opted to wait until four seats were free at the big, shared, picnic table. The service was amazing- everyone was so attentive and at one point we had three servers simultaneously setting our plates down in front of us- I felt like royalty! The neon lights inside also made you feel like you were in a cool, secret club. The ambiance was a little noisy and cozy, but I loved it. The menu appears to change frequently. We saw many great-looking options, but there was also a "coming soon" teaser down below. Our party of four ended up getting 8 dishes total, four for each couple. or my husband and I, four was perfect. For our friends, they ended up having leftovers that they happily took in a to-go bag. So it could be that they eat less than us, but it could also be that some dishes are larger/heartier than others. I would suggest just trying what you think sounds good! My husband and I shared the green mango salad, which was great, and pretty spicy with the jalapenos. We also shared the fried octopus, which was awesome and the dipping sauce with roe was fabulous. We also tried the fried rice, which was fine, pretty standard. FInally, we shared the bacon goyza, which were good but very oily. Our friends loved the kimchi stew, which was a huge and dramatic bowl. Their brussels sprouts were also amazing and special, I snagged one of those. Everything was so good, I can't wait to see what the menu looks like in a couple of months.

Quaint spot for a really fun date night! The pork buns are the best i've had and the menu is especially unique, definitely coming back!

We came by for dinner early on a Friday evening (before 6pm) to beat the rush, so no wait (hooray!). Unfortunately, the space is quite small and narrow, which did negatively affect our experience. We were seated at the window bar and kept dropping things (chopsticks, my chapstick, a fried baby octopus) because the table was so small. Because we were jammed right between other diners, we were unable to move enough to hop off our stools to pick things up. The food was tasty. We tried the DIY steamed pork buns (I prefer the pork belly version they serve at M Kokko), the spicy rice cake soup (delicious and flavorful, but I wish it had been served with rice or something to sop up all that soup), a shrimp burger on a Hawaiian roll (delicious and served with a delectable yuzu tartar sauce, but the shrimp's delicate flavor got a bit lost in the roll), the Brussels sprouts (spicy and funky), and the karaage baby octopus (I prefer the chicken version at M Kokko; the baby octopus were too chewy to bite through and just a hair too big to be a comfortable single bite). All in all, we enjoyed the food - the shrimp burger was our favorite - but the cramped seating arrangement was a damper on our experience. I'd probably choose M Kokko over M Pocha - both are tiny, but at least the tables are better sized (and you get your own) at M Kokko.

So you like Korean and Japanese flavors? You have to head to M Pocha! There's a range of amazing dishes here, from noodles to soups to rice and small plates, too. Also they make fantastic cocktails--tried a mezcal martini tonight which was perfectly balanced and not shy of the smoky flavor (the Negroni is great too). Also--if you don't get something fried here (omg the shrimp toasts, and kaarage), you're missing out bigtime. You'll need a reservation on most nights, or to call ahead and come early. The staff are marvelous: friendly, helpful, and gracious.

The meat plate, the mandu, and the Nagasaki Champon are all out of this world. The food is made and served quickly and without fanfare, but the flavors are mind-blowing.

The "M" restaurant group seems to be dominating the market. Cocktails were buttery smooth - we got the House of the rising sun was one of the best whiskey drinks I've had and I ordered a skinny marg and it made me feel like I was drinking a margarita for a king. Food - lobster Mac (creamy!) spicy pork buns (adult lunchable) xiao mian (splurge dish packed with flavor) and side salad (very average) Can't wait to go again to try more!

This is our favorite M restaurant! Awesome staff, interesting and delicious food and reasonably priced. Let's start with the shrimp toast with is both crispy and juicy. A fried food lover's dream! The nasi goreng and the Chashu Don are loaded with spices and interesting flavors. Chicken Kara age must be double fried because it's so crispy! Probably the only thing that we didn't love was the kimbap which was a little bland after trying all the other dishes. For libations, the Kikusui Funaguchi 'seasonal green' was a real treat but is only released once a year around October so grab it if available.

Absolutely LOVE the food they served at M Pocha. Precovid they went for more of a small-plate/apps concept, but now have a new menu and their portions are much bigger, which is what I love. Highly recommend the fried rice, char siu rice and pork buns. Killer combinations for 2-3 people to share. Interesting drink items too! The reason I gave it 4 stars is because the music is wayyy too loud, so kind of have to shout to have a conversation over the music/kitchen and other customers. 10/10 would come back to try other items.