Chosun Ok

Ate there over the weekend and the experience was so, so. This place must be hurting because if you want to have Korean BBQ and use the grill they will charge you extra. I have never had this experience at any other Korean restaurant. Also, don’t bother to ask for refill on your side dishes. They will give you some BS that its special for the day and denial your request. I have never experience this at any other Korean restaurant too. So much for spending $ 100 for 4 adults. It ain’t bad but could be much better

I don’t get out to Durham often, but when I do, I am never disappointed with their culinary scene. Chosun Ok is situated in a strip mall off of NC 54 that doesn’t look like much from the road. The restaurant itself is no frills — plain tables, no music, but that doesn’t matter. I come for the food.
I came here the day before Thanksgiving for lunch. Started off with ban chan (Korean appetizers, such as kimchi, sprouts, etc) and then the dolsot bibimbap in the hot stone bowl. It was very good — meat was delicious, and the vegetables and rice were fresh and crunchy. The soup (is it miso? that’s Japanese so maybe not; very salty) was savory and tasty.
As far as service, I had no problems with my visit. The lady who served me was pretty nice and chatted with me about the business after my meal, showed me the restaurant’s Instagram page, etc. I was happy with my experience and would come back.

Don’t come here. I am astonished that it is still in business. The food was terrible but the service was about ten times worse. I ordered the budaejigae and I had to spit out my sausage. The sausage had a very strange taste and because of this it made it very hard for me to finish the rest of the stew. My friend who came with me got the jjajangmyun and it was watered down. The noodles were bloated, cut way too short. If you don’t want to ingest food from a restaurant that should be shut down, you shouldn’t go here. I’m not finished. Service. Was. ABSOLUTELY. TERRIBLE. When the owner was placing the side dishes on the table she flinged by friend’s phone to get it out of the way with no permission. Then, she went on to bringing our food out with a cellphone in one hand and my friend’s bowl of jajjangmyun in the other hand. She just dropped it on the table. We reluctantly ate our food because we were paying such a hefty price for it. Finally, we ate what we could and asked for a separate check. She wrote our checks down on a piece of scrap paper. She wrote $ 12 for the $ 10.99 jajjangmyun and $ 15 for the $ 13.99 budaejigae. I WAS MINDBLOWN. I’ve never experienced this before. On top of that, I saw a beetle coming towards our table and I told her that there was a beetle. Her actions: screech and kick the beetle. What it did: flip the beetle over and slide it closer to us. No words to describe this unbelievable situation. Of course, I argued why the check was handwritten and not a printed check. I calculated the tax in front of her. Let me tell you something, I really don’t care if I pay $ 1 more than I’m supposed to. I was just ticked off by her unprofessionalism and lack of duty to be polite as a business owner. Nobody should leave a restaurant shaking with anger caused by the owner of the restaurant. Honestly, this restaurant doesn’t deserve a star but to stop others from going to this restaurant I have to give it one star.

This place was phenomenal! The price is very high but the food is worth it. My wife and I shared Korean beef BBQ which was like Korean fajitas and it was absolutely incredible. If you can afford it definitely recommend it!
The restaurant is in a sketchy area with lots of scary looking folks walking around so keep an eye on your car.

Horrible food and service. Do not go here. i came here with my parents. We ordered mackerel and soy bean soup combo and bibingnangmyun. The waitress had an attitude we assume it was because we did not order one entrée per person. She walks away without saying anything. Then comes back and says they do not have mackerel. Was it because they were trying to get us to order more food?
Anyway so we ordered bibimbap and soy bean soup. Bibimbap was mostly lettuce and the rice was hard! Tasted like rice was from yesterday. The worst is that the tofu in the soy bean soup was rotten!!!
You can tell the restaurant is not busy and they use not so fresh products but rotten tofu? Really?

Service was awesome and speedy!!! The food was delicious! I came to this place directly after leaving a Korean place up the street because I was so dissatisfied with their overpriced disgusting food! This place laid it out!!! The kimchi was perfect, the seafood pancake was cooked perfect, the pork belly was cut into perfect bite sized pieces. The prices were reasonable and I don’t mind paying for quality food and service.

My wife and I ate there for lunch today because inter Korea house was closed for a vacation. I swore off OK a couple of years ago because of poor service and lackluster food quality. It is nicer on the inside after the remodel and the food seemed fresher. The service is still lacking. We waited 15 – 20 minutes to order, with the waitress never stopping by. I had to wave at her to let her know we were ready to order. She never filled our glasses or stopped by to check if the food was to our liking. I’ll go back in a pinch, but inter Korea is just better all around.

Oh Chosun Ok…you are so not OK. When my husband first got his job at RTP 10 years ago we moved from GA where the Korean food was superb. Chosun Ok was really good. A wonderful couple owned it and it was comfort food Korean with a little BBQ (not the best) thrown in. Honest Korean food at good prices. They were always busy. Then more restaurants opened up and they took a little dive so they tried to do a buffet (it’s like jumping the shark for a Korean place) and while it was popular they just could not make it work. So a new owner took over. The prices soared, the quality and quantity dipped and the service was abmissmal. It was so bad that my Korean mother asked to please leave and we took her across the street to VIT GOAL instead. Yesterday my husband and his workmates decided they needed a quick Korean fix. The galbi box my husband got was ok for the meat but the rest of the sides were WEIRD to him but not because he’s afraid of Korean food (because he eats a lot of it) but because it was odd. There was a tempura shrimp roll that did not taste like one and the tempura stuff that was just bad. The owner was out so she had a lady who was subbing. Her kid was running around the restaurant and she could not even be bothered to get up and greet the customers at the table. She would ask from the counter — how many? are you ready to eat? Wha??? So yeah. Off the list.

Went to Chosun Ok today for some grub grub after a long but well-​spent morning. I’ve, again, been here multiple times so I’ve known this restaurant for a while. The owner/​management seems to change more often than a horse neighs (.?), but this review will mostly cover the status of the restaurant currently (6÷27÷2015). The first thing I noticed was the awkward/​unconventional setup that the restaurant had placed. It seemed like they just put all their tables out with no clear design, and then added chairs to accompany. The group all got a combination of different foods (we got the Haemul Pahjun and Ggahng-​Poon-​Gi for appetizers) and I got the Chicken Dalkalbi. All the food tasted as expected with nothing extraordinary. The Ggahng-​Poon-​Gi tasted more like a spicy Tangsooyuk more than the traditional dish that I am accustomed to.
It was completely empty as well, so I don’t know if it’s because business is poor or whatnot (it was lunch time), but Chosun Ok doesn’t seem to be the most popular Korean restaurant around (personally, I think it is because it is overpriced). I had mixed feelings about the waiter/​owner (?) of the restaurant, but overall average.
I recommend this restaurant for those craving Korean food badly, and willing to spent $ 15-​$ 20 for an entrée unless going in for lunch specials (lunch specials are M-​F only, I forget times).

The food is consistently delicious and the service is friendly and prompt. I lived in Seoul for a few years and it tastes authentic to me. For my money, it’s the best Korean I’ve had in the Triangle.

The owner ruins the integrity of this restaurant. I’ve been a regular here for several years and have ordered «jjamjamyun» (spicy broth noodle in one half of the bowl and black bean noodle in the other half) many times here. But since the server that day was not Korean, she misunderstood my order and brought out «jjajangmyun» (black bean noodles) instead. I told her that this was the wrong order, as I can understand that those two words sound very similar, but moments after, the owner comes out to my table and begins aggressively accusing me of giving the server the wrong order. I was shocked and beyond disbelief that the server accused me of changing my order when the food came out. Even worse, the owner that backed her up even had the audacity to scold me! I explained to the owner (I spoke Korean to her) the whole situation and the misinterpretation of the two words «jjamjamyun» and «jjajangmyun» when one doesn’t speak Korean. The owner finally gave in and stormed into the kitchen.
Moments later she brings over a small bowl with JUST spicy broth and NOTHING ELSE, and claims that she is doing ME a complimentary service because she doesn’t believe me. At this point I am truly insulted by her words and actions, but decided to back down from an even larger argument. From the worst experience I’ve ever had at a restaurant, I will never be going back. And I will heed fair warning to others considering to dine at Chosun ok.
There are other options for Korean cuisine in the area anyways: «Inter Korea» boasts much better food and service.

I’m stingy with my 5-​star ratings, but when I find a no frills restaurant with amazing food, affordable prices and great service, that fifth star comes a running.
Don’t go to Chosun expecting great ambiance and fancy seating, go for the FOOD… aw heck… go for the Bulgogi! It’s an ordinary looking, family owned establishment. The staff is so sweet and treats you just like family. Our waitress came over to our table frequently to refill the sides. I went in a large group and we all ordered entrees, but we’re surrounded by and endless supply of kimchi, bean sprouts, broccoli, and fish cakes on the side. I ordered the Beef Bulgogi and it was the best decision I ever made… like, in life; it comes sizzling on a hot plate and loaded with flavor. I tasted around and the pork and chicken Bulgogi were also delish. Let’s just say I had to loosen my pants by the end without having to break my wallet… I call that the hallmark of a great restaurant experience.

Excellent waitress with attention to detail — saw my white shirt and offered a homemade bib to protect my shirt from Jjigae
⁴⁄₅ for Dolsot Bibimpap
⁵⁄₅ kimchi Jjigae
³⁄₅ JJam BBong — asked for less spicy and we got it unfortunately; noodles seemed homemade based on rough texture!

WOW, my nail tech suggested that I try one of the Korean places on Rt 55. This place was very good. I was there for lunch and ordered a traditional stone bowl Bimbap (i don’t spell it correctly). It was awesome. It had the egg on top and everything. We were also graced with a few small plates of ‘salads’. I had a Kimchee and some marinated sproutie thingies. Both nice. We also had some miso soup. My friend had the stone bowl with the beef ribs and enjoyed it very much also. I am happy for this great find. It isn’t fancy in decoration but if that’s what the place in Cary charged an additional $ 25 for I’d rather come here for just as good if not BETTER food. I can’t wait to try something else on the menu… maybe with my friend JUSTIN… someday;-)

Came here and ordered the spicy kalbi tang, beef short rib soup with clear noodles, my go to Korean dish. While the meat was tender, the broth was a bit off… it was quite watery with no meatiness or much spice to it. I was also thrown off by the abundance of what I assume to be canned mushrooms. The rice served was also a bit dried out, not up to the standards at typical Korean restaurants.
The saving grace was that the banchan were quite good. The chilled fishcakes and veggies, picked radishes and kimchi were all quite delicious.

My family came here for lunch, and we decided to try their lunch special. The special comes with your choice of meat, rice, some kimchi, tempura, and miso soup. The specials were about $ 10 – 12 each, which is definitely pricier than i know it, but I guess not too bad. Coming from California, I think my standards are way too high for Korean food. So I was not expecting much coming into this place. I was not blown away, but pleasantly surprised at the taste and quality of the lunch specials. I can’t say much for the regular menu items, but they gave a good amount of food for the price. The galbi was decent: not as bad as I expected. The overall price was quite reasonable, compared to other places.
David’s VPP (Value per price): ⁵⁄₁₀

The fact that we came here two days in a row shows that their food is pretty appetizing!
They were able to successfully cure my Korean food cravings~
Their tangsooyook most definitely beats Interkoreas. Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, with a sweet & tangy sauce poured all over the meat!
The dumplings were very moist and full-​flavored.
Definitely check out their oejinguh bokkeum! It came out sizzling hot and was perfectly spicy– we ended up ordering it both days.
Aside from their food, everything else is mediocre.
First off, awkward atmosphere. We could see the inside of the kitchen from where we were sitting. Now if it were fancy and all, I wouldn’t have cared but I could see the pile of dirty dishes.
Secondly, the owner had her dog hiding in the kitchen! I guess she thought we wouldn’t notice or anything… except for the fact that the dog started barking??? ummmm… awkward?
Thirdly, the side dishes weren’t very fresh.
In the Durham area, this place probably has the tastiest Korean food, but I don’t think that’s saying much…

My hubby and family were craving Korean food and we came here on a weeknight. We were a bit disappointed with the service, which was slower than I remember it being several years ago. There were 2 waitresses in the restaurant, and after we ordered our food we waited about 15 minutes before the banchan (small complimentary cold side dishes) were brought out. Besides our table, there was only 2 other tables of people at the restaurant, so I’m not sure why the service was slower. It didn’t help that we were really hungry! When I looked forlornly at the kitchen, the waitress came to me and said bluntly, «Is this your first time at a Korean restaurant? Korean food takes a long time to cook, you know.» I hadn’t even asked her how long the food was going to take, and was a little taken aback by her retort.
When the banchan did finally come out, followed later by our steaming bowl of soondubu, kalbi short ribs, bibimbop (hot stone rice bowl with egg, marinated beef, and veggies), everything was delicious, which makes me stuck between giving Chosunok 4 stars vs 3 stars. Of the banchan side dishes, my favorite were the bean sprouts, kim chi, and pickled cucumbers and I love that you can ask for refills of the banchan. My soondubu had lots of flavorful soft tofu that melted in my mouth, with a spicy kick to it. It comes with a hot steaming bowl of white rice that goes well with the spicy tofu soup.
Overall: 4 stars for the food, 2 stars for the service.

Confused in Chosun
I’d never stopped in a Korean restaurant before, but, since I’m moving to the neighborhood, I was driving around on Sunday afternoon (post lunchtime) to see what was around and came in for a odd-​timed meal.
Since I was new to the cuisine I asked the waitress to recommend something. Her English was better than my Japanese (she was the only Japanese there, she said the owners were Korean) but she had a hard time describing items. Although I found her charming, I didn’t understand what I was ordering (and later) how to eat it properly.
By the waitress’s pointing and nodding I ordered the beef Bibimbop. Never had heard of it before. First I was given a small cup of miso soup that was tasty, but just broth. Next a selection of cold items were brought out. Next a very hot stone bowl full of rice, vegetables and beef. There was a fried egg on top, sunny-​side up.
The waitress showed me (by doing for me) that I should mix the veggies and rice and beef and egg together to cook them in the bowl, but to eat the cold items separately. I ended up pouring the miso broth in the bowl, as the sizzling hot bowl was overcooking the rice (and it was sticking to the bowl).
The flavors were quite mild overall, but pleasing, I added a bit of the hot sauce served with it. Of the cold sides, the bar-b-que’d cucumbers were the best. Also included were fish cakes, cold steamed broccoli and kim chee (very mild).
I couldn’t eat the entire meal. In the case of the fish cakes and cold broccoli, I didn’t want to. Also, the marinated beef was tasty but some pieces were to grisly and chewy to eat.
The interior is quite stark and the large TV (on Korean cable) was a bit overpowering. I was the sole client and while there the waitress and owners came out and ate. They seemed to all have soup. I thought it odd that the waitress sat a good distance from the presumed owners when she ate. At one point she brought out a can of silkworms and showed them first to the owners and then to me. She told me that they were good for man, makes them good for women. Hmmm, but she didn’t offer me any but served them to the owners (who ate them).
Long review for one meal, but it was intriguing.

Everyone seemed good-​natured if distant. The food was of a type I would think of as comfort food. I felt, when I was done, that I had eaten a very healthy meal and, while I enjoyed it, I am unsure if I will return.
Perhaps if i knew what I was doing I would have had a better experience.

Food had no flavor or seasoning. Extra side dishes were brought out with the meal instead of beforehand to eat while waiting for the entrée.
Enjoyed Interkorea House (right across the street) much more.