KoKyu Na’Mean

Very tasty sandwiches in a funky hole in the wall joint. Super friendly service. I had their Korean fried chicken sandwich which was a bit on the heavy side. I would love to have had more Korean flavor going on and less American fried, saucy, overly rich taste. I wanted to love it as I am huge fan of all things Korean. I did enjoy it and would return if I was in the neighborhood.

I’m so excited that non-​commercial chain restaurants are popping up in my area. Na’mean is a great addition to the SoDu neighborhood. I went there for lunch with my husband and ordered two of the special sandwiches, both which I hope stick around. We ordered the CBR, a Korean fried chicken sandwich, and the Lamb tenderloin, shaved lamb sandwich.
The CBR reminded me of Bön Chon in NYC, which I miss dearly. The flavors they put together were amazing. The lamb tenderloin reminded me of a gourmet roast beef sandwich with the Lamb shaved thin. The sauces were delicious and the bread was crusty on the outside, soft on the inside and thin enough that you didn’t feel like you were going into carb coma. We also had the sweet potato salad and Thai vermicelli sides which were both a nice addition.
As for drinks, the cucumber mint lemonade is very refreshing and not overly sweet. The Brood spicy soda, a Durham original, was great. Definitely make sure Na’Mean is on your list of places to lunch or dinner!

The sandwiches here look amazing and taste as good as they look. Their many Asian inspired sandwiches aren’t «authentic,» but they do use top quality ingredients that infuse the sandwiches with so much flavor. Although a sandwich will run you $ 10 – 12 and does include a side, it’s well worth the price because they’re huge, loaded with meat and fresh veggies, and fast out of this world good.
I had the KOFC, which was Korean fried chicken, kimchi slaw, sweet and sour sauce, and a spicy mayo. First off, the bread was so good. It was a hoagie roll that had a nice crunch on the outside and was soft and fluffy inside. It was absolutely stuffed with fried chucks of chicken coated in a sweet and sour sauce. The chicken wasn’t as crunchy as I’d like because of all the sauce, but it still tasted good nevertheless. The sauce was a little spicy and the kimchi slaw also added some spice and necessary crunch. It was just an incredible sandwich.
Overall, the sandwiches were really unique and huge. I really look forward to coming back and trying their various other sandwiches.

I feel like an idiot for not trying this place sooner. I have been missing out big time! After seeing such excellent reviews and a lot of check-​ins from Unilocal friends, we finally decided to seek this place out for dinner.
When we arrived there was a little bit of a line at the register, which gave us some time to decide what we wanted to order. While we were waiting they offered us a sample of their Cucumber Mint Lemonade slushie. This was a brilliant move on their part, because we probably wouldn’t have even considered ordering it if we didn’t try it. And it was so good that we had to order a whole one. Another thing I loved about the drink is that you can get refills! Most places don’t allow refills on specialty drinks, like slushies, but we were encouraged more than once to fill it up on our way out.
For food, I ordered the Baht Mi with the sweet potato salad as my side. Hello flavor! First of all, the bread is amazing. You really have to have a good bread that can hold all the ingredients being piled onto it and I was surprised to see how it didn’t fall apart with all the meat juices and sauces. The combination of the fresh veggies, the savory meat, and the peanut sauce was completely on point. Just writing about it makes my mouth water. The sweet potato salad was really good too. I’m not sure of all the ingredients that go into it, but it was delicious.
Don’t make the mistake (like I did) in waiting too long to try this amazing food. These are not sandwiches you will be able to find anywhere else.
Just FYI, they are a little bit hidden from the road. Well, at least at night they were not the easiest to find because they are located towards the back of a shopping center and don’t have a lighted sign with their name.

Alright, so the reviewers so far have loved this place… and it was good. I got the CBR (Chicken Bacon sandwich, basically) and it was quite good… it just wasn’t 5 star good. Maybe I’m a snobby reviewer in this case but I’ve definitely had better sandwiches.
Seriously though, you’ll still enjoy this place and it’s worth checking out. I look forward to trying other options on the menu.

I had been looking forward to trying this place for months. I got the Pressed Shortrib which tasted purely of bleu cheese. While gorgonzola is a type of bleu cheese, it didn’t taste like gorgonzola to me. The cheese was overpowering and it ruined the sandwich for me. For my sides, I got the seaweed salad and their Italian sausage lentil soup. The seaweed salad tasted as expected which was good and I gobbled that right up. The soup however was extremely salty; it was twice as salty as canned soup. I couldn’t have more than a couple spoonfuls without drinking water. I’ll probably give this place another try and get something different.

«Are you kidding me? Now THIS is a [censored] sandwich» — me, after my first bite
«Flip» aka David Filippini has followed on to his innovative food trucks by bringing that type of food inside. This is really a tiny little place with only a handful of tables in a ramshackle commercial space that looks like it would sooner hold a religious cult than one of the area’s most innovative sandwich joints. The vibe is urban street food — complete with a boombox gently putting out really enjoyable music.
Flip’s flavors are very distinct. His flavors can be described as smash-​mouth bold as he weaves various flavors from Italy, France, Korea, Mexico, Greece, the South, and pretty much anywhere else he darn well feels. His «permanent» menu generally features 8 or 9 sandwiches, but it constantly changes. There is also a constantly changing set of special sandwiches, which means that you’ll get about 14 different choices. Each sandwich comes with a tiny cup of a side dish and optional add-​on soup.
A typical sandwich appears to be Bahn Mi inspired — starting with a soft fresh French bread baguette. Flip often will have one to three vegetarian options. He then stuffs and layers his flavors. Meats tend to be decadent — (eg, pork belly, short rib, fried chicken), but it’s not too over the top in quantity, so you won’t be crippled with shame after eating it. He tends to top his sandwiches with a texture (eg, cucumbers, crunchy slaw, greens, pickled daikon/​carrots), a fat-​based umami sauce (eg, olive aioli, jus, nut sauce, caramelized onions), and then a hammerlock-​suplex-​off-​the-​top-​turnbuckle twist (eg, kimchi, pickled vegetables, chilli/​garlic paste, chipotle mayo, Korean pork belly BBQ sauce).
Those flavors sound funky, but they are amazing. But — be warned — that you’ll need to have an adventuresome palate to enjoy yourself here. You better like sour things, hot spice, nut oils, and cheese that ain’t plain.
The side dishes are small, powerful, fresh, and change all the time — so no sense telling you what they are. They come in a huge variety and one of them will poke you perfectly in your soft belly.
Grab one of the amazing sodas out of the fridge (you macho enough for Tamarind Jarritos?) or go for one of the other drinks they make. The beverages change — but their frozen toasted almond horchata is sublime. And their cucumber mint lemonade is actually really fantastic.
Prices hover around $ 10, so expect to pay $ 12 – 20 depending on what else you get. Sure, it’s much more expensive than a typical sandwich place, but this is special.
This is — hands down — the best sandwich shop in the Triangle. Actually, it may be the best sandwich I have ever had. It’s that good. You can come here again and again. Even the sandwiches that don’t end up being your favorites are still better than other place’s best sandwiches.
If you work in RTP, drive here. Look for the «Cook Out» and Papa Johns on 55, across from the Golden Corral and Pawn Shop. Go up the hill, past the closed down dog house shaped hot dog place and Korean grocer to the whitewashed mall. Turn left. Look for the crowd of people making yum-​yum noises. It will be full even before noon, so you might need to angle toward 11:30 am to get lunch.
I love coming here alone and listening to people coming in. You’ll invariably hear phrases like «amazing, right?», «I’ve been telling her about this place», and «you haven’t been here before?». Everyone is nodding with wide eyes and messy faces at one another like they’ve discovered Nirvana on a custom toasted artisan baguette. Perhaps there *is* a cult here — and it is full of KoKyu Na’Mean devotees.

ERRRMAHEGGERD, SO GOOD. Got take out here tonight: baht mi sandwich (short rib), another one (not sure of name) with pulled pork, avocado, and cilantro; garlic soup, and carrot ginger soup. Sides were seaweed salad and soba noodles. Everything was amazing — so flavorful and done so well. Highly recommend! GO!!!

By far the best sandwich I have had in the Raleigh area. The Baht Mi (BBQ short rib, honey peanut sauce, & pickled vegetables) was the bomb. We also tried the KOFC (fried chicken, gochujang, kimchi slaw, & mae ploy) which was also very good.
Ask for a side of their homemade hot sauce.

In a part of town I don’t normally visit, so I trusted Unilocal to guide me and my very Southern, somewhat picky mother to an awesome lunch. I was a little worried KoKyu would be too out of the box for her, but thought… why not be adventurous? Turns out, she freaking loved it! So there you go, five-​star mom seal of approval. That alone should get you in the doors.
As everyone else can attest, the food is ridiculously good. I ordered the «All About That Braise» special, which had braised brisket, brown sugar sriracha, and fresh scallions on fabulous Korean bread. My mom had the «Hot Pimiento Chicken,» another special, with Korean fried chicken, jalapeño pimiento cheese, shredded iceberg, and a brown sugar glaze. We both opted for the sweet potato salad as our side. As it was our first time, I felt like the cashier who took my order was polite and attentive, helping me narrow down what I wanted to try and offering great recommendations. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful! It’s a small space but we were lucky to grab a seat and didn’t have to wait too long for our food to arrive.
We split the sandwiches in order to be able to both try more menu options. I loved the braised brisket but thought that if I had the whole sandwich to myself, it may have been a bit much (then again, I’m not a huge meat eater). The flavors were on point, though. The Korean fried chicken won my mom over and she loved the spiciness of the pimiento cheese. We did not leave a crumb behind. Seriously, loved everything about our sandwiches and the sweet potato salad was an excellent choice as a side; unusual flavors that totally worked together and left us wanting more. A must visit!

Good food. Korean/​Vietnamese inspired food with American flair. Prices are steep for what it is, but the sandwiches are filling (the sides are a bit meager though)
Ate here a second time and definitely disappointed with the sides again; I got the peanut sauce vermacilli, which was undercooked.

This place is in a terrible strip mall but gets an average of 5-​stars because it is amazing.
I have gotten these sandwiches and they all killed it:
–KoFC — Korean Fried Chicken
–French Dip (whatever they called it)
–Cassoulet sandwich, complete with duck, beans, bacon. ZOMG.
I always get the Broccoli Salad on the side but there’s other good ones too. My picky friend Daryl got seaweed salad with his KoFC and loved it all.

Kokyu Na’Mean is a fantastic little place that is making Durham a better place for those who are tired of boring sandwiches.
After about 7 – 8 visits, I’ve pretty much ordered every item on the regular menu, a bunch of sides, some of the soups, and some stuff from their specials menu.
*****
*Sandwiches you can’t go wrong with:
The Crust — It’s like a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich, but with fantastic bread that doesn’t break on you. The least messiest Italian Beef I’ve ever had. The au jus was tasty, save some for the sandwich!
Carnitas Shoyu — great sandwich that has pears, jelly, shallots, carnitas, and scallions.
KO Faux Bahn — Probably my favorite sandwich, but it’s vegan. I just love the flavors of the soy, the veggies, and the honey peanut sauce.
Sam Squash — Vegetarian sandwich with butternut squash, some greens, and feta cheese. Simple, but delicious.
I don’t eat lots of meat so I really enjoyed their non-​meat options. One interesting sandwich I’ve tried was the grilled cheese sandwich with grape mostarda and taleggio cheese. I would’ve preferred it with a little more cheese to balance the mostarda.
*Sides to eat:
I’ve tried the quinoa, the broccoli, the apple mint, the sesame cucumbers, and the seaweed salad sides. My conclusion is that I’ll never get tired of the seaweed salad. Its got great flavor, it’s easy to twirl with a fork, and the texture is great.
*Soups:
I’ve tried the borscht, the coconut lime, and the kimchi jjigae. I liked the kimchi soup the best… but they were all kind of different.
*Prices:
The prices are indeed on the higher end and it seems some of the vegan/​vegetarian sandwiches automatically comes with a soup. It’s worth it.
*Menu variation:
Their menu is never static. There always seems to be 1 or 2 new sandwiches rotating on the menu. One day you may discover your new favorite sandwich and the next day it’s gone. LOL. I’m sure by the time I write this review half the sandwiches I’ve tried will be gone. LOL.
*****
Tips:
*Take some of their Toasted Almond Horchata home and pour some dark rum in it. Y. U. M.
*Bring a friend and share your sandwich by splitting it. It’s way more fun and economical.
*Ask for a side of chile garlic sauce for some heat.
*The owner, Flip, is such a friendly dude.
Wish for the future:
Just a simple old school banh mi with pickled veggies, liver paté, pork cold cuts, cilantro, and mayo. And make it $ 3 like in CA… lol.
Conclusion:
Great place! Eat there!

This is the first time I wished there was a 6 star button. Seriously. My hubby and sister have a birthday one day after the other so we wanted a cool new place to have a lunch celebration. Thanks to Unilocalers I found Na’Mean. It’s right behind my favorite Korean grocery (Shilla) and it’s convenient to RTP so we met there today and tried out some of the crazy fun fusion sandwiches. My husband went for the Pressed Shortrib — BBQ rib, caramelized onion, gorg cheese, Kokyu chili. I did not even get to take a photo because he devoured it. He absolutely loved it. I got a bite in. Too much cheese for me but I can see why he loved it. Served hot with a nice tabuli salad. I had my two kiddos with me so I ordered them a plain chicken sandwich and it was big enough for the two to share. They both thought the chicken was awesome. They were out of chips today but the older one loved the cucumber salad. I got the Kimcheesteak sandwich —. I was nervous about having the cheese on my kimchi. It is a fusion lovers delight with plenty of flavors mingling and playing nicely together. For me, personally, I would have liked the short rib to have more of a Korean galbi flavor to it. That would have made it go over the moon for me. But as it was the sandwich is still fantastic. It was more like a brisket feel in my mouth. I won’t order it again for myself but I think it will be pleasing to many people. The bread is PERFECT and the quality of the ingredients is high. My little sis had the KOFC sandwich –Fried Chicken (korean style), gochuchang, kimchi slaw, Mae Ploy (sweet chili sauce). HOLY MOLY this sandwich is my new BFF. I stole a bite and she almost did not get it back. I will be back so I can once again run across the field of flowers and embrace its loving marriage of crispy, tender chicken chunks and crispy slaw with the spicy sweet blend of sauces. Sigh. I miss it already. The seaweed salad side was crunchy and nice. We tried several of their fun drinks and I especially loved the peppermint soda. To end the feast we had the Nutella, marshmallow panino? Not sure what it was called but it was divine. I’m not a big sweets person, but because it was on the same wonderful flaky, crispy, chewy bread as the sandwiches and because it was Nutella which is not overpoweringly sweet I really enjoyed it. My oldest said and I quote, «I am so glad we have taste buds so I can taste this amazing treat. Yummo!»
The dining area is small and by the time we got our food every seat in the house was taken. It was a rainy day so no one could sit outside. Everyone was happily noshing on their sandwiches. Because it’s a sandwich house most people, ate, had a foodgasm, then went back to their cubes to work. My family was the only ones that stayed around because of course we were there to hang out.
I would come back with my hubby or a friend or a couple of friends but this is not a place that you would bring a lot of kids to unless they are adventurous eaters. Having said that my picky eater was happy with the chicken sandwich. If they were to serve the chicken with a kid friendly side I think they have the makings of a fine kids meal. =)
The service was quick, efficient and friendly. One of the owners were there happily working alongside everyone and was patient with all of our questions. It’s so heartwarming when someone shares his passion with you. I am a new fan and I hope they are so successful they will open a huge restaurant that has a full bar and some amazing appetizers. My sandwiches needed a COLD ONE to go with it.

I thought the «baht mi» which is their version of a banh mi was just okay. The bread was good and had a nice crunch. The short rib was tasty and tasted like the one from the truck. However, I didn’t think the toppings were that great and the overall flavors of the sandwich were not that great. The pickled veggies plus the peanut sauce were just a little too sour. Usually with banh mi each bite is a delicious burst of flavors that complement and work together but not with this version of banh mi. The sandwich does come with a choice of a side and I chose the seaweed salad which is a standard seaweed salad.
Friends tried the short rib panini which they thought was also just okay.
Everyone was super nice! Place did get crowded during lunch time.

My first time at Na’Mean and I am in love with it! Sandwhich shop, BBQ, and Korean… what more can you ask for? I ordered the Kim cheesesteak (kimchee and bulgogi) and it was amazing! There were plenty of other choices that caught my eye, but I could not pass up the daily special.
The shop itself is small and has limited seating, with a few tables outside. The décor inside is not fancy but it fits with the whole food truck counterpart thing.
Can’t wait for the next visit!

I don’t think my sandwich was considered a «Banhmi» because it apparently didn’t have all the correct ingredients to qualify as one. However, it was a darn good sandwich!
I got the Milanesa, which had crispy pork (much like Japanese donkatsu), chipotle mayo, lettuce, avocado, and some other veggies.
It definitely took me to flavor town!
The meat and veggies inside my sandwich were practically overflowing out of its bun!
I forgot which one my friend got (sorry I was too focused on devouring my own) but that was yummy as well!
Each sandwich runs at ~10 bucks and comes with a side of ordinary chips.
The sandwich was super filling– probably because they stuffed each bun to its fullest capacity!
I will say that the sandwiches were a bit greasy. Towards the middle of my meal, my sandwich started falling apart because the bread became soggy from the oil…
Inside is fairly small but there are plenty of tables.
Everyone was super friendly– they kept checking up on us to make sure everything was good.
Interior is modern, casual, and hip! The walls are painted with crazy patterns and vibrant colors.
A great place for a casual meal with friends!

In the world of food trucks, Ko Kyu has been a favorite of mine. Known for its spin on Asian flavors mixed in with Mexican, their new store front was immediately bookmarked for a visit. With limited hours for just lunch, I would need to make a special trip out.
I showed up about 12:45, meeting up with fellow Unilocalers Lauryn C and Rose L. Inside there was a short line and menu of 8 sammiches, 4 sides-​soups and some specials. We order an assortment of things to share, time to feast! Highlights were the baht mi short-​rib sandwich (short rib, peanut sauce) along with the pressed short rib. Also loved the cream of broccoli soup and pozole (hominy soup). But no duck tots or quesadilla, sad panda!
With the cool graffiti walls and blaring boom box, you’ll feel like you’re still eating out of the Ko Kyu food truck but with a roof over your head! Nice job Flip and thanks for all the great eats…

What’s better then a lunch date with Lauryn C. and Ron W. A lunch date together at KoKyu Na’Mean! I felt like one lucky duck tot (the first food I ever tried from the KoKyu food truck back in the good old day) when I got the official invite to try out KoKyu’s new brick and mortar. And let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint. While the shopping center Kokyu is located in doesn’t scream COME ON IN! This restaurant clearly speaks for itself and is, interestingly enough, the original location of food prep for the food truck. KoKyu offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, sides and soups with an Asian flare. After studying the menu (like any good foodie) I thought I’d decided on the perfect sandwich. However, the specials spoke to me and I ended up ordering the Bhat Mi ($ 9) special: short ribs, pickled peanut sauce, pickled veggies, mint, cilantro, peanuts, YUM!
We were on a mission to try everything, so we ordered a lot of food (see Lauryn C.‘s review for details!) I was really impressed by the soup of the day, a play on broccoli cheddar but with ginger sambal and crispy onions. The «broth» was fantastic as well, reminded me of a fancy tortilla soup but with pork belly, hominy, avocado, radishes, lime and chimichurri. If you like Cuban sandwiches, the pressed shortrib reminded me of a nice take on that while the fried chicken sammy will hit the spot for anyone with a sweeter tooth. As far as sides go, I’d recommend the ginger roasted brassicas (cauliflower and broccoli salad spiced just right) seconded by the potato chips. Although I ordered the spicy kimchi cucumbers, they wowed me the least.
Wash your amazing meal down with a freezy (the orange julio was tasty, but at a whopping $ 2.50 it might be out of your lunch budget!) and you’ll be good to go. I loved seeing the owner, Flip, on the floor, greeting everyone, asking how the food was and being very «hands on». You can tell this restaurant, like his food truck, is his baby and he is so passionate about his product. Even though I can’t afford to shell out $ 8-​$ 10 regularly for a sammy, I’ll definitely be making Na’Mean one of my top lunch spots. I am so glad I live less then 10 minutes from their front door, can’t wait for them to open for brunch!

I have to admit I haven’t eaten at the KoKyu food truck, but clearly I’ve been missing out on some stellar food. I really enjoyed my 1^st visit to Kokyu Na’Mean. A fabulous lunch amongst the great company of Rose L & Ron W. We all ordered different sandwiches and got to chance to try quite a lot of the yummy menu items.
We tried the special of the day which of course I can’t remember the name now but it was a short rib sandwich that was spicy and delicious, definitely my favorite sandwich that I tried. We also tried the fried chicken sandwich, short rib panini, and pork belly sandwich, plus a tasting of pozole, broccoli cheese soup, kimchi cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower salad, and fresh potato chips. Wow now that I listed all that food you can only imagine how full I was when I left:)
The frozen almond horchata drink and orange drink are not to be missed either. The owner Flip is awesome and always walking around greeting customers and making folks feel welcome.
They have a couple of tables outside as well as inside. It’s a small space but that’s part of the charm and we had no problem finding seats, however I’m sure all the buzz that’s going around about Kokyu Na’Mean is going to make this place very popular.
Flip mentioned some dinner and possibly brunches popping up here in the future. Right now they just serve lunch, which as I mentioned is pretty awesome so I can’t wait to see what dinner and brunch might bring.
Conveniently located in RDU right off HWY 55 this place should not be missed, it’s authentic and has to be one of the best sandwich shops around.