What Chef Mike Lee Loves About Durham
We sat down with chef Mike Lee to talk about why he started his restaurant empire here, and what makes this city tick.
Chef Mike Lee ended up in Durham on a whim – he’d spent years cooking all over the country, but found he couldn’t resist the draw of Durham’s friendly, food-loving vibe. He now runs half a dozen restaurants all over the Triangle - one of which is helmed by Top Chef finalist Savannah Miller - with four of his spots open within a four-block radius of downtown Durham. He’s got plans for expansion, but says he’s working to provide what the city’s diners want and need. Here, we sat down with him to talk about why Durham has become home, what’s coming next, and how he sees the city’s culinary future.
An Interview with Chef Mike Lee
Why plant your flag in Durham when you’d cooked all over the country?
Mike Lee: "Durham was actually not our first choice. My wife and I looked everywhere in the Triangle—Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary. Back then honestly we didn’t know much about Durham. I’d been bouncing around the U.S.—California, Vegas, Texas, Louisiana, you name it—working and saving to open a future restaurant. When I stopped here to visit my parents in Wake Forest, I took a part‑time kitchen job just for fun. While we were researching, we kept eating in Durham. Every spot—Magnolia Grill, the old Nana’s, Vin Rouge—was great. We thought, Man, this is a close‑knit, foodie town. That’s when we said, ‘Durham’s it. Let’s give it a shot.’"
How would you describe each of your restaurants?
M Sushi – That’s the first one, opened in 2016. At the time Triangle sushi meant tuna, salmon, and lots of rolls. I’d spent my career in Japanese kitchens since 1995, so I asked: Why can’t we serve the same Tokyo‑quality fish you see in New York or L.A.? We started flying in whole fish from Japan, charging what we had to charge—$12, $15 a piece—because ‘free sushi’ isn’t sustainable. The goal was to elevate the scene, not knock anybody.
M Kokko – There was a corner of the M Sushi building just big enough for a ramen‑yakitori bar, but Dashi—one block away—already did great ramen. We pivoted to ‘a casual chicken lab’: chicken sandwich, chicken ramen, karaage. Kokko lets us test casual dishes for a future nonprofit franchise we’d love to create.
M Tempura – When Scratch bakery moved, we loved the exposed brick of that space. My wife and I visit Japan once or twice a year, and a proper tempura counter is always our first meal. Outside Manhattan there was nothing like Tempura Matsui on the East Coast. People said, ‘Durham won’t get it,’ but we said, Even if we don’t make money, let’s try. It turns out Durham diners did get it.
M Pocha – A year later the cupcake shop next door closed, so we opened a Korean pocha—street‑stall drinking food—because we’re Korean and downtown lacked Korean options. Folks like the casual vibe, but this year we’ll remodel and relaunch as a more focused, elevated Korean restaurant.
(Lee has since added M Sushi Cary and an evolving Test Kitchen that will become M Izakaya.)
What makes Durham different from the many places you’ve cooked?
Durham is culturally diverse and unusually supportive. When we first opened, every neighboring restaurant dropped by with flowers, Sharpies, cupcakes—little welcome gifts that gave us goosebumps. I’d never seen that in other cities. In a five‑block walk you hit what feels like the best of each genre: Rose’s for handmade everything, Pizzeria Toro for Neapolitan pies, Dashi for ramen, Alley 26 for cocktails. It reminds me of Japan, where tiny restaurants specialize in one thing and nail it—only with Southern charm.
Where do you eat—or send visitors—when you’re off the clock?
- “Start with Matt Kelly—he’s the O.G. of downtown Durham. Mateo, Mother & Son’s, or Nanas, you can’t miss.”
- “Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets is crazy‑good; they make every single thing from scratch. They deserve every award.”
- “For pizza, Pizzeria Toro. Best Neapolitan in the Triangle.”
- “Ramen? Dashi reinvented that scene here.”
- “Need cocktails and small plates? Alley 26.”
- “Craving Cajun‑Creole? Seraphine—we needed a Louisiana spot and they nailed it.”
He laughs: “Honestly I could list restaurants until tomorrow. Within that walkable core you can graze all day.”
Beyond food, Lee tells friends to stroll Durham Central Park on Saturday, pop into the Durham Farmers’ Market for local produce, then check out Ponysaurus or Fullsteam (relocating to American Tobacco Campus in late summer 2025) for a beer—local breweries show the same collaborative vibe.
How has Durham’s community influenced your growth?
I’d opened plenty of restaurants elsewhere, but in Durham we felt a responsibility to contribute, not compete. That’s why Kokko isn’t ramen—Dashi already had it covered. Instead of copying, we ask, What does downtown need? Tempura filled a void; so did Korean. The diners push us, too: they’ll try a piece of $50‑per‑pound madai because they trust the city’s food culture. Without that curiosity we couldn’t keep experimenting.
What’s next on the horizon?
This year we’ll transition Pocha into a full Korean concept, turn Test Kitchen into M Izakaya in Cary, and we have ‘a couple more’ ideas for 2026. We still work the line—our kids used to do homework in the dry storage—but Durham’s energy keeps us opening one restaurant a year.
Final pitch: why should a food‑loving traveler put Durham on the itinerary?
Because it’s the rare place where quality outweighs size. You can eat world‑class sushi, tempura, tacos, pizza and barbecue without getting in a car. Chefs here welcome each other—and visitors—the moment you walk through the door. If you’re hungry for exploration and community, Durham is it.
To stay up to date on Chef Mike Lee and all his restaurants, follow them @m_restaurants.
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