M Tempura, one of only a handful of true tempura restaurants on the East Coast, was named by Bon Appetit as one of the top 50 best new restaurants in the country in 2019. From Chef Mike Lee, who also owns M Sushi, M Pocha and M Kokko downtown, M Tempura is also home to Chef Savannah Miller, one of the 'chef-testants' on season 21 of Bravo's Top Chef.
My partner and I came here for our 13th wedding anniversary — we don’t live in Durham but we were visiting my in-laws. It’s long been on my list because of Top Chef but I was still totally floored by the experience. It was the best meal I’ve had in a very long time.
We had the M Omakase with beverage pairing. It was very well-paced and every course was a pleasant surprise. Standouts were the tempura shrimp, scallop, and house-cured trout roe. I also loved the meal, miso-marinated seabass on rice with the barley tea dashi that came halfway through. It took an already so deluxe dish to the next level.
The service was attentive but not overbearing. We had a lovely time, thank you! Can’t wait to come back.
ALLISON DRAPALA
Jul 27, 2025
5
Let’s just say this: I went to M Tempura expecting a decent dinner. What I got was a tempura-based love story—with Jennifer as my culinary matchmaker and the chef as my trusty narrator.
Dining solo here doesn’t mean dining in silence. Jennifer, my waitress and now spiritual flavor guide, suggested I add the *brie course* to my tempura tasting. I hesitated. Brie? With tempura? Ma’am… YES. Brie, nori, honey, and truffle in one bite? I don’t know what kind of culinary witchcraft that was, but I’d follow it into battle. Or at least into another reservation.
Every course was thoughtfully prepared, with the chef offering insights that made me slow down and actually *think* about what I was eating. It wasn’t just dinner—it was a little education in flavor. The tempura itself? A revelation. Light, crisp, not drowning in batter like your usual “tempura adjacent” spots. You could *actually* taste the ingredient inside. And let me tell you, the root vegetable course? Delicate. Earthy. Unexpectedly elegant.
To top it off, the ginger ice cream was the kind of palate cleanser that makes you consider skipping dessert for the rest of your life because nothing else will live up.
Would I go back? I’m already planning my return like it’s a second date with someone who actually listens.
**Pro tips:**
* Go with the tasting menu if you're not starving—plenty of food, but no food coma.
* Don’t skip the brie add-on. Seriously.
* Sit at the bar for chef interaction if you're solo—makes the experience that much richer.
This isn’t just a dinner spot—it’s a damn delight.
RITABRITA GOSWAMI
Jun 1, 2025
5
An amazing restaurant to try if you are a sea food and fish lover and also appreciate fresh produce. I particularly went there to meet Chef Savannah (a Top Chef Finalist). It was amazing to see how friendly she was and she interacts with you while cooking if you are at the bar seating (would definitely recommend that). We went there to celebrate our 6 month wedding anniversary and had a great experience.
We had the M Omakase meal and loved every bit of it. The menu progression is amazing. It starts off with chawanmushi (Japanese savory custard). It is creamy and had a good umami from the walnut oil and trout roe. The salmon crudo was bright and fragrant. Next was the dolma and my favorite dish of the menu. It had a very unique flavor to it. Next were the tempuras and all of the them were out of the world. The batter was the best I had so far. Every produce was fresh. The meal with miso marinated seabass was great.
Overall, a highly recommended restaurant. Everything was seasoned well and the service was fast.
Marci Fradkin
May 4, 2025
5
We went partially because we’re Top Chef fans, but we were also intrigued by a Japanese brunch. We sat at the bar so we could watch the cooking which was really fun to engage. Please be aware there is no Omakase at brunch, but there’s a whole bunch of intriguing choices and we quite enjoyed it. It is meant to be shared the only challenge we had was picking which dishes to order. We thought the omelette was incredible and I think that was the biggest surprise The only disappointment at least for brunch it doesn’t seem you can trust the online system if there’s space or not. We were driving home so we thought we’d chance to see if we could get in for brunch even though it looked like it might be filled.
D F
Jan 19, 2025
5
Amazing food! We opted for the M omakase experience and loved every tasting menu item we were served. The place is quaint and great to go on dates or with a group of friends and is in the heart of downtown Durham with lots of parking on the streets or garage. We were also fortunate to say hi to Chef Savannah from Top Chef that night. Highly recommend trying it out and we will surely come back again!
Luis Sanchez-Vegas
Jan 1, 2025
5
Michelin star quality at NC prices - you’ve never had tempura before until you’ve had this quality.
NSA
Nov 22, 2024
5
reserved online with open table. you need to preselect your experience and put a credit card. Got the tempura experience for 75. it included several small dishes through you the night and a variety of tempura followed by a small rice dish, miso soup and ginger ice cream..
the first shrimp tempura was heavenly !!
overall the experience was really nice. it took around 2 hours to complete. we had our reservation at 7:15 and felt we had to rush at the end since they close at 9. maybe don't let people reserve that ?
other than probably from the best restaurants I had in Durham !
book this for your next date night or special gathering !
Paul Cray
Oct 17, 2024
5
Incredible 7 course omakase! All the bites were perfectly prepared and the soft shelled shrimp were very fun. The wine pairing went great with the courses. It did take a little time between bites and we were there for about 3 hours total. I think this menu is the best bang for your buck compared to all the tasting menu options across the m restaurants.
Phil Angelo Estrada
Sep 16, 2024
5
Phenomenal experience with the crew at M Tempura. We opted for the M Omakase tasting menu and blown away with the 7 courses. Each course was different and this restaurant puts a different twist on each plate. I highly recommend the tasting menu experience.
The staff and service is amazing. Shout out to Nubia!!! Our water was never empty for longer than 10 minutes. This restaurant is top tier when it comes to service and deserves more praise than what they receive.
Han Jang
Sep 9, 2024
5
Highly recommend the tempura tasting menu! I can understand skepticism around the fact that tempura is simply fried food, but tempura is best when “fresh”, so it was nice to have each piece plated in front of us straight from the fryer. This, along with the sides and great service were well worth the $38. We were stuffed before dessert! Would come back for their omakase or kaiseki.
