Everything tasted delicious - out of this world at Ko An! We got the lobster buns as an appetizer which are very tastey. The bibimbap was made very well and the Thai red curry has a very good sauce. The desserts were exquisite!The restaurant is so pretty - the high ceilings, tables, and even bathroom, are absolutely gorgeous. They also have fantastic outdoor dining. I am really impressed with this restaurant. Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Red Curry
AWen
I was disappointed that the food was not nearly as good as I have had here in the past. The bread on the lobster buns did not taste fresh. The cauliflower was not nearly as good as it had been in the past. The florets were too large. The sauce was not sweet enough. We had the BBQ beef bowl; however, the vegetables did not taste fresh. The kimchi seemed to be doused in sambal instead of fermented. The eggplant and zucchini were just awful, and the rice was overcooked. The service team appeared to be working very hard, but also seemed overwhelmed. It took far too long for our drinks to come to the table. I was really disappointed because this has been one of my favorite places to dine in the area.
Jana Marx
Overall a disappointing experience. I ordered the miso udon and it was so spicy, I could only eat a couple of bites. The sparkling rosé was very nice and we enjoyed both the liquid chocolate and s’mores desserts. We sat on the patio which was nice, but there is a surprising amount of road noise. The service was just ok. I think we would have had a better experience if we had ordered small plates.
K Samana
If we had gotten a variety of small plates to share we may have had a better experience. I had planned on getting Bibimbop (Koren BBQ) until they said it didn’t come in a hot stone bowl (which is a key component so the rice gets crispy) so I went with the ribeye- which I wouldn’t normally get unless I was at a steakhouse, but it looked great in the pictures. And it was good. It’s mildly seasoned, but the butter on top and the spicy sauce on the side adds a nice flavor. The fingerling potatoes were good, but they were on a bed of puréed sweet potatoes (that tastes like baby food) and didn’t have much flavor and certainly didn’t add to the dish (potatoes on potatoes?!?) the salad was just taking up room and the dried radish (?) added nothing to the dish. My dining companions udon noodles were too spicy to eat (and she likes spice)- and there was no warning on the menu. The dessert bites were delish - a little burst or flavor that reminded of a Michelin course. Both deserts (liquid chocolate and s’mores) were good. If you are looking for something fruity and a little lighter, I’d go with the liquid chocolate. But the chocolate squares in the s’mores was divine.
Sophia Alexandria
I enjoyed this place. It has a very nice environment. This could be a very nice romantic spot. I ordered The Vietnamese Fried Shrimp. I really loved these. It came with a dipping sauce which complemented it very well. It was a nice, sweet and tangy flavor with a bit of spice. Just the right amount. I will definitely order those again. I ordered the Korean Bibimbap. The steak was cooked and flavored nicely. The egg was perfect. The kimchi was some of the best kimchi I've ever had. It had a really spicy sauce on it. It was a pinch spicier than I would have liked but overall it was very good. For cocktails, I ordered the Ricketty Ginny. I like that one and it was nice with the shrimp. I ordered the seasonal cocktail called the Bitter Becky and it was nice. It was bitter but finished with a sweetness. I loved how it was bitter and then sweet. It wasn't bad for a bitter drink. I am not a sweet drinker but I would say not bad. Becca was our server. She gave good service. I will be back for sure, especially for tge Vietnamese Fried Shrimp. You should check it out!Parking: Open parking. First come- first served.Wheelchair accessibility: Yes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Vini E.
We went here for a couples date night. Overall ambience is amazing. High ceilings and plenty of space. Service was a little disappointing because dishes did not all arrive at the same time and some of our friends had to wait a long time. Especially one dish that our server did admit he forgot to put it in the system so it was forgotten. However we appreciate he admitted and said the dish was on the house. Coming to the items my husband and I ordered. - Sake Nigori: a pretty watered down tasting but not bad either. He shared it with a friend. - a lemon bitters cocktail: honestly all I could taste was bitter. I could not drink this and handed it to my husband who couldn't drink it either. - a whiskey dessert cocktail at the end: husband said this was good. Drinks were a disappointment overall. Coming onto food. - mushroom katsu buns: this was such a yummy dish. The crisp mushroom with sauces infused in other flavors/veggies. Really yummy and highly recommend - Thai red curry: pretty ok dish, not great but not bad either - udon noodles: very disappointing dish. It was big in portion which is nice but the taste was so tangy. All I could taste was sour and tamarind taste. I couldn't enjoy the dish and left most of it. We ordered the following for dessert:- strawberry: this was nice but the sorbet was so tangy and sour. I didn't find that appealing - passion fruit crème brûlée: honestly all I could taste was a bitter taste. I don't recommend this dessert at all. Overall, I would go back for the small plates as they were better tasting than the large plates.
Janet Yan
So good! All the food was delicious - highly recommend the lobster buns and desserts. Service and ambience were wonderful. I'll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushrooms Katsu Steamed Buns
Marc
Have been to KoAn in its variety of incarnations for a few years now and think it's as good today as it ever has been. I'd personally steer people towards the big plates as I think they are superior to the smaller plates. Some of the better versions of somewhat traditional southeast asian dishes to be found anywhere in the triangle.
Had lovely dessert and small plates— portions were reasonable and food was excellent. The kombucha is not house made, but their seasonal offering was tasty and light. Service was excellent— very understanding and yielding.
Deja H.
I was definitely surprised coming in here! My friend invited me and I didn't know what to expect. One thing you can expect is ridiculously delicious food. We ordered a little bit of everything, and every single course was superb. The staff did a great job explaining menu items to us and recommended drinks that we loved. It's gorgeous on the inside and really is a lovely place to go for a nice dinner.
Mother's Day was ruined. Reservations for 2:30 PM and we were told they were closing and we could not have coffee or dessert. In addition, we had to constant swat flies away from out plates. Definitely not worth the $200+ experience!
Janet Y
So good! All the food was delicious - highly recommend the lobster buns and desserts. Service and ambience were wonderful. I'll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushrooms Katsu Steamed Buns
Nick
Amazing, phenomenal, perfection. This Asian restaurant is top of its class with a diverse menu, fantastic chefs, and professional servers. I've eaten here twice in 2 weeks now and both times we were blown away. Best restaurant in Cary hands down!
S Tam
This place is too much.....in a great way! It's deceiving from the outside, the restaurant is very large inside with several indoor and outdoor areas. The separation of these areas makes dinner feel intimate while allowing the restaurant to seat many guests. This is farm to table with a seasonal menu. The drinks were fabulous!!!! We tried every one of the speciality drinks, Rickety Ginny was our favorite, the dragon fruit makes it a bright purple color. Super fun. We enjoyed several small plates including himachi crudo, cauliflower, lobster buns, bao, poke and tuna truffle roll. Every one of the small plates was unique, carefully prepared with small details in seasoning and garnish and tasted FABULOUS! The chef has perfected southeast Asian with a fusion of unique flavors that play on your palate. For dinner we had the Thai red curry which is an explosion of fresh seafood and the Korean BBQ which is perfectly marinated hanger steak in a bowl with lots of fun ingredients to mix in. For dessert, we had PX dessert wine which perfectly paired with freshly baked cookies and the best carrot cake I've ever eaten. I'm not sure what the chef did with the sweet brine for the beets that garnished the cake, but those were next level unique and tasty. We will definitely be returning soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Red Curry
Jessica L.
This place is surprisingly huge on the inside, with plenty of space for groups including very private feeling booths. Me and my bf walked in at 8pm on a Saturday night and got sat on a high top by the bar. We ordered some cocktails. The El Buho tastes mostly of tequila and water. The Rickety Ginny was pleasant, but also a little bland. Neither were memorable. I was a bit disappointed by the small menu, especially for such a large restaurant. Usually when a restaurant offers pan-asian cuisine it means it does none of the individual cuisines that well. I thought I'd be wrong this time; I wasn't lol. The vietnamese fried shrimp wasn't bad. It came out hot and crispy, but the shrimp inside was a tad overcooked and tough. The tuna truffle roll had low quality, slightly mushy tuna and zero truffle flavor. Maybe there was artificial truffle oil in the aioli, but even that didn't really come through. The rest of the flavors fell flat. The lobster roll was my favorite appetizer, light and generously portioned (so hard to believe, my boyfriend wondered if it was even real lobster). The steamed bun could have been fresher and the lobster salad could have had more flavor (yuzu where?) but overall enjoyable. The mains less so. They did have a good amount of spice, I'll give them that. Both were just on the edge of enjoyable/tolerable. The miso udon was pretty unique. Very acidic, no miso or umami flavor. Not bad, but unbalanced and I wouldn't order it as a standalone dish. The chicken rendang had a lightly sweet curry and yummy coconut rice, but the chicken was so terribly dry and overcooked. I didn't even know you could do that to a thigh, those are usually pretty forgiving. Parts of it were hard and unchewable. The chicken by itself is also totally underseasoned. We ate barely half of the entrees and didn't want take the leftovers.Tl;dr: The food is mid and doesn't match the quality the restaurant is trying to exude. Our servers were nice though. Wouldn't recommend really recommend this place to a friend.
Everything tasted delicious - out of this world at Ko An! We got the lobster buns as an appetizer which are very tastey. The bibimbap was made very well and the Thai red curry has a very good sauce. The desserts were exquisite!The restaurant is so pretty - the high ceilings, tables, and even bathroom, are absolutely gorgeous. They also have fantastic outdoor dining. I am really impressed with this restaurant. Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Red Curry
I was disappointed that the food was not nearly as good as I have had here in the past. The bread on the lobster buns did not taste fresh. The cauliflower was not nearly as good as it had been in the past. The florets were too large. The sauce was not sweet enough. We had the BBQ beef bowl; however, the vegetables did not taste fresh. The kimchi seemed to be doused in sambal instead of fermented. The eggplant and zucchini were just awful, and the rice was overcooked. The service team appeared to be working very hard, but also seemed overwhelmed. It took far too long for our drinks to come to the table. I was really disappointed because this has been one of my favorite places to dine in the area.
Overall a disappointing experience. I ordered the miso udon and it was so spicy, I could only eat a couple of bites. The sparkling rosé was very nice and we enjoyed both the liquid chocolate and s’mores desserts. We sat on the patio which was nice, but there is a surprising amount of road noise. The service was just ok. I think we would have had a better experience if we had ordered small plates.
If we had gotten a variety of small plates to share we may have had a better experience. I had planned on getting Bibimbop (Koren BBQ) until they said it didn’t come in a hot stone bowl (which is a key component so the rice gets crispy) so I went with the ribeye- which I wouldn’t normally get unless I was at a steakhouse, but it looked great in the pictures. And it was good. It’s mildly seasoned, but the butter on top and the spicy sauce on the side adds a nice flavor. The fingerling potatoes were good, but they were on a bed of puréed sweet potatoes (that tastes like baby food) and didn’t have much flavor and certainly didn’t add to the dish (potatoes on potatoes?!?) the salad was just taking up room and the dried radish (?) added nothing to the dish. My dining companions udon noodles were too spicy to eat (and she likes spice)- and there was no warning on the menu. The dessert bites were delish - a little burst or flavor that reminded of a Michelin course. Both deserts (liquid chocolate and s’mores) were good. If you are looking for something fruity and a little lighter, I’d go with the liquid chocolate. But the chocolate squares in the s’mores was divine.
I enjoyed this place. It has a very nice environment. This could be a very nice romantic spot. I ordered The Vietnamese Fried Shrimp. I really loved these. It came with a dipping sauce which complemented it very well. It was a nice, sweet and tangy flavor with a bit of spice. Just the right amount. I will definitely order those again. I ordered the Korean Bibimbap. The steak was cooked and flavored nicely. The egg was perfect. The kimchi was some of the best kimchi I've ever had. It had a really spicy sauce on it. It was a pinch spicier than I would have liked but overall it was very good. For cocktails, I ordered the Ricketty Ginny. I like that one and it was nice with the shrimp. I ordered the seasonal cocktail called the Bitter Becky and it was nice. It was bitter but finished with a sweetness. I loved how it was bitter and then sweet. It wasn't bad for a bitter drink. I am not a sweet drinker but I would say not bad. Becca was our server. She gave good service. I will be back for sure, especially for tge Vietnamese Fried Shrimp. You should check it out!Parking: Open parking. First come- first served.Wheelchair accessibility: Yes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
We went here for a couples date night. Overall ambience is amazing. High ceilings and plenty of space. Service was a little disappointing because dishes did not all arrive at the same time and some of our friends had to wait a long time. Especially one dish that our server did admit he forgot to put it in the system so it was forgotten. However we appreciate he admitted and said the dish was on the house. Coming to the items my husband and I ordered. - Sake Nigori: a pretty watered down tasting but not bad either. He shared it with a friend. - a lemon bitters cocktail: honestly all I could taste was bitter. I could not drink this and handed it to my husband who couldn't drink it either. - a whiskey dessert cocktail at the end: husband said this was good. Drinks were a disappointment overall. Coming onto food. - mushroom katsu buns: this was such a yummy dish. The crisp mushroom with sauces infused in other flavors/veggies. Really yummy and highly recommend - Thai red curry: pretty ok dish, not great but not bad either - udon noodles: very disappointing dish. It was big in portion which is nice but the taste was so tangy. All I could taste was sour and tamarind taste. I couldn't enjoy the dish and left most of it. We ordered the following for dessert:- strawberry: this was nice but the sorbet was so tangy and sour. I didn't find that appealing - passion fruit crème brûlée: honestly all I could taste was a bitter taste. I don't recommend this dessert at all. Overall, I would go back for the small plates as they were better tasting than the large plates.
So good! All the food was delicious - highly recommend the lobster buns and desserts. Service and ambience were wonderful. I'll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushrooms Katsu Steamed Buns
Have been to KoAn in its variety of incarnations for a few years now and think it's as good today as it ever has been. I'd personally steer people towards the big plates as I think they are superior to the smaller plates. Some of the better versions of somewhat traditional southeast asian dishes to be found anywhere in the triangle.
Had lovely dessert and small plates— portions were reasonable and food was excellent. The kombucha is not house made, but their seasonal offering was tasty and light. Service was excellent— very understanding and yielding.
I was definitely surprised coming in here! My friend invited me and I didn't know what to expect. One thing you can expect is ridiculously delicious food. We ordered a little bit of everything, and every single course was superb. The staff did a great job explaining menu items to us and recommended drinks that we loved. It's gorgeous on the inside and really is a lovely place to go for a nice dinner.
Restaurantji Recommends
Mother's Day was ruined. Reservations for 2:30 PM and we were told they were closing and we could not have coffee or dessert. In addition, we had to constant swat flies away from out plates. Definitely not worth the $200+ experience!
So good! All the food was delicious - highly recommend the lobster buns and desserts. Service and ambience were wonderful. I'll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushrooms Katsu Steamed Buns
Amazing, phenomenal, perfection. This Asian restaurant is top of its class with a diverse menu, fantastic chefs, and professional servers. I've eaten here twice in 2 weeks now and both times we were blown away. Best restaurant in Cary hands down!
This place is too much.....in a great way! It's deceiving from the outside, the restaurant is very large inside with several indoor and outdoor areas. The separation of these areas makes dinner feel intimate while allowing the restaurant to seat many guests. This is farm to table with a seasonal menu. The drinks were fabulous!!!! We tried every one of the speciality drinks, Rickety Ginny was our favorite, the dragon fruit makes it a bright purple color. Super fun. We enjoyed several small plates including himachi crudo, cauliflower, lobster buns, bao, poke and tuna truffle roll. Every one of the small plates was unique, carefully prepared with small details in seasoning and garnish and tasted FABULOUS! The chef has perfected southeast Asian with a fusion of unique flavors that play on your palate. For dinner we had the Thai red curry which is an explosion of fresh seafood and the Korean BBQ which is perfectly marinated hanger steak in a bowl with lots of fun ingredients to mix in. For dessert, we had PX dessert wine which perfectly paired with freshly baked cookies and the best carrot cake I've ever eaten. I'm not sure what the chef did with the sweet brine for the beets that garnished the cake, but those were next level unique and tasty. We will definitely be returning soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Red Curry
This place is surprisingly huge on the inside, with plenty of space for groups including very private feeling booths. Me and my bf walked in at 8pm on a Saturday night and got sat on a high top by the bar. We ordered some cocktails. The El Buho tastes mostly of tequila and water. The Rickety Ginny was pleasant, but also a little bland. Neither were memorable. I was a bit disappointed by the small menu, especially for such a large restaurant. Usually when a restaurant offers pan-asian cuisine it means it does none of the individual cuisines that well. I thought I'd be wrong this time; I wasn't lol. The vietnamese fried shrimp wasn't bad. It came out hot and crispy, but the shrimp inside was a tad overcooked and tough. The tuna truffle roll had low quality, slightly mushy tuna and zero truffle flavor. Maybe there was artificial truffle oil in the aioli, but even that didn't really come through. The rest of the flavors fell flat. The lobster roll was my favorite appetizer, light and generously portioned (so hard to believe, my boyfriend wondered if it was even real lobster). The steamed bun could have been fresher and the lobster salad could have had more flavor (yuzu where?) but overall enjoyable. The mains less so. They did have a good amount of spice, I'll give them that. Both were just on the edge of enjoyable/tolerable. The miso udon was pretty unique. Very acidic, no miso or umami flavor. Not bad, but unbalanced and I wouldn't order it as a standalone dish. The chicken rendang had a lightly sweet curry and yummy coconut rice, but the chicken was so terribly dry and overcooked. I didn't even know you could do that to a thigh, those are usually pretty forgiving. Parts of it were hard and unchewable. The chicken by itself is also totally underseasoned. We ate barely half of the entrees and didn't want take the leftovers.Tl;dr: The food is mid and doesn't match the quality the restaurant is trying to exude. Our servers were nice though. Wouldn't recommend really recommend this place to a friend.