One of Durham’s most prominent restaurants just closed. What’s taking its place
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- M Pocha closed June 13 and will reopen as M Nikkei in a little over a month.
- M Pocha will reopen as M Nikkei, a Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant.
- M Nikkei will feature robatayaki grilling, sushi handrolls and renovated seating.
One of the most prominent restaurants in downtown Durham is set for a rebrand.
After seven years in the very heart of downtown Durham, chef Mike Lee has closed M Pocha with plans to open a new concept later this summer. Replacing M Pocha will be M Nikkei, a fusion restaurant highlighting Japanese and Peruvian cuisine.
M Pocha held its last service Saturday, June 13 and will reopen as M Nikkei in a little over a month, Lee said.
This week, Lee also unveiled his latest project, M Hansik, a more traditional Korean restaurant near Durham’s Geer Street district.
M Pocha
Since it debuted in 2019, M Pocha has been a lively and popular street food spot, serving Korean drinking food and other Asian small plates. Lee said the restaurant was born as a Korean menu but grew to include other dishes.
“We thought it would be our first small introduction to Korean food (for Durham diners) but at the same time we realized it wasn’t quite the full interpretation of what we wanted to do, so it became a mix of Asian foods,” Lee said in a phone interview. “M Pocha was doing quite well, but we wanted to put something there that’s a little bit different.”
With M Nikkei, Lee said the dining room will be completely changed, with banquettes added along with windows, replacing stools and the communal table and adding a curved sushi-style bar.
M Nikkei menu
Nikkei will specialize in robatayaki, a style of grilled charcoal cooking, plus sushi handrolls.
Construction is currently underway at the restaurant. Lee said that M Nikkei will keep some of M Pocha’s beloved dishes on the menu, while adding new flavors.
“It will look completely different,” Lee said. “We’ll keep some of the fan favorites and add new dishes.
It’s been 10 years since Lee first opened his M Sushi in Durham, the spark that led to a Triangle empire of seven popular restaurants.
