Tamarind glazed pork ribs
Coco Adobo Drumsticks. $16. Papaya relish.
Outside. Covered and enclosed patio. They also have a separate storefront sidewalk patio.
Krill mule -back
Peking duck lumpia rolls scallion, hoisin
Coco Casava cake with Ice cream
tamarind glazed pork ribs
Uni mussels
Ceviche
Mango tart with boba pearls
Pork bao buns
crispy market fish papaya salad, herbs, crispy shallots, scallions, peanuts
Chilled Soba and Dashi Broth. $12. Edamame, daikon radish, ginger.
japchae (ate some already)
Mango Bango
interior, bagels
Pork Adobo Buns
inside of the pork belly bun; a fork for size comparison
Ceviche, fried rice, shu mai
Mezze platter
Outside. Storefront. Sidewalk patio. They have a separate and enclosed patio too.
Interior of restaurant
crab khao soi ($22)
Dawn C.
Aug 3, 2024
Escape to a delicious vacation for your tastebuds right in Durham!! This stylish restaurant offers lots of gluten-free and dairy-free options. The menu is made for sharing. All the dishes complement each other while standing out on their own. We've been to lots of tapas and sharing-style restaurants, but this is the first time we felt we orchestrated an incredible tasting menu. It was so amazing. We ordered six dishes for two people. We certainly brought the takeout box home, but it was too hard to pick just a few dishes. The menu is clearly marked for gluten and vegetarians. The staff is knowledgeable about allergy-friendly options. The cocktails are adventurous and well-balanced. They are pretty, too!Parking is easy in a gravel lot next door. We did make a reservation, but it looked like they had open tables on Saturday nights.If you live southeast Asian, loatian, Vietnamese style food do not miss this cute spot.
Read MoreJJ D.
Jul 20, 2024
Atmosphere: Krill is a colorful and vibrant restaurant in Durham. The restaurant itself is small and has a cozy bar. The place overall was clean and well-decorated! Service: We didn't have a reservation, but we were able to snag a spot at the bar. Our server was friendly, and our food came out very quickly as the dishes were ready. Food: We ordered the Pork Adobo Buns, Crab Khao Soi, the Fresh Catch (Flounder), and Thai Tea Tiramisu. The Pork Adobo Buns were an ok start to our dinner. It comes 2 per order, and while good, we thought they were rather simple and small for the price. Other hot appetizers come with 4 per order, so they are probably better for sharing with a table. The Crab Khao Soi had a decent amount of flavor from the yellow curry, but it wasn't as soupy as a typical Khao Soi. The Flounder was fried well and came with a lovely, fresh pineapple ensalada. However, we definitely needed the khao soi broth to keep the flavors interesting and enjoy the dishes together. The dinner wrapped up with a Thai Tea Tiramisu, which was our favorite! The thai tea flavor was subtle and the cream was light and not too sweet. The crepe flakes added a perfect amount of crunch to each bite as well. Overall: We had a nice dinner at Krill! We appreciated the twists and different takes they had on dishes but would have liked to see more bold flavors. We ordered a hot starter, 2 main dishes, and a dessert and felt decently full. We'd recommend Krill if you're looking for a date night spot with a fun atmosphere and menu!
Read MoreAndrew K.
May 26, 2024
I'd totally go back!First, I really liked the ambiance. I LOVED the chairs. I really like chairs that have some padding. They were super plush. And that made them really comfy. So nice. We were sitting inside, but they have a really nice covered patio area too.My only suggestions on the ambiance would be: 1) maybe put the tables a little further apart and 2) maybe make the tables a little less long. The tables are pretty close together in some spots, and are a little long. The combo of those two things can make it kind of hard to hear. I also liked the service! Our waitress was really nice and fun. Everything came pretty quick. The food was mostly good too! I appreciated some of the pricing. For example, we got some sorbet for dessert for $6. That's pretty good! The sorbet was light and refreshing and vegan. Nice! It also had edible flowers on top, which were really beautiful. I also LOVED the chive pancakes. I wasn't obsessed the fried rice, though. It just wasn't that interesting? I think it's probably meant to be ordered as a more of a side dish.
Read MoreJessica L.
Aug 7, 2024
Krill is a fun casual asian fusion spot that would be perfect on a night out. They have a bunch of small tapas style dishes for sharing and seem to have great happy hour deals. We came late in the evening and unfortunately half their menu was sold out. From what we tried, the food is quite decent, as were the drinks. I'd come back with friends to try the menu items we missed out on.
Read MoreDaniel B.
Dec 14, 2023
I enjoyed our dinner at Krill. I found this place thanks to Yelp. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Good food and service.This is an Asian restaurant from the Giorgios restaurant group, a group that has grown to well over a dozen restaurants in the Triangle. I know them best for Chapel Hill restaurants Bin 54 (steakhouse), Kipos (Greek), and Osteria Georgi (Italian). I think this is their first attempt at an Asian restaurant. Krill opened on July 22, 2022 next door to Durham Bottling Company in downtown Durham. Free parking is available in a dedicated gravel lot next to the restaurant. The restaurant is named after krill, a type of small crustacean, illustrated in the restaurant's logo (looks like shrimp).This restaurant isn't "authentic," traditional Asian, but more Asian with a twist. I've seen this place marketed as "Southeast Asian," but we had some dishes here that were East Asian, such as gua bao (Chinese) and soba (Japanese). If you couldn't already tell from the pictures and other reviews, this is a hip and trendy spot.There are multiple indoor and outdoor dining spaces including a sidewalk patio, a covered and enclosed patio, the main dining room, and a separate indoor bar room. Asian/Asian-inspired artwork and Asian lanterns decorate the industrial-like spaces (e.g., exposed brick, exposed ductwork). My friend commented the interior "looked a bit like a Friends set," meaning the decor looked 2000s.It wasn't too busy during our Tuesday 7-9pm visit. The crowd trended late middle age, which I thought was kind of interesting. I see more of that in Chapel Hill, not downtown Durham. Most of the staff looked young.I booked our reservation using OpenTable. Book your reservation using OpenTable and earn dining points which can be used to redeem restaurant discounts, Amazon gift cards, hotel stays, and magazine subscriptions.Krill is open for dinner only. Our server, Michelle, told us the menu changes constantly. She also said Krill is best experienced when everyone at the table shares family-style (the Asian way).During our visit, the food menu was straightforward with about a couple dozen dishes, from Peking Duck Lumpia Rolls ($14) to Crab Khao Soi noodles ($22). The drink menu was full bar, featuring local and imported beer, wine, cocktails, and a small sake list.Here's what my friend and I shared:Cold* Chilled Soba and Dashi Broth ($12) - edamame, daikon radish, gingerHot* Pork Belly Bao Buns ($14) - pork belly adobo, pickled vegetables, cucumber, pork flossWok* Stir Fried Bok Choy ($14) - shimeji mushroom, Fresno pepper, hoisin oyster sauceGrill* Coco Adobo Drumsticks ($16) - papaya relishLarge Shares* Whole Fish with Pineapple Ensalada (Market Price = $36) - red onions, tomato, fish sauce, scallions, cilantroI also got a Lychee Limeade ($9) for myself. It was made with lychee puree, lime oleo, and lychee Calpico. Before putting in my drink order, Michelle warned me that other customers thought the Lychee Limeade was too sweet. It was indeed sweet, but I didn't have a problem with it. I thought it tasted good and refreshing, full of lychee flavor. It came with a fresh lychee on top.Overall, everything was good. In hindsight, we probably should've gotten a side of Jasmine Rice with Furikake ($6) or Miso Potatoes ($8) to go with our bok choy, chicken drumsticks, and fish. I recommend doing that.The only dish I wouldn't order again, out of convenience, is the Whole Fish with Pineapple Ensalada. We knew what we were getting into when we ordered the fish, but it was still just too many bones for me (a lot to pick through). The fish was red snapper. It was fried nice and crispy and had good flavor. The pineapple salsa was very good, colorful with generous portions.The Chilled Soba with Dashi Broth and the Pork Belly Bao Buns were terrific. They were my two favorite items. Soba is a simple dish and Krill does it right. I'm used to mori soba where the noodles and broth are separated, but Krill serves their soba as a noodle soup (cold). It's yummy and full of umami.I was impressed with the Pork Belly Bao Buns. Over the years, bao has popped up on more and more restaurant menus. However, in my experience, they've been hit or miss. What impressed me about Krill's bao was the quality of the ingredients (fresh, high quality) and the execution. The pork belly adobo was pretty much perfect. Thick, rich, succulent slices inside fresh, fluffy buns. In addition to the customary pickled veggies, I appreciated the added touch of pork floss (something I grew up eating a lot as a kid).The Stir Fried Bok Choy and Coco Adobo Drumsticks were solid. The bok choy was fresh and the portions were plentiful, including the other ingredients like the mushrooms. Yum. There were four Coco Adobo Drumsticks and they were tasty and meaty. The flavoring was salty and savory. Satisfying.Michelle did a great job. All of the staff were polite and attentive.
Read MoreArthur T.
Oct 7, 2023
Stopped by Krill for dinner!Group of 5 with a reservation...we were sat immediately. Decor inside is nice. We ordered a large variety of food, since their portions are a bit on the smaller side. We ordered:-green papaya and mango salad: good-asian pear arugula salad: good-tuna ceviche with rice crisps: good-pork belly bao buns (comes with 2): probably one of the best tasting, but a bit overpriced for two-grilled skirt steak: ok-whole fish with pineapple ensalada: below average, mainly for a picture, there wasn't much fish meat-krill fried rice: ok-crab khao soi: did not try, since allergic to crab-red miso flat noodle: good, noodle was made well-chilled soba and dashi broth: nice and light-chive pancake: would avoid, not goodOverall, food was good, but again, portions smaller. Parking is available in the open lot next door.
Read MoreRyan A.
Dec 10, 2023
Very rarely am I shocked to be impressed with a spot as I was with Krill... I had passed by this "Asian-fusion" spot countless times but never even considered stopping, until a friend pretty much booked us and told me we were going. What a treat! First, the service... everything from the hostesses to the bartenders, and the food running... OUTSTANDING!The Thai Chili Margarita had great flavor and heat, the niche martini hit the mark, and all four dishes were delicious! Smaller place with a great vibe, definitely a nice spot for a date or to start a night out. There are a few other spots within walking distance to meander to once you're finished here. Check it out!!!
Read MoreJill C.
Nov 4, 2023
Awkward! Honestly underwhelmed. 3 stars may be generous :/ Let me preface by mentioning--absolutely no shade to our waiter, he was very sweet but everything was just lacking.We came 5 mins late to our 7:00 resers (classic, so could be our fault) but the table was not yet ready and we were seated over 20 minutes after arrival.First off, forgot to take a picture of the kalbi before we all dug in but those were the most disappointing. I had to double check the price after it arrived because tell me why they charge $16 for two small pieces (3 tiny bones each). That could've been an appetizer for one person. Back home in hawaii, you could get a whole kalbi plate with more meat, rice and veggies for $16 and that would still be pretty pricey! The glass noodles were pretty good, no complaints there. The green papaya salad was also fine--nothing to rave about. I did like the dressing they used and the abundance of cilantro because i'm a slut for cilantro. The mandu was also just fine--not great, fell apart super easily. Drinks were okay, happy they were accommodating about my extra spicy margarita. Mango Lassi was pretty yummy, but first time trying so nothing to compare to. Don't want to accidentally over-credit Overall, not great. Ambience is nice, general service is okay, and food was subpar. Way too pricey for the quality/amount, we were already planning our second dinner on the way home
Read MoreValerie V.
Jul 13, 2023
What a fantastic and unique place. Love the inside and outside dining areas. There were a lot of great dishes to choose from. The Peking lumpia and glass noodles were my favorite in addition to the house sake sangria. The sangria was dangerously good, very light and refreshing - I could have had a pitcher to myself. The krill fried rice had a strange taste or maybe not enough of a taste and was not my favorite. The dessert choices were not as unique or plentiful, but we decided to try the Ube cheesecake that was an option when we were there. It was a plain NY style cheesecake with Ube (purple sweet potato) drizzle and white chocolate flakes. It was tasty.
Read MoreAna B.
Jan 27, 2024
Came here as part of Triangle Restaurant Week for brunch and had a really good time. My friends and I brought all ordered from the special Triangle restaurant week menu which was $25 and consisted of a choice of appetizers, entrée, and a dessert. The food was really good and I felt like the quantity for the price was also very good. The staff was incredibly friendly. I love the ambience of the restaurant, Boho meets Mediterranean. My friends and I had the mini mezza platter (delicious!), zucchini cakes and egg shakshouka. Can't wait to go back and try out their dinner menu. I recommend making reservations if you can. Fun fact: the ladies bathroom had bobby pins, hair ties, pads and tampons. Love it when a restaurant has your back for whatever emergencies come up
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