M Test Kitchen

Wow! This was one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. The ambiance of M Test Kitchen was very relaxed but still upscale - similar to their M Kokko location. Service was fantastic. We were immediately seated, our order was taken, and were checked on frequently by our server. Each course came out within 2-3 minutes of each other.The food was outstanding - particularly the arancini and the green curry with fish. Would highly recommend trying these two options - the rich arancini was balanced so well with the edamame purée, and the green curry was a very bright, well seasoned dish. The tuna tataki was fresh tasting and had interesting flavor dynamics (sweet sauce/chili fakes/rice puffs/aonori flake). The pearl meatballs were flavorful but nothing too special. Lastly, the cherry & chocolate dessert was the perfect balance of sweet and sour; a perfect dish to end the meal.Looking forward to coming back again soon!

I've been to several of the other M restaurants, so I have a baseline in terms of quality in food and service that I expect from one of their restaurants. Out of all the locations so far, I would say M Test has the best service. M Test gets the basics done well, but also goes above and beyond and does the little things right. They explained each of the parts of the dish, which isn't critical, but shows that the staff know what is going on and what is being served. I think the biggest thing was that each of the courses were timed incredibly well. By the time we finished eating each course, the next course was ready and out within roughly 2-3 min. Amazing work by the team. As for the food, I was really impressed with some and less so by the others. The tuna tataki and pearl meatballs I wasn't all too impressed by. I definitely have had better at normal sushi spots/dim sum. Also in my opinion just weren't all that creative in terms of execution. The rest of the courses were fantastic though. The arancini was my favorite, the edamame puree was superb and a very interesting concept that I've never had before. The fish curry was cooked to perfection, and as a fan of bamboo shoots I found this one particularly enjoyable. For dessert, we ordered the cherry & chocolate, which is cherry blossom ice cream surrounded by chocolate ganache cake, black sesame granola, and a sour cherry puree. The contrast between the ganache cake and the sour puree paired well with the light ice cream.Overall, great experience and will be back again.

I have always been a fan of M restaurants, and finally got the opportunity to try this tapas style establishment. Firstly the service, incredibly friendly, prompt, and accommodating. Asked to make a larger reservation fairly last minute, fully expecting to be turned away or asked to pay some fee up front, instead we were accommodated for quite easily. Some in the group made their dietary restrictions and the servers were incredibly helpful in guiding them through the menu.The restaurant is a bit on the smaller side, but offers seating both inside and out, with options for groups of all sizes. The interior is decorated in a modern/semi-industrial manner, and is quite inviting, creating a friendly casual environment. The food all tasted fantastic, packed with fresh flavors, each dish is presented wonderfully. The menu is a bit limited, however it contains enough options to satisfy most people. With the size of the menu it was a tad disappointing though that they had run out of a couple options though. As it is tapas style, the portions are a bit smaller so I would suggest ordering multiple dishes per person, as with most tapas and as per the servers suggestion. Pricing was a tad on the higher end, but debatably worth it. Would definitely recommend, and will return to see what is on their rotating menu next.

Upscale, quiet, and elegant spot! Perfect for a fancy evening out. The food is really incredible, probably some of the best in the Raleigh area. The tataki is a must. Cocktails are fabulous as well!! Service was top tier as well.

I've been meaning to try this place for a while now and can definitely it was very yummy. We got a variety of dishes as it is tapas style. The Dan Dan noodles were vegetarian and were absolutely amazing with great spices. The most unique was the curry. It was very tangy and I really enjoyed it but definitely depends on the person. The tater tots were good as well and unique desserts too. A lot of drink options but nothing out of the ordinary. The atmosphere inside is modern and plenty of seating. Definitely want to make a reservation beforehand if possible. Staff was friendly and helped us find the best options for us. Prices were average for an upscale restaurant like this. Overall, really enjoyed this experience and definitely will be back. It looks like they rotate their menu which I really like and can try their new options when available.

Sat at the booth on a weekend and had a good time. You need reservations to get any type of seating. The atmosphere is trendy and modern, and there are new things on the menu so you can come multiple times in a year and feel it's a "new" place. My partner and I shared four dishes, and our favorite was the Tom Yun Squid ($17). The squid was cooked to perfection and the flavors are familiar and delicious. I wish I ordered two dishes of this. The Rendeng Short Rib ($23) was Okay. It has a nice presentation to it, but I think I would have wanted to try a different protein like the duck. I didn't care for the Pho Salad ($12) at all, because the texture and flavors weren't all pleasing. I would go with a different salad, because you're left with wanting a "salad" still.

M Test Kitchen has a trendy atmosphere. It claims of being a culinary testing ground for new creations. However, my experience didn't live up to the hype. The pho salad, intriguing in concept, was let down by its excessive saltiness and overpowering fish sauce. The loaded tater tots unfortunately tasted like they were made from frozen. The Dan Dan noodles ended up being bland and excessively greasy with chili oil. The most disappointing dish was the lobster shu mai. What sounded like a standout item based on other reviews disappointed me with a mushy texture and the use of a plastic basket for steaming which I feel could leech into the food. The duck in duck sauce was the only dish I enjoyed but it is a very small portion for 25 dollars. The service was great. As a fan of M restaurants, I was excited to try M test kitchen. However, my visit to M Test Kitchen was a major disappointment.

WOW! This was one of the most delicious meals I've had in the Raleigh/Cary/Durham area. We've heard such great things about the M restaurants and this is the first one we have tried. I love the idea of asian tapas so that I can try more things on the menu. My husband and I always talk about our favorite and least favorite dishes and we really struggled to choose a least favorite because they were all phenomenal. We started with the little gem salad which was one of our favorite dishes - the dressing was tangy & flavorful, and the parmesan-like shaved smoked tofu had the perfect amount of smoke flavor and mouthfeel (felt like parmesan cheese). The lobster shumai was our other favorite dish - we normally wouldn't order something like this but we heard such rave reviews about this one on Yelp - the mousse filling was smooth and salted to perfection, and paired great with the dipping sauce which added some acidity. The X.O. fried rice was a great dish - the 1/3 crab to 2/3 rice ratio made it so flavorful and the rice texture didn't stick together which I love for a fried rice. Lastly, the sea bass green curry was great - the actual curry was herbaceous, the fish skin was crisp while the fish was moist, and I am obsessed with bamboo shoots.The service was excellent - The food came out so quick and we got each dish one after another with the perfect 2-3 minute buffer between dishes. The restaurant had limited room but there was good space between people at the tables and bar seating. Definitely make a reservation when you come here.

I am an M Stan so I was 5 *'s before I even ate here, but the food was excellent. Also my wife is hard to impress and she dug it all.All this was good:* Lobster shumai* little gems salad, with grated smoked tofu on top* roast pork daikon wraps* kung pao brussles sprouts* loaded tots* tom yum squid soup thing* kind of weird ice cream + crunchy things dessertAlso I got a tequila cocktail with chili's and unfiltered sake that sounds weird but was very good.

Love the creativity and how the menu changes and plays with flavors and textures. Cannot recommend it more. If I had more stars to give I would! This is my husband and my go to date night spot.