Inter Korea House
| Address: | 4731 NC-54, Durham, NC 27713, USA |
| Phone: | +1 919-572-9132 |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | Closed 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 12–8PM |
Location
Photos 67
Reviews 6
A
A Private User
The house made spicy dumplings (and the steamed version), jap chae, tofu soup, and bulgogi are excellent. The fried spicy sweet and sour pork equivalent, tangsooyook, is good too. The haemul pajeon, seafood pancake, with a touch of soy sauce is a good appetizer if you arent feeling like dumplings (does that ever happen?); I like to order both and just take some home, as it is quite big. I also tried the combination bulgogi bibimbap and all the ingredients were fresh and perfectly cooked, but I definitely hungered for an egg on top (which was absent); next time I must request this. Another thing I wish they had was Oijangajji, my favorite condiment next to kimchi, but their kimchi is very good, not too bubbly and not too soft(old). Ive been twice and am eager to return. Udapte 1: Ive been about 8 more times since the last review. The spicy dumplings, Khanpung Mandoo, have stayed top notch and Ive ordered them every single time (once, I even got them for appetizer and one for an entree). For their battered dishes, like Tang Su Yook or the Khanpung Shrimp, the batter is a little on the tough/chewy side. Different, but not unpleasant unless it gets cold/old from sitting on the table. The portions are fairly large. Their rice has been outstanding almost every time, similar to Vit Goal; I always order a bowl and only recently have I not been getting a funny look. I dont speak Korean and the staffs English is very sparse, but theyre warming up. They saw the look on my face one day when they said they had not made the mandoo yet (it was early before dinner) and said wait, checked with the kitchen, and said they could make Khanpung Mandoo right away. It made my day. My favorites are still the Bulgogi, any version of their Mandoo, and Jap Chae. The soondobu soup is decent, but with another restaurant around the corner, Vit Goal, that specializes in it, youll understand why I focus on the Mandoo. If you want a giant bowl of clear broth egg drop, the Eul Myun is packed. I have not tried their nonBibimbap fried rice, but do not desire to. My girlfriend always gets the Dolsot Bibimbap. Its not salty and lacks an egg, but the sizzling crispy rice and assortment of fresh vegtables in the hot bowl are quite good. I also read over the other reviews. Id say similar to many many international/ethnic mom+pop restaurants in the US, their service norms are very different than the US and you have to adjust and also speak up. Quite some years ago, I sat at a table in Italy for an hour waiting for a check - and I understand it was my fault. These places often have staff that nod and really have no idea what English youre saying and some allowances must be given, just as if you were in China Town in NYC; it will make your experience better if viewed this way and not "why arent they taking care of my every need? theyre inconsiderate and dont care about me!" when this is truely not the case. Update 2: The dumpling chef changed and the Mandoo arent as great as they used to be, but are still edible. Jap chae is still my favorite in the Triangle.
SA
Samantha Yi
I come here all the time with my family and we have always thoroughly enjoyed the dishes, ranging from jjambbong to yookgaejang. The banchan (side dishes) are always super speedy to come out also and diverse in selection! I even enjoy the Korean playlist that they always have going on in the background ;). Being Korean and growing up with homemade Korean food, I can attest to the fact that this place is legit. Considering that the Triangle doesnt have a lot of good Korean places around, Interkorea is by far the best place to go for taste and location. Sometimes, our family will just try new dishes and we have never been disappointed! Honestly, I dont understand why people go to Hmart over this place when its always super crowded and loud. I personally prefer restaurants where you can have a conversation which Interkorea provides. I am not sure if its because this is a local restaurant and its pretty small but the service is speedy quick and never made me feel uncared for. A must must must! :) Okay. I will stop raving now.
CH
Chea Sally You Young
If you are craving high quality Korean food, this is your place to go!!! This is my favorite Korean-Chinese restaurant in North Carolina! The servers are all very sweet and the food is simply amazing. I strongly recommend the stone pot bibimbap. It is always served fresh and sizzling hot. They give you generous amounts of beef, and it is a great option for those who are health conscious yet want to have a delicious meal. I recommend rubbing in a spoon full of gochujang sauce (the red sauce). It is not as spicy as it seems and it adds a TON of flavor! I am usually shy at restaurants, but I feel so much at home here, and the servers are so sweet that I never hesitate to ask for more sauce or order more food. Bottom line is that this place is a hidden gem and you should definitely try it out.
SA
Samantha Atkinson
45 min ride to restaurant but its normally worth it. When we got ready to leave my husband notice there was a price difference in two of the four items we ordered and questioned the cashier. She adjusted one of the items but ignored the other item for adjustment. After asking about the 2nd item she informed us that the " tip was not included and I provided you service you suppose to tip". After going back and forth my husband gave a tip but because of the demand for a tip that was not due I remove tip from countertop. As we were leaving I told her I wont be back she replied "BYE" in a very rude tone. We always enjoyed this restaurant but with service like this I can take my money elsewhere. Needless to say they never came back to table to check on us.
AQ
Aquatic Hoo
A hidden gem. Non-descript shopping plaza, the location not viewable from the road. So look for AutoZone coming off Hwy 54 and go just past (or turn off Hwy 55 looking for Big Lots and go left). Once you walk in, you are transformed into an elegant dining room like you are eating at a Korean grandmothers home. The staff is authentic, so English comprehension is hit-or-miss. But the menu has full pictures to guide you home with descriptions in both languages. The dolsot bibimbap, the dumplings, and the ggam poon mandoo were all good. Only nitpick was the japchae... I ordered it takeout for lunch one time, it cost like $15-16 for lunch, and I wiped it out and was still hungry. But everything else has been wonderful. I would highly recommend.
AY
Ayumi Deeny
My boyfriend and I went here for dinner on a Friday evening. In sum, the food was excellent but the service wasnt great. We ordered the fried spicy pork dumping and some kind of fried pork dish (cant remember the name). They were both delicious, especially the dumplings. The dishes were served with two types of pickles (kimchi of course, and sweet yellow daikon pickles) and oddly, raw onions. The pork dish didnt automatically come with rice, weirdly, so we had to ask for it. We also had to keep asking to have out waters filled, and waited around for the check before again having to ask for it. Id probably eat here again but I think Id visit one of the other nearby Korean restaurants first... there are two others within a half-mile radius.
