My friend, Diane and I branched out! We walked past our regular Grape Escape lunch haunt and headed to Koi for Sushi, just a couple of doors down on 8th street. To be frank, all this restaurant blogging is taking a toll on my weight, I had to think of something light for lunch. I'll diverge for a moment and say that just because a restaurant has "fresh" in it's name, don't expect it to be light or healthy (you know who you are, Baja.) So in search of something truly light, we decided to opt for sushi.
There's a calming waterfall wall in the dining area, I like a good water feature. It made things smell a bit damp though, which you might like or hate. It reminded me of the Paris hotel in Las Vegas where they take their illusions seriously and do a great job of mimicking a constant light spring shower dampness, same smell.
You know what? We had a great lunch. There are a mountain of items to choose from, so if you're not familiar with sushi, take your time or ask for help. Our server was reasonably helpful, although he did presume that we had some working knowledge of sushi. I may as well mention here that he did another strange thing. When I signed for my check, I inadvertently put the pen back into my purse, it was NOT intentional. He picked up the check and then came back to the table, looked me in the eye suspiciously and said, "do you have my pen?" This was weird. I was so surprised and quickly checked in my purse and handed over the pen. He didn't make a light joke about it or anything--it was a cheap bic ballpoint for goodness sake. That's when it's good to have a friend with you who can agree, yep, that was weird.
Koi has a number of specials going on, lunch specials, happy hours and even separate menus touting extra specials. To start, we had edamame in the shell for an appetizer. They were, well, edamame in the shell. Warm, sprinkled with sea salt and a nice light start. I don't know if you can blow edamame, but the presentation was nice and an extra bowl for spent shells was the right touch. It was a cold day (which seems almost impossible as I write this on a near record high for June 1), so Diane had the Jasmine tea which was tasty--lots of options for warm teas here.
Next we had miso soup. Here's where I started to really warm up to Koi. It was fabulous. I should have asked, so I don't know what their "secret" ingredient was, but somehow this was the best miso soup I've had. Make sure you have a cup to start.
Diane got a scallop entree which was beautifully presented. There were 4 large scallops each served on a small mound of mashed potatoes and swirled with a balsamic vinegar sauce around the plate. Diane said the mashed potatoes were a great option for those who are otherwise "chopstick challenged" and the scallops were fantastic. I had a couple of rolls--still sticking with my lighter fare--a spider roll and an L.A. roll (a small step up from the extremely basic California roll.) They were both delicious, fresh, tasty and pretty.
I've eaten at Koi on other occasions, but it would be fair for me to come back and retry a few things on their menu so that I could say more about the different sushi options. But if I keep putting it off, I won't get even this information out and that would be a shame, not to mention the fact that the whole experience would soon slip from my memory. (Is this due to giving birth or getting older?)
You'll notice a question mark in my rating of Koi though and it comes down to this. Do real Japanese restaurants serve mashed potatoes? Do real Japanese restaurants include mayonnaise in their sushi? Does it matter? To many out there, it will and Koi's Americanized Japanese would be offensive and annoying. To those who get to eat sushi and Japanese food all too rarely, it tasted great, it was beautiful and it made us happy--all good reasons for saying enjoy it and forget it. If you're looking for a pleasant night out with delicious, beautiful food, then definitely give Koi a try. But if you're looking for an authentic Japanese experience, this may not be the place.
1 comment:
I ate at Koi for the first time last night with my 11-year old son for a last day of school celebration. I love the interior! Very dark and mysterious - perfect for a romantic dinner for two.
But I was with my son and it was First Thursday, so we sat outside and tried to talk to each other above the very loud band playing tired oldies next door at Opa. So many people on the street! What else could I expect, sitting right next door to the belly dancers? Our favorite - the young man walking right down the middle of the street with a very large iguana on his shoulder.
Personally, I think Koi is too expensive! There was no affordable sushi dinner, which is what we typically order. $19 was the least expensive dinner - some were $35. We ended up with tempura and sushi ala carte, neither of which was terribly satisfying. Why batter and fry the inside core part of a cabbage? Ick. Save it for the rabbits please. Anyway - we hardly had any sushi and thus I'm not that qualified to comment. Too bad. Bottom line - I think diners are paying as much for the atmosphere and presentation as for the food. You decide if paying for the hip factor is worth the price.
Our service was fine - our waiter was sweet. (Anyone who serves me a tall glass of champagne on a summer night is sweet.) But the young couple sitting next to us waited 50 minutes for their first and only plate of sushi. They were not so happy.
Next time I eat sushi I think I'll head back to my standard haunts. If I want a martini - Happy Fish. (Can't beat the G-Spot!) If I'm with the kids - Shige Express. If I'm with an adult and seeking comfort - Zutto. If I'm feeling like a loser and need to pay lots of money to feel like a hip Boise urbanite (or if someone else is footing the bill) - Koi.
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