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Koi
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Sushi Bars Chinese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
624 Davis St(between Chicago Ave & Orrington Ave)
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 866-6969
- Nearest Transit:
-
Davis (Purple Line)
Dempster (Purple Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 4:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 4:30 pm - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
205 reviews for Koi
Review Highlights
"...a shame, too, because their Mongolian beef is fantastic."
(in 6 reviews)
"The Sesame Chicken was amazing, even if it was bit hotter..."
(in 6 reviews)
"I was very impressed with their extensive martini list."
(in 4 reviews)
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205 reviews in English
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Review from mono b.
Chicago, IL
12/12/2011
We had my brother's birthday dinner here and everything was great. Good food, they provided us with a semi private space for our large group. Definitely will be going back.
If you like sushi, try the Dragon roll! Its awesome! -
Review from David P.
Antioch, IL
2/1/2012
I visited here for the first time with my girlfriend this past Friday night. The decor is very nice, especially in the front room. It was Saturday night and we didn't have a reservation, so we were happy to get a seat right away, even if it was in the back room. Please don't misunderstand, the back room is still very nice.
As I seen in some of the other reviews, the service wasn't very good. It was a young man, maybe a college student, who was our waiter. He really didn't seem to know much a all about the menu or how to even be a good server. They could spend a bit more time training their waiters before allowing them to handle tables on their own. I guess the waiter almost made us feel uncomfortable, as he was very uncomfortable and lacking in confidience.
As for the food, we ordered some sushi to start with, then had their Pad See Ew with Chicken. No cocktails on this evening, we stuck with Jasmine tea, which was very good. As for the sushi, I wasn't impressed; the quality was okay at best, not very fresh, maybe even questionable to service. I had gotten a couple pieces of amaebi/sweet shrimp which is typically service with the heads fried and served on the side. I noticed that the heads never came out, so I asked the waiter, who seem to have no idea of what I was talking about. I then asked him to ask the chef, which he did. He came out about 15 minutes later, after we got our entrees, and served be anothe piece of sweet shrimp with one fried head. He explained that the chef knew what i meant. I will tell you that I was charged for the extra piece and never got the heads for the original order; I didn't complain as it wasn't that important. We also got some toro/fatty tuna which was very good, I was plenty surprised! In addition, we ordered some octopus, yellow tail, fluke, white tuna, salmon and a spider roll. The nigiri sushi was a bit disappointing, but the spider roll was good, not great. As for the pad see ew with chicken, it was good, but not authentic at all. I think it's safe to say this place isn't owned by anyone Thai.
Overall I do like this place and will try it again, as my girlfriend really likes this place. I'll let you know if my experience improves on our next visit... -
Review from Stephen R.
Chicago, IL
12/29/2011 3 Check-ins Here
solid food
this night we did all chinese and they executed very well.
i am always hesitant about a japanese, chinese, thai restaraunt all in one.
they have dramatically changed their menu (made it smaller and simpler) and made it easier to deal with ordering. their menu was too daunting before and much easier to deal with.
the shrimp dumplings were good
shumai was good too
pork belly buns were good-not as good as in nyc but good for chicago
kung pao shrimp was outstanding
mu sho pork was not my favorite because they used flour tortillas not authentic rice paper wraps...so that was not as good to me.
soup servings were too small and expensive. so we ordered won ton soup and it was very small and meant for one person but for the cost wasnt worth it.
overall a great experience and will be back. i would say its 3.5 stars in reality. -
Review from Helen S.
12/14/2011
Decent food. I've been here numerous times for catered events, where they set aside the back half of the restaurant aside for our group. I think our event sponsor ordered the Beijing package for our whole group, which included:
Chicken Satay
Crab Meat Won Ton
Spring or Veggie Rolls
Sesame Chicken
Mongolian Beef
Shrimp Fried Rice
Stir-fry Vegetables
Tempura Banana w/French Vanilla Ice Cream
I've also been here for a friend's birthday, and my boss at work sometimes orders from here for our weekly planning dinner meetings.
Overall, decor is cute and service is good, but the food is just mediocre. This isn't a place that I would come to voluntarily with friends, as I'm a bigger fan of Joy Yee's for Asian food in Evanston, but I'd happily come here for sponsored events. -
Review from Alicia H.
Chicago, IL
2/8/2012
Great atmosphere and even better service. The decor is calming and makes for a relaxing and enjoyable dining experience. Our waiter, Matt, was kind, helpful, and lively, making the experience even better (be sure to ask for his section). I'm a server myself and can appreciate quality service. I've been there a handful of times, and he by far provided the best service since I've been going there. On top of all that. the host wasn't too hard on the eyes either. Overall, definitely recommended. Check it out!
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Review from Jeremy S.
Evanston, IL
2/6/2012
This used to be my favorite restaurant in Evanston, which is why I keep trying "one last time" to see if the previous few experiences were just bad luck. But I'm beginning to think my first few experiences were just good luck, and the norm is just not very good at all. I had a very bland chicken stir fry dish, and my wife had the red snapper which was truly horrible. Plus a bottle of wine and it came to $100. Distinctly unimpressed. I think I have finally learned my lesson - I shall not be going back.
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Review from Jeanie P.
12/4/2011
Nice decor and had a back room people had rented out which is nice. Great ambiance and waiters were super friendly!
The only thing I would recommend here is the fried chicken wing appetizer! Very fresh and savory.
Don't get the sushi rolls! Not fresh at all-- honestly one of the worst I've had in Chicago. Way too large rice:fish ratio.
Also the manager that night was quite rude. It was a random weekday, and the restaurant was more than half empty but she gave us a really hard time when we ask to be seated before our two other friends were there (they were parking). It's just the manner she said things was just very dismissive and not friendly. Also my friend was standing there for a good five minutes before anybody greeted her or anything.
Oh Evanston- another disappointment. -
Review from Michael B.
Chicago, IL
11/29/2011
It's official! The people of Evanston enjoy really crappy restaurants. Koi is no exception to this rule!
The quick and dirty: Good food and some of the consistently worst service I have ever seen.
I was with a group of 8 and placed in the backroom with two other 8-10 tops (two groups of 8-10 people). There was 1 server for all of us. He couldn't handle one of our tables let alone 3. He greeted us after about, no joke, 10 minutes. Messed up how we wanted to divide our bill and then ignored us for the rest of the meal.
I'm really disappointed, because I wanted to like this place, but alas, it's in Evanston, so it has to suck royally.
I think I'll just quit Evanston restaurants all together now.Comment from sandy c. of Koi 12/2/2011
Hi Michael, Thank you for your review. All the feedback we… More » -
Review from Moni K.
Updated - 12/4/2011
a -ok.
Came here for my birthday with a birthday email.
The email said come 7 days before or after birthday and get a free entree but in small tiny print it said that you have to buy 2 entrees and you get a third one free.
So I was pretty embarrassed when the waiter boy came back pointing the fine print that I did not read that closely before. He said I could not use unless I ordered more. So I did as told.
No birthday wishes, kind a cold, no cake..when the table next to me got one :(
Whatever it is just a cake...no big deal and I do not trying to be mean I am just sharing my experience.
The plum wine was really good.
Probably will trash those emails in the future.Listed in: Top Restaurants
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/27/2010
I found a new favorite here - the General Tao's Plate with Beef $12.95. You have a choice of brown… Read more »
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Review from Mitch R.
Winnetka, IL
1/31/2012
The other night my girlfriend really wanted to try out Koi. I was reluctant but went ahead anyways because she always gets what she wants. The Ambiance service and food were great! Our server Matt was very knowledgeable. I followed his recommendation of the dragon fire maki and the mongolian beef. Both were exquisite and I defiantly will be returning in the near future.
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Review from Shelley L.
Boston, MA
1/5/2012
This restaurant has a really nice ambiance for a date or dinner with friends. You might need a reservation to sit in the main room that overlooks Davis Street - the last few times I've been here it's been pretty busy. The service is great, and it's got a very classy, cozy feel.
Some dishes that I'd definitely recommend are the Walnut Shrimp, Basil Plates, Seafood Combination and Sesame Plates. For appetizers, the Wonton Soup is quite good although it's a smaller portion, and the Xiaolong Bao is good as well.
I haven't had sushi here except as part of their lunch special, so I can't really comment on the sushi.
If you come here for lunch, the lunch special is a really good deal, it's $12, and you get soup (hot and sour soup or miso), a maki roll and a Chinese Plate - definitely leaves you plenty of leftovers.
I would love to see the Chinese Plate - egg tofu and seafood - back on their menu though! It was delicious and one of the main reasons I ate there. :( -
Review from Kathleen U.
Evanston, IL
2/3/2012
Wow! I just read quite a few poor and mediocre reviews about Koi. I am saddened to see these - especially those that relate to service. We live in Evanston and we have been ordering from Koi for almost 6 years. Their delivery service is very quick and I think their food is very good - with lots of fresh veggies and low fat options. I also always order special requests (no this and no that please) and they always get it right. And if you order $15 or more you get your choice of a free appetizer. I've taken customers to Koi and have also had great service and good food. If i had one negative it would be that I wish you could order half portions. Their portions are huge and if they served half-portions you could order two half entrees and still have plenty ot take home. I swear it takes us almost the whole week to eat an order of fried rice!! Most recently my 5 yr old daughter and I have been frequenting Koi for dinner and we've now designated Koi as Monday dinner night. My husband is home recovering from cancer treatment so we have been dining out a lot. Maybe we've been lucky. The service we have received at Koi is outstanding. We've been lucky enough to have been served by Matt - I hesitate to list his name bc now I am afraid everyone will ask for him and he won't be free to serve us on our next visit:-) What a nice young man! He is very welcoming and friendly especially to my daughter. In fact, Colleen told me during our last visit that she wanted to marry him! He is very knowledgeable about the menu, his service is fast and he is very pleasant - and tolerant of a parent with a young child! Koi has a nice kids menu - very surprising for a restaurant with this ambiance. Last Monday was my bday - Matt served us a kid friendly free dessert - for each of us! And we were lucky enough to get to eat it by the fireplace (young kids can only sit in one place so long and I'm sure the people next to us preferred this too:-)) So, next time you go to Koi ask for Matt - just not on Mondays because that is our night!
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Review from Jackie L.
10/28/2011
My visit to Koi was just OK.
Pros: Lovely dining area with lots of natural light, extensive menu with many different types of cuisine (japanese, chinese, thai), large portions
Cons: Extremely busy during lunch rush (service was slow as a result), I ordered thai food and found it very bland compared to more authentic restaurants in the area.
Overall, not bad if you're looking for a nicer casual lunch option in Evanston, but you can definitely do better if food quality is a top priority. -
Review from Cheryl S.
Chicago, IL
12/16/2011
I went to Koi due to a Groupon. I had a wonderful waitress who recommended a spicy sushi for me and more kid friendly sushi for my 7 year old. We loved it- very fresh and tasty. We will definitely be going back even if we have to pay full price. (Next time we will be trying off the traditional Chinese menu which also offers a $5 kid menu). Note- I wanted to give it 4 stars but my son insisted on 5.
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Review from leslie h.
Chicago, IL
11/1/2011
I've been a member of Yelp for a number of years, but have never felt the need to write a review until now.
Approximately a month ago I went to Koi with my family to celebrate my mom's Birthday. Our experience was horrendous... The waiter, Dave, was sarcastic and atrocious. I am as sarcastic as they come and can take a joke, but he took it way too far. We ordered 2 sushi rolls that came in mayo (which was not listed on the menu) and when we went to return them he got pissed and blamed us. Due to the sushi mix-up, my brother in law had to reorder dinner which didn't show up until everyone else was done with their meal. The female manager on duty was a bitch and threw those dishes at us. They tried to charge us for their mistakes, but we caught it once they were called out they took the charges off. We left feeling stressed, upset and annoyed.
So the next day I called to complain. I spoke with the manager Mark who was as nice as can be. I took him through every issue of our awful experience and he was appalled and shocked that members of his staff could act that way. I explained that the reason I was calling was because I love Koi so much and WANT to go back. If I didn't care I wouldn't have called... He offered to send us a gift certificate to come back and prove to us that this isn't how they do business and I accepted. I got off the phone with him feeling much better about the situation, yet 4 weeks later am STILL waiting for him to make good on that promise.
I'd be interested to hear back from him or Koi to see what the holdup is...Comment from sandy c. of Koi 11/11/2011
Hi Leslie! Thank you for your review and for alerting us to… More » -
Review from Keith M.
Evanston, IL
11/10/2011
All style, no substance. The sushi was disgusting. Sloppily rolled and definitely not fresh. The entrees struggle for mediocrity. If you wonder how they stay in business, it's the NWU students and parents who don't know better.
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Review from Mary R.
Chicago, IL
4/21/2011
Save your time and money.
I liked the aesthetics of this place, but it sure was deceiving. My boyfriend and I are college students, but we don't eat as such, and I hate to be taken less seriously as a young customer who eats out at nicer restaurants than Koi at least twice a week.
We drove 30 minutes to get to Evanston from River North - where we are surrounded by excellent sushi. I'm incredibly disappointed in the service we received, and I'll never go back again. Additionally, we couldn't find the valet attendant....at dinner time...on a Friday night... makes a lot of sense.
I try not to be this mean, but bad service is arguably worse than bad food, sometimes....Anyway, Jamie greeted us in a less than lackluster manner. It was a Friday night, we were with another couple, an her attitude was off from the start, which negatively impacted mine. I understand you're busy, but it was obvious that it wasn't the hustle & bustle of the restaurant that had her acting this way. As if she were so sure that we'd tip poorly, she spoke to us in a monotone disengaged voice throughout the entire course. Meanwhile the table next to us, at which an elderly couple sat, was greeted warmly. Upon my boyfriends encouragement, I tried to take the stick out my ass and enjoy the rest of dinner... No success. After she flung our check on the table, I was so angry that we only tipped a little over 15%.
We ordered Crab Rangoon as our appetizer in addition to 3 rolls of sushi - Bruce's Favorite, Crunchy Spicy Tuna Maki, and Crunchy Dynamite Maki.
My bf and I spend a fortune on sushi, so I don't usually complain about price unless it's really unjustified. In this case, it was. The Crunchy Dynamite came out luke warm. Of course, I don't want my sushi steaming, but it felt as if someone had microwaved it and had it sit out for 30 seconds. Bruce's Favorite was Mary's least favorite, and definitely undeserving of the $16 dinner price. Spicy tuna is spicy tuna. It's not that hard to mess up. But let's just say the Spicy Tuna at the all-you-can-eat value at Sushi Para II beats the hell out of Koi's.
The elderly man next to us saw my sushi as it came out. It was presented nicely, so he told me he wished he had ordered something else instead, because his Sashimi/Nigiri was not very good. I wanted to tell him that he wasn't missing out on the sushi rolls... -
Review from Ehow C.
7/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
To begin my review, I have to say that I dislike the pretentiousness of the place, being high class but not really. But moving on to food...
I don't like their lunch options. Sauce + protein + rice for $9+ (with tax and tip)? You can go to restaurants with much more creative plates with cheaper prices.
And their sushi? Don't even get me started on that. I'd say their service quality is one of their few redeeming factors.
However, I recently discovered their Chinatown menu. With a Groupon, my friends got the Sichuan boiled beef and pork belly buns. Very delicious and, dare I say, elegant?
If they actually focused on these styles of dishes, I would be here way more often. Just because you can be a pan-Asian restaurant doesn't mean you should be. -
Review from Keith A.
Wilmette, IL
7/18/2011
Koi was unfortunately disappointing for me. I had the day off and felt like ordering from somewhere new. I ordered through grubhub and was quoted a time at about 50 minutes after I placed the order. I missed a phone call to clarify the order (and got to it a bit later), so I knew things were gonna be slightly later than initially quoted. Except, I didn't expect it to be almost 50 minutes later than first quoted. It took about an hour and a half to get my food on a friday afternoon. /sigh. Everyone was nice about it and really, I just wanted to eat some food.
So, wanting to dig into my dumplings that was the first thing that I attacked. The dumplings themselves were very good. But, there was barely any sauce for them. In a normal sized plastic sauce container there was pretty much nothing. Like, maybe 20% filled. It was really disappointing as I was enjoying the dumplings a bit, but having a filled sauce container would've been exactly what I wanted.
The sushi I got was pretty good on teh whole. I got some spicy salmon maki rolls, and while I didn't know what to make of the sauce on them at first, I really enjoyed it. I also got a piece of nigiri hamachi that was excellent. The tuna was a little inconsistent though. The one piece that had the much daker color was tremendous, but there was also a lighter piece of tuna that was okay. It looked like it may have been a different cut, but I wasn't sure what to make of two pieces of tuna being that different in color when I ordered what was supposed to be the same.
I also ordered some pad thai to have the next day. The noodles themselves were good, but there was some sweet&sour sauce on them that I didn't know what to make of. I've never had that with pad thai, so it may have been more that it was confusing to me, but I'm also not sure how much it added.
The food ran the gamut from very good to meh. I'm probably not likely to order from here anytime soon as it wasn't cheap, but I also wouldn't have a problem if I ended up here with some friends, or if a friend orders from here in teh future -
Review from Myra M.
Evanston, IL
3/23/2011
This place has shady business practices.
I have visited this restaurant twice. Both times the food was ok. Nothing to write home about, but acceptable. It's a bit overpriced, but not enough so that you are offended.
The first time we tried Chinese dishes. We sampled the szechuan eggplant with sole and the duck bao. The sole (fish) was too fried, but it was fine. The dish was oilier than you would want, but not so much that I wouldn't order a szechuan dish there again.
The Bao was not really bao. They were essentially doughy tacos with a little bit of duck inside. The dish was not something my companion and I would order again, but we thought we'd probably come back at some point to try something else.
I filled out the little e-mail card that came in our bill and received a $20 coupon that had to be used in the next two weeks and decided to come back on a Tuesday night and try something different.
My companion and I tried some of the specialty sushi rolls which weren't offensive, but they weren't good. We had some nigiri which was less fresh than I expect at the pricepoint, and tried some of their chicken wings which were extremely fresh and hot and crispy. We also had their wine special.
I then tried to use the coupon that had been e-mailed out. It can only be used on Monday- Thursday and cannot be used with "any other offers". Apparently, they interpret their drink specials as being another offer. Thing is they have drink specials Monday - Thursday. Maybe it's just me, but when I'm out for dinner with friends and there's a drink special on something I actually drink, I tend to try it. I find it rather disingenuous to send out coupons to be used when you plan on having the large majority of them be dishonored.
If I had not received a coupon, I probably would have come back at some point, not within two weeks (There are too many great options in Evanston to go anywhere more than once in two weeks.) But now, having had a coupon dishonored, and the manager not even coming to our table to discuss the matter after having specifically asked to speak to the manager, I will never return. This behavior speaks not only to the abhorrent lack of customer service, but is likely indicative of the lack of integrity that they would use in their hiring, their sourcing, their entire business model.
So in sum, the food was average, the prices were high, the management - offensive.Comment from sandy c. of Koi 3/25/2011
Thanks for your review of Koi. We really do value your… More » -
Review from Hillary K.
Chicago, IL
6/29/2011
Koi is so on and off in my book.
Never have I had good service there. Let's just put it that way. I've been there at least six or seven times because their food is just SO delicious. My favorites are the seafood special and the lemon chicken (real lemon). Plus, it's really healthy and doesn't make you feel huge after you eat it. Their sushi is just average though, so don't go there for the sushi.
However, their service sucks. The host drags you to a table like he/she hates their life. They plop you down at a table where I have never had a good seat (right next to the bathroom, right next to the kitchen). Once I received a dirty fork and asked the waiter to return it for a new one. She gave me a dirty look like I was being a snob. No, I actually am paying a good amount of money to sit at your restaurant and eat, so I better get a clean utensil!
The busboys insist of dragging tables and chairs around while you're eating your food making it impossible to hear the person talking next to you. On top of that, they play bizarre elevator music in an attempt to pull off a modern atmosphere. Try again, Koi, you aren't deceiving anyone.
Most of the time, I do not order drinks. What can I say? I'm a poor college student who can't afford the $8 cocktails. Well beware! The waiter will throw a fit if you're not contributing to the bill enough with drink orders. "Water is fine with me, please" followed by stare-downs and frustrated sighs.
The only thing that keeps me coming back to Koi is their food. So I would suggest take-out for those who want quality Chinese food that's fairly healthy without having to deal with the horrible service.Comment from sandy c. of Koi 7/6/2011
Thanks for your review of Koi. We especially appreciate… More » -
Review from Scott B.
Chicago, IL
12/25/2011
X-Mas evening with no resos so wasn't upset when only option without wait was bar. My food was excellent however received 1 wrong item, ate anyway and was very good. My wife on other hand read online that vegan cuisine was definitely available, server unfortunately was not well verse with regard to menu, he was however very courteous and willing to ask but just did not understand what "Vegan" actually meant. If someone doesn't know a manager should be brought in to accommodate! Needless to say my wife did not order entree for fear of the unknown? I had my food wrapped to take cause eating solo was not in our plans. Please understand my point... I, nor my wife expect restaurants to create entirely new menus however in the interest of pleasing simple requests and making money I thought more could have been done. Unfortunately there are way too many other restaurants out there willing to go the extra distance to attract new clientele, therefore I would not go back to Koi. Again a shame because food, hospitality and ambience were fantastic!!!
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Review from Rafi J.
Wilmette, IL
10/9/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Kind of on the pricey side, but good quality sushi/sashimi and a menu that's intriguing enough for me to go try more dishes.
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Review from Nick M.
1/10/2011
Wow, Evanston pulls out another dam fine dinner. With all that is happening there, Evanston is about to be the next Supreme Ruler of everything. Just you wait and see!
Koi screams (or not) peace and tranquility, from their mellow staff, chilled atmosphere, to their comfy decor. Even their dishes are very subtle but full of flavor. The only thing that ensues chaos (at least for me) is their menu. So much to look at and it's a little bit confusing. I'm clearly not an expert on Asian cuisine but I ain't no saiyahn either. This menu took a bit to navigate.
Speaking of their food, which was quite good
Pad Won Sen Noodles with Chicken
Stir-Fried Broccoli with Tofu
Vegetable roll
California Maki
Add a little Sriracha...
A full bar...
I would have no problem being a regular here. -
Review from Vic C.
Chicago, IL
1/13/2011
This was my first visit to Koi. After reading the reviews here on Yelp I thought I'd give it a try for lunch.
The place looks great. Very inviting for the most part. If you keep your eyes up.
HOWEVER, I did notice several gross food smudges/stains on the upholstered booths and the absolutely atrociously dirty waiting area near the fireplace as you walk in. It's as if the floor wasn't mopped since they opened and the gold colored sitting cubes were certifiably hazmat filthy.
It begs the question, what does the kitchen look like?
After being seated, my colleague and I waited much too long for our server. Eventually the manager, or I assume the manager, must have noticed our wandering eyes and took our order. I can't really blame the waitress; it appeared that there were around 11 tables occupied and only 1 server. I'm not sure what that was about.
I ordered the glazed (orange?) chicken (low-fat) which was pretty gross and flavorless. So much for their "healthy and flavorful" options. My colleague ordered the Mongolian chicken which I tasted out of curiosity and it was better.
It's a bit embarrassing when I have to stop eating with a half plate of food because I simply can't stomach it anymore while my guest continues with the meal. The brown rice was about all that I could eat (and they charge an extra $.95 for that option).
Honestly, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I bagged up my leftovers only to decide to chuck it in the garbage bin upon exit.
The place is memorable for all the wrong reasons.Comment from sandy c. of Koi 2/4/2011
Thanks for your review of Koi. We especially appreciate… More » -
Review from Brian M.
Chicago, IL
1/28/2011
I recently discovered that Koi offers a Thai menu, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint. After this surprising discovery, they have become my main supplier of lunch time grub. I am a huge advocate of the Chicken Thai Curry Plate. The portion is sizeable. But do not order the curry if you are looking for bland food. There is a pretty good amount of spice to this dish.
Although I have never personally ordered it, many of my friends rave about their sushi. Everything is prepared fresh. I have one vivid memory of them preparing the fish they use in open sight. Everything from scaling the fish to filleting it. Somewhat unappetizing to see, but also a testament to the ingredients that they use.
There is also a pretty nice bar area in this restaurant. My coworkers and I will often stop by after work for a quick drink. It is very rarely crowded, and the bartenders are attentive and personable. Throw in an order of edamame to tide you over, and you have all the makings for one fantastic happy hour. -
Review from Lauren P.
1/13/2011
Dear Koi,
I just want to let you know that you're doing a fine job in your catering aspect of the business. My favorite catered dish to purchase from you are the sweet and spicy chicken wings on your appetizer portion of the menu.
My family loves it, my boyfriend loves it, and most of all I love it!
$18 for one heavenly tray of sweet and spicy chicken wings.
Thank you so much!
-LaurenListed in: Japanese sushi sushi sushi!
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Review from Jackie P.
Chicago, IL
12/13/2010
Koi I liked you I really did but your service was super slow. Also having if you are training someone please introduce him to the table. I don't need the creepy vibe because someone is standing behind you and I can't figure out why he is loitering.
The maki menu is small but they have an adequate special maki menu to make up for it. Do the flower bouquet maki. Strangely it was really tasty. Everything else was your average sushi. Nothing to write home about but certainly good.
I wouldn't risk my life in a snow storm for this place again but if Hannah D. is wanting sushi I guess I'd do it all over again. -
Review from Pamela P.
3/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
This city girl treats a venture out to the 'burbs as a mini-vacation. A trip to Evanston is no different. And, Koi is worth the trip. Their low-fats options of much fatter entrees are made really well and never disappoint. Their sushi is generously sized and fresh -- even for those 'burbs! The martini selections are wide ranging and tailor to any mood.
I just can't get over the spotty service. Sometimes is good but most of the time is just plainly stinks. Koi, please, we love you -- train your waitstaff to be more attentive, helpful and less misanthropic.
Other than that-- it's a great place for some upper scale Chinese/sushi. -
Review from Scotter D.
Wheaton, IL
12/6/2011
This is a go-to place in Evanston for a quality, fast and efficient business lunch. Food is always good and consistently prepared.
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Review from Rachel N.
Cicero, IL
5/11/2011
I came up to Evanston to visit my friend and we stopped in here. The host greeted us pleasantly and we were seated in the front. The place is very clean and beautifully decorated. The front room was pretty noisy but what do you expect on a Friday night.
The menu is huge and has many options to choose from. The crabmeat wontons are a must. I ordered a Spicy Broth and my friend ordered a Dragonfire Maki and a Bruces Maki. Everything was pretty tasty. The martinis were good as well, not like some places where it's mostly juice.
Our server was very pleasant and attentive to our table. He was very knowledgable about the menu and gave us some recommends.
I live too far from Evanston to be a regular but I would definitely come back. -
Review from David B.
Evanston, IL
12/3/2011
The food was fine, but it took a long time to get. The interior is beautiful, but the noise level was so high that we couldn't enjoy any conversation with our friends (just one other couple at the table). I don't like noisy restaurants. I'm going to try to remember to not go back.
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Review from Gabrielle S.
La Grange Park, IL
11/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
The service alone here deserves 5 stars...every single person I came in contact with went above and beyond to make our experience pleasurable. We barely had to open our mouths and ask for something before it was in front of us or cleared away. Love that.
The space is warm and sexy, the food is fresh, and the wasabi was the MOST INTENSE wasabi I have ever had. AWESOME!! The fact that I won a pretty sweet bottle of Riesling at a party here showed how generous the owners are too.
Great for a date, or meeting up with friends. Loved the atmosphere. -
Review from Ricky B.
Evanston, IL
4/23/2011
I went to Koi on a Friday night with a large group of people. The ambiance was nice, although you might need to bring a flashlight to read the menu (its pretty dark, new green initiative?) After about 25 mins, not bad for a large group without a reservation, we got a table. While the normal menu had the standard american chinese fare, general tao anyone, the best options were on the "china town" menu. So we ordered 6-7 different options from that menu and all of them
were great and pretty authentic, or so I was told. In short I enjoyed my meal and will be going back for sure. -
Review from Troy B.
Chicago, IL
3/5/2011
Koi is great for delivery. I order sushi weekly. The fish is always fresh and the portion sizes are a great value. Really good rolls too. If you live in their area, sushi delivery can't be beat. Ordering on-line is a snap.
Dining at the restaurant is another matter. In the few times that I've been to the restaurant the service is weak. Things take forever, servers are inattentive, etc. The food is still good but I'll stick with delivery. -
Review from E. W.
Evanston, IL
2/23/2011
The ambiance is great at Koi's, but the servers are rarely attentive, the Chinese dishes are usually bland, and the sushi is overly expensive. However, there is one superb item on Koi's menu that has us eating here repeatedly.
Koi's Spicy Chicken Wings are simply divine. We do not understand how they can be slathered in that sweet-spicy sticky sauce yet remain so crispy. But they do. And though crispy on the outside, they remain tender and juicy on the inside. They're pretty reasonably priced relative to other menu items, too.
If an order or two isn't enough for you, they have a party tray for $18 or so. It's a great deal, but it's not quite the same. The sauce is just as good, but the wings lack the beautiful crispiness of their eat-in brothers.
In general we'd give Koi's three stars, but the wings plus ambiance bring it up to four. -
Review from Rachel S.
Alexandria, VA
1/5/2011
I've been there a bunch of times now, and have always had great meals. I can't eat raw fish so I ordered the California roll with spicy mayo and they were happy to oblige. Just had the beef lo-mein and it was a HUGE portion (I'm not joking, I have leftovers for days!), my husband loved his tofu Thai spicy basil, and we had the passion fruit mousse for dessert, which was delicious. I've had many of their sushi rolls at other visits and the sushi is good.
The server was great and very helpful (he figured out that my husband is a vegetarian and told him what has fish sauce, and what is ok to order). Everyone was very attentive with the water refills and taking dishes away.
I've always had very pleasant dining experiences here and we will definitely return soon! -
Review from Hilary G.
7/26/2011
There are tons of reviews so I'll keep this short. Delicious food, awesome selections and gigantic menu, but slightly cocky wait staff. Also, we had a group of about 20 people (with a reservation ahead of time), and they put us at two tables, instead of just connecting them. The staff also seemed a little overwhelmed by us, which seemed odd seeing how large the restaurant was. I would definitely go back, because not only were they out of the thai summer rolls I wanted (weird?), but my meal, which was the lemon chicken, recommended by the server, was insanely sweet, and I could only eat a few pieces before feeling almost sick to my stomach from the sugary syrup it came in. The sesame noodles and edame appetizers rocked though. Also, the entrees are HUGE - definitely enough for two people, so go in hungry, share food, or be excited for leffovers.
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Review from Meredith B.
Pittsburgh, PA
7/28/2010
I just came back from a simply mah-velous dinner at Koi with my aunt and my cousin. The atmosphere is trendy, and there is a wee bit of crowd noise, but nothing you can't talk over. We had a lovely seat by the window, and a very gracious server. Couldn't give you his name, but he was friendly and funny.
They had a huge martini list (all $8, I believe), and I went for the Green Tea-ni, which was green tea, gin, and ginger syrup. It was strong and tasty, and not really sweet at all. I hoped it would taste a bit...girlier....but it was quite good nonetheless. We started with edamame as well - they gave us a very big portion, which is good since it's always so overpriced at restaurants. You get close to your money's worth of edamame here!
My cousin and I split some sushi - the spicy tuna roll, the dragon roll, and Chen's golden roll. All of them were excellent, and well-plated. The fish was fresh, the rolls were flavorful and silky in my mouth - I was really impressed! We finished the plate, and every bite was delicious. My aunt ordered the Eggplant Sole Fillet, which was a huge portion of sole with eggplant and asparagus in a sweet and sticky sauce. I only had one bite, but it was very good - reminiscent of Chinese takeout, but heightened somehow.
If I lived in Evanston, I'm sure I'd be back. It was a really nice place to have dinner, and I was surprised by how good the sushi turned out to be! Somebody here knows what they're doing behind the sushi bar. -
Review from Nick B.
Los Angeles, CA
12/28/2010
I continue my quest to try every Asian fusion restaurant in the city that I have dripped over into the suburbs: enter Koi in Evanston. My brother is in town and has to knock out a few people on his social schedule. Koi has Thai food, sushi, and literally anything in between so going out with a group of friends shouldn't be a problem.
We arrived at 8:45PM with a reservation just in case. Quickly seated. Our waitress was pleasant and we were excited to find out that they had "expired" bottles of wine for 50% off. Well please and thank you! For starters, the herbivores went with the veggie spring rolls and the carnivores went with the beef spring rolls. $5 bucks each, no big deal. For entrees I had stir fried broccoli with tofu. Pretty solid. My brother had two maki rolls, a veggie roll with spinach, asparagus, lettuce (?), and cucumber along with a basic kappa roll. To be honest, not so solid. The rolls were very dry and I couldn't get into them. My other friends got chicken so I dodged those but somebody else had pad Thai that I tried. Tasty!
Overall, cool atmosphere, solid service, and good food. Would I take the Purple Line up every weekend to go back? Not exactly, but it made for a nice dinner on a Monday night.
