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Koi
Rating Details »
Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Northern Liberties, Spring Garden604 N 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19176
(215) 413-1606
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- None
17 reviews for Koi
Koi, situated in on the far end 2nd street in Northern Liberties, is hands down my favorite sushi in Philadelphia. It is small and cozy and the small size really enables the chef to really maintain quality standards.
The hand rolls are imaginative and delicious and the monthly special rolls are always a must try. The Northern Liberties Roll, Lobster Wasabi and I Love Tuna are favorites.
The sushi and sashimi are great and are some of the freshest and best cuts of fish I've had anywhere.
The dinner plates are also excellent, my favorite being the Spicy Chicken Bulgokee.
Koi is a BYOB so we always make sure to bring a bottle of wine and/or a bottle of Saki (which they will warm for you - just ask).
The service is unbeatable, with friendly and attentive servers that really understand the menu and can make recommendations that you can trust are not based on what a chef is telling them to push that night.
The main complaint that I hear from most people, and can understand myself, is the price is a little high. But for the quality of food and the service I think it is well worth the premium.
First and foremost, BYOB. Koi, at one time did have a liquor license, but not anymore... so you particular folks can bring in your own Kirin or sake of choice.
Cute, cozy, orange and a little time-capsule-ish. White plastic modular chairs, dim lighting, calm, intimate - I've always loved the simple modern decor of this place - It's rarely crowded, probably often overlooked, as it is quietly tucked away on 2nd street by Green in Northern Liberties. Most of the businesses on this street have closed and reopened shop in the Piazza at Schmidts, leaving Koi, Soy Café, Art Star (sure to follow suit any day now) behind. I'd take this area of this neighborhood over the Piazza any day.
Diatribe aside, yes, the sushi is a little high on the pricing scale vis-à-vis other similar sushi spots in the city, but you are getting a higher quality cut of fish for it. You pay for what you get. If you're looking to save, come here for lunch where they have more reasonably-priced and hefty lunch boxes (the most expensive one will run you $11.95). Service is usually fast and attentive.
The sushi and sashimi portions are very generous - though they tend to be heavy-handed with the rice. The fish is always fresh and the huge maki rolls are consistently delicious.
Make sure to order their tempura, which is some of the best in the city. Another must order is the "I Love Tuna" (tuna and spicy tempura ko with tempura ko on the outside) and "Northern Liberty" maki rolls.(shrimp tempura, avocado with spicy tuna on top, topped with spicy sauce and brown sauce).
At first I was only going to give 4 stars. But after seeing the pic of the Star Wars sushi... 5 stars is a must (I'm a big fan)!
Anywho, the service was excellent and speedy; I didn't have to ask for water refills once (I drink a lot of H2O)!
As for the sushi, YUM. I was very pleased with my Spider Roll... the price was fairly decent too! can't wait to go back :)
Honestly, not thrilled. I dig the the modern Japanese decor with the poppy and white plastic furniture, and the clean, sleek feel of the restaurant, but... the actual sushi was unimpressive. My chirashi was undersized and strangely bland - and therefore overpriced. The specialty rolls were larger and tastier, but I've had better for cheaper elsewhere. No complaints about the service though ~ very friendly.
Siderant: Can someone explain to me why a restaurant with such a modern and trendy vibe out front has a bathroom that looks like it was lifted directly out of an old-school McDonalds?
Mediocre sushi, a bit expensive, but very nice decor and atmosphere. Their rice is a bit too sweet for my taste, and their rolls are pretty uninspired. I'd be willing to give it another shot though, seems like it has potential.
Can't complain about the service.
I have been to Koi three times, once for take out and the other two to dine in.
The atmosphere is cool, and the service is pretty good.
The sushi is a bit overpriced, but they do have some different things on the menu, which makes the prices a bit easier to deal with.
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I order from here more frequently than I eat-in, but enjoy Koi overall. The quality of the fish tends to be high, although it is a bit over-priced. Service is usually friendly, but can be slow if part of a larger party. Definitely worth a try!
Great atmosphere and decor. Superb service and quality sushi. I'll definitely be going back, probably on a regular basis.
Koi, a streamlined space that need a good heating and ac unit installed so your don't get distracted while eatting your over priced tempura fish. From the outside, Koi is a colorful glass box, an orange and green and is so appealing. George Jetson would feel right at home here. I like it all the same but I don't know if I'm willing to go a second time to just give away my money like that. We are in some kind of recession man!
Funny that you reviewed this just now Jen R. this was my next review!
So KOI, I dropped by today on my way home from walking the puppy, ordered a roll, and really surprised at how very good it really was.
I'm kind of a food snob...and one of the things I'm really picky about is the Spicy sauce...I hate when it tastes like MAYO! Nothing ruins a good bite of sushi that tasting it slathered in mayo. Well I'm happy to say that was not the case here! They actually make a really yummy spicy sauce...you can taste the Wasabi...it's delicious.
So two of the specialty rolls came out to about $25, not too bad.
For sure I've found my lunch spot.
I think this place used to be called something else, but whatever the name, they know what they're doing with fish.
Not only are the people that work here very friendly and gracious, but they make delicious sushi that is beautifully presented. There are plenty of special house rolls (who else makes the Juliet roll? I'm not even sure what that is!) as well as the usual maki that are made with generous amounts of fish and perfect rice.
Something different to try is the Wasabi Lobster salad- it's served in a martini glass and super-fancy and I would eat it every day if I could. The tempura are nicely done, being well cooked but not overly breaded and served with a tasty dipping sauce.
I haven't tried any of the Korean dishes yet so I can't vouch for those, but the bento boxes for lunch are a great deal. Closed on Sundays.
Inexpensive, good sushi with great service. BYOB.
Decided to try this place because
(1) It only had one review, and
(2) The one Yelper gave Koi 5 stars.
THE PLACE
It looks pretty funky from the outside. Through the windows you can see the brightly colored interior (walls, tables, chairs). Once inside, the place still looked kind of cool. Going solo, I figured I'd just sit at the bright red sushi bar.
THE FOOD
Sashimi Appetizer(7-pieces) ($9.95)
Tsunami Maki (Roll) ($11.95)
Deep Fried Green Tea Ice Cream ($4.50)
The sashimi appetizer came with tuna, salmon, and albcacore tuna (I think). It was nicely presented as well as fairly fresh. The Tsunami roll was also quite good. The spicy tuna inside definitely had a nice kick to it and the torched squid on the outside was something that I thought was unique and added a different texture to it. The deep friend green tea ice cream was probably the only one I was slightly disappointed in. Though it was a nice man-sized scoop, the batter on the outside was not particularly "deep fried" -- it lacked the crispiness one would expect from a deep-fried dessert.
Don't go here if you are a vegetarian.
My husband started going to Koi to get the "lunchbox" special, which is basically a divided plate with all sorts of tempura, rolls, etc., as well as miso soup and a little salad. He took me there one day and I ordered the vegetarian option of this. I let the waiter know that I am severely allergic to shellfish. The food came out and the meat options were replaced with vegetables, but the shellfish options were the same. When I let the waiter know that this was not vegetarian, he coldly told me that there were "no substitutions." He said it was restaurant policy and didn't matter what the issue was.
Basically I had to pay for and entire meal when I could only eat half. Sure, you might say I should have clarified before I ordered, but I am pretty sure that vegetarian means vegetarian in the normal world.
I would never reccommend this place to anyone. Its dangerous.
it was reasonably priced for their lunchbox. our sushi was pretty good. everything was brought to our table so quickly we didnt get a chance to finish our salad and miso soup, so i cant really say how they tasted. our food was good. i wasn't floored but they gave me plenty to eat. i was full by the time lunch hour was done. and very friendly service.
Damn good sushi for a neighborhood joint. I've eaten here twice in the last week and was impressed both times with the freshness of the fish. Sashimi pieces are huge and reasonably priced. 'Special' roles are essentially the standards (dragon, spider, variations on the themes), but very tasty. My current sushi go-to.
i really enjoy the sushi here. they have a delightful salad with a gingery citrus dressing. the miso is top notch. i always order a variety of rolls this week we tried the volcano which is a combination of tuna avocado topped with a scallop and two tasty sauces. The service is wonderful and the staff is great and always attends to my daughters chopstick requirements. If you have room after dinner try the fried green tea ice drizzled with chocolate. yum.
